Sébastien Le Belzic (in Beijing) 8:15 a.m., January 10, 2023
In China, the lifting of health restrictions linked to the coronavirus has put hundreds of thousands of people out of work, causing numerous demonstrations across the country.
The little soldiers of the zero Covid policy are asking for compensation, after three years of business linked to the pandemic.
China fails to get rid of Covid-19.
The lifting of restrictions, announced this Sunday, also angers part of the population.
They are factory workers, testers, laboratory workers and lived directly from Covid-19 and its strict application - the lifting of barriers and restrictions put them out of work.
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Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have demonstrated across the country to obtain compensation.
Videos posted on social media show violent protests.
Employees who suddenly found themselves unemployed with the lifting of health checks are now asking for compensation.
They claim not to have been paid for several months.
The end of a lucrative business for many Chinese
The Chinese government abruptly ended its zero Covid policy just a month ago, and brought with it the end of the lucrative contracts with these companies responsible for producing billions of PCR tests, anti-Covid suits, protective masks and gloves.
Many of these factories had to go out of business.
It is estimated that the deployment of PCR tests in China alone was costing the country 2% of its GDP each year, which is as much as the defense budget.
What cause an unprecedented economic crisis.
But ultimately, boomerang effect, today it is these little hands of zero Covid who are revolting.