The announcement of the 60,000 COVID-related deaths by the Chinese authorities could increase tensions in the country of Xi Jinping, who apparently had not prepared a plan to limit the population transmission of the virus that is decimating the country.
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“China is facing an internal problem because it has been so vocal about its superior handling of COVID, and there is the impression of the Chinese people that the government is doing an incredible job in this regard. It’s about control, but if it when it comes to management, it’s different,” said Canada’s former ambassador to China, Guy St-Jacques.
For the first time since the start of the lifting of the ultra-restrictive health measures of the “zero-COVID” policy in early December, the Chinese government presented its first report yesterday.
“Between December 8, 2022 and January 12, 2023 a total of 59,938 [décès] have been identified in medical facilities across the country,” health agency official Jiao Yahui told reporters yesterday.
propaganda
However, we shouldn’t put too much faith in the numbers reported by Xi Jinping’s government, warns Mr St-Jacques.
“It’s part of a propaganda operation as it’s clear there are many more dead,” he said. After all the reports confirming, for example, the work overload of the crematoria, but also all the knowledge that we have acquired over the last three years about the virus and the infection rates, mortality rates and vaccination rates. »
For him, however, it is clear that China is trying to be more transparent, as the World Health Organization called for last week. But we must not forget that the Middle Kingdom is still “very delicate” when it comes to its management and the origin of the pandemic, stresses Mr St-Jacques.
“She’s been hiding information for a long time because she fears she’ll have to explain the root of the problem, and it boils down to a whole face-saving issue. We’re far from the truth and eventually we’ll have a better idea of excess mortality because those numbers will come out,” he believes.
The same story from the side of Loïc Tassé, China specialist and columnist for the Journal, who points out that the government’s numbers are statistically inaccurate.
“Given the inequality of China’s healthcare system, we can expect that there will be more deaths in the very underdeveloped rural hospitals and in some cities. The number they give is probably wrong because it also appears that half of the population has contracted COVID-19,” he argues.
anger and dissatisfaction
Since health measures were lifted due to demonstrations and economic problems in the country, the virus has spread like wildfire among the population. Last week, several Quebecers told the Journal that they contracted the disease in just a few days. Many media had also reported that hospitals were overwhelmed with patients battling the disease.
And it is primarily older people with vulnerable health who are the first victims of contamination. According to government information, the average age of the victims in the balance sheet published on Saturday was 80 years.
“Many grandparents will die and it will be a huge burden for the population and parents, since in China it is often the grandparents who look after the grandchildren while the parents work,” said the former Canadian representative.
In addition, the very clear end of health measures without a transition plan means that the population recognizes that the Chinese government has had three years to come up with a plan and has done nothing, adds Guy St-Jacques. According to him, this could help increase discontent in the country.
Loïc Tassé also wants to avoid stirring up dissatisfaction that the government is not disclosing the true number of deaths.
“There is public dissatisfaction with the handling of COVID-19, and that dissatisfaction has spread to other areas: it affects Xi Jinping’s management and the Chinese Communist Party’s management. So that’s one of the reasons we underestimate the number of deaths, because we probably don’t want to scare the population, but we also don’t want to increase their discontent because people would be very quick to blame the government,” he says reminds that other issues such as youth unemployment and the real estate crisis are increasing discontent in the country.
Against quarrel?
Despite everything, it remains very difficult to predict whether this anger could provoke demonstrations, as we saw at the end of November among the people weary of health measures.
“People’s dissatisfaction is very big, it will increase and people will talk about it during the Chinese New Year, that’s for sure. And the Chinese Communist Party will most likely take action to respond to this dissatisfaction,” thinks Mr. Tassé, who sees no protest movement emerging at the moment.
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