No more PCR tests every two days, brutal confinements, quarantine centers... For a month, and three years after the appearance of the very first cases of Covid-19, China has put an end to its draconian "zero Covid" strategy. ".
But the euphoria aroused by the news was followed by an unprecedented outbreak of the epidemic throughout the country.
Within days, hospitals found themselves saturated – with the majority of elderly patients, poorly vaccinated, overwhelming the emergency services – pharmacies were stormed for anti-fever drugs, while crematoriums were quickly overwhelmed by the influx of bodies.
In Shanghai, the economic capital of China, for example, around 70% of the inhabitants, or some 18 million people, have contracted the coronavirus since the beginning of December.
If abroad this situation causes concern – specialists fearing the appearance of new variants – several French expatriates in China express their relief at the lifting of health restrictions.
With the same hope that after this wave of contamination, life will finally return to normal.
From the last few weeks under the aegis of health restrictions to the demonstrations against the "zero Covid" strategy and its sudden abandonment, three of them, including one contacted for the first time by France 24 in April, have agreed to share their testimony.
Johanne, 40 years old, financial manager of a French company
"I never thought I would one day witness, in an authoritarian country like China, demonstrations like those against the 'zero Covid' strategy in November. Never, in the 12 years that I have lived in Shanghai, have I I have never heard so many words directly implicating Xi Jinping and his policies. The population was really fed up. Which is completely understandable… I know many who have lost their jobs since 2019 and do not are better able to save a penny. People loved Xi Jinping because he represented the 'Chinese dream', but the 'zero Covid' strategy dashed all their hopes.
For my part – I admit it – I thought that these demonstrations would lead to nothing.
When the government announced the lifting of the restrictions, I did not even believe it.
Between colleagues, we thought that there was a trap and that the authorities were going to backpedal.
Finally, seeing them stay on course despite the outbreak of the epidemic, I now have the impression that they had a rather childish reaction to the demonstrations: as if they had said to themselves 'You are questioning our Politics ?
Well now get on with it.'
Because that is exactly what happened.
Overnight, there was no more control, no more obligation to wear the mask, nothing.
The only instruction we were given was: 'If you are sick,
figure it out.
Manage as you can but don't clog the hospitals!"
The wave of contamination did not surprise me.
As soon as the sanitary measures were lifted, I knew that going out meant taking the risk of catching the Covid.
And as I expected, I caught it in mid-December, like everyone around me.
Among my expatriate friends, we were so sure that we would not escape it that we were almost relieved to have it.
With the end of year celebrations approaching, this allowed us to sacrifice Christmas but not the New Year or the Chinese New Year.
I was still very sick, with a lot of fatigue, a big cough and a fever.
Besides, I had many more symptoms than my companion who, unlike me who was vaccinated with Chinese vaccines, was vaccinated with Pfizer.
Fortunately, we did not suffer from shortages in pharmacies because we had brought back a stock of medicines from our summer vacation in France.
A real chance compared to many locals.
Now the bulk of the wave of infections seems to have passed through Shanghai.
And while the population might still feel frustrated at having suffered months of restrictions to end up with overwhelmed hospitals, I especially have the impression that everyone wants to move on.
After months of living in a form of terror, I have the feeling that the atmosphere is finally becoming more serene.
For example, a few days ago I coughed on the street.
And for the first time in a long time, I didn't worry about the consequences.
It's so liberating!
We finally have the right to be sick after three years when we felt that catching Covid-19 was the worst crime possible.
Because during all this time, it was not being sick that scared me, but all the consequences that implied.
For example, I had heard plenty of sordid stories where the pets of people who tested positive were put down for fear that they were carriers of the coronavirus.
I have two dogs, and that worried me a lot.
Looking back, I think 2022 will have been a really pivotal year for the Chinese.
The population realized the gap between what we were experiencing and what the rest of the world was experiencing.
We all had the same question: why do we continue to be inflicted with this draconian 'zero Covid' strategy?
And this question made the restrictions much more burdensome.
In this, the confinement of last April will have been the most difficult moment for me, even if I was far from being the most unhappy in my large apartment, with my expatriate salary.
It should not be forgotten that some locals lived it in small apartments with often several generations under the same roof.
But there are also positives to take away from this period.
In this country where people talk very little on the street, where you rarely know your neighbours, I have seen the birth of incredible mutual aid and a lot of social barriers have been lifted.
In a few weeks, at the end of February, my partner and I will fly to Finland to move there.
I am of Chinese origin.
I know that at some point I will come back here.
But these last few months have given us the desire for a fresh start and to reconnect with nature.
And clearly, the last three years have had something to do with it.
