Public Anger Over Coronavirus Is Mounting. Will It Matter?

The coronavirus outbreak that exploded three weeks ago in the central Chinese city of Wuhan has prompted the most severe government actions in three decades. Cities are closed down, transport links broken, and tens of millions of people effectively quarantined. The death of whistleblowing doctor Li Wenliang, one of several healthcare workers who attempted to draw attention to the virus at the start of the year, has prompted online rage, while economic growth forecasts have been slashed. At a time when the Party and the leadership claim supremacy over every aspect of Chinese life, when Xi Jinping has been styled “Chairman of Everything” can they avoid blame for the regime’s failture to contain the virus? And how much will it matter to Xi’s future?

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