But at least, before our departure, we will be able to take advantage of a few days of vacation and see a China that is coming back to life.
It's the end of one hell of a rollercoaster!"
Jeanne, 39 years old, French teacher
"I feel like I've been living in a weird dystopian future for three years, and finally the future is brightening up. I live in Zhuhai, kind of the equivalent of Nice in France – a coastal city, quite rich and rather quiet. Unlike large metropolises, such as Shanghai or Beijing, I was spared the general and very strict confinements. Despite everything, I spent three years with the threat of being suddenly confined in building or sent to quarantine. At the university where I work, I was even asked to prepare a bag with pajamas, a change of clothes and a toiletry bag in case I could not leave the establishment after the detection of positive cases of Covid. And like everywhere in China,we had to live with the tests every 24 or 48 hours, the QR code to enter public places.
My boyfriend, who is from Hong Kong, and I sincerely considered leaving China as I love living here.
I went so far as to apply to several universities, in London or in Australia.
Nothing worked out so we stayed, but if we had the chance we would have left.
Finally, I caught Covid-19 two days after the announcement of the lifting of health restrictions.
It's also amazing how fast it was, to the point that I suspect that the virus was already circulating much more than we thought.
The government abandoned the 'zero Covid' strategy on December 7.
The next day, all the tents for the screening tests had disappeared from the streets and the QR code which we could not do without to move around was out of order.
Two days later, everyone around me was sick.
The university even decided to let the students go home before the end of the semester and to postpone the exams.
My boyfriend's whole family, who also lives in Zhuhai, was infected, including his very elderly grandparents and aunts.
It worried us a lot but luckily everyone got away with it.
The problem is that in China, city medicine hardly exists.
When you are sick, there is no other choice but to go to the hospital.
It is therefore not surprising that hospitals are very quickly overwhelmed when there is an epidemic.
In any case, I had planned to return to France for the end of year celebrations, ready to undergo quarantine on my return.
I missed my family, I hadn't seen my loved ones since 2019. Ironically, it was finally the lifting of restrictions that almost prevented me from traveling since I was positive for Covid-19 just before.
Luckily, I recovered just in time to catch the plane.
Now, my biggest concern is that some countries are going further than imposing negative tests and completely banning travelers from China from entering their territory, de facto closing the borders.
I find it totally normal that we are asked to test ourselves, but I would live badly if the country found itself completely isolated again.
Thibault, 29, computer scientist
"When I returned to Europe this summer, I wasn't sure I wanted to come back to China. After four months of traveling and thinking about it, I decided to get my ticket back. What was the point of enduring months of restrictions and having done the hardest part to give up now?
When the government finally announced the lifting of the restrictions, I was so relieved.
We partied all night with my friends.
But we have not escaped the peak of contamination.
In the days that followed, all my colleagues – who were all vaccinated with Chinese vaccines – caught Covid-19.
In my company, this hasn't really been a problem.
Since they were all sick at the same time, we simply decided to postpone all projects by ten days.
For my part, I am vaccinated with Pfizer and I have already had Covid-19.
I slipped through the cracks.
And then there were the protests.
I attended the one that took place in Shanghai.
I had never seen that in China: the demonstrators were clearly ready to do battle with the police.
Their anger was palpable.
I think it was really a trigger for the authorities.
Photograph of the demonstration in Shanghai against the "zero Covid" strategy, taken by Thibault in November 2022. © DR
When the government finally announced the lifting of the restrictions, I was so relieved.
We partied all night with my friends.
But we have not escaped the peak of contamination.
In the days that followed, all my colleagues - who were all vaccinated with Chinese vaccines - caught Covid-19.
In my company, this hasn't really been a problem.
Since they were all sick at the same time, we simply decided to postpone all projects for ten days.
For my part, I am vaccinated with Pfizer and I have already had Covid-19.
I slipped through the cracks.
For several days, I wandered the streets of Shanghai which were completely empty, like during the confinements.
People stayed home, either because they were already sick or because they were afraid of becoming sick.
It was amazing.
Now the surge in infections seems to be starting to subside and things are slowly getting back to normal.
Finally, we will find everything for which we like to live in China.
Above all, growth will be able to resume and, with it, professional opportunities will certainly emerge.
Many expatriates left this summer: it's up to us who stayed to help the economy.
And we will finally be able to start traveling again.
Even if some countries have reintroduced tests on departure or arrival – which is completely understandable – the borders are finally open.
The first thing I did when I heard the restrictions were lifted was to book a plane ticket to go skiing for Chinese New Year.
And around me, it's the same liberation for everyone.
After being deprived of it for three years, most of my Chinese friends will be able to spend this period with their families."
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