Shanghai: lockdown turning into chaos?
The whole city of Shanghai, or almost, with around 25 million confined inhabitants, is exhausted. Angry expats don't understand the reasons behind such drastic measures. "Why have they chosen to paralyse the whole city once again? Why have buildings been shut down? How do 25 million people cater to their daily needs?" There are some of the questions they ask themselves and the authorities. Eddy, an expat in "I can honestly say that life has turned into hell. I can't wait to get out of here". On Facebook, Laurianne warns people planning to move to Shanghai: “We have been locked down since mid-March. We are struggling to buy our basic necessities. We hardly have access to hygiene or cleaning products. This is no less than a daily test". Some people have even had several Covid tests done in a single day. A few lucky ones have "only" been confined since the beginning of April. But this new lockdown is too much for the population. Unsurprisingly, the wealthier are able to buy in groups and stock up on food. For those who live in the upscale neighbourhoods of Shanghai, the luckiest ones have a balcony they can use for a breath of fresh air. But for others, the lockdown is a physical and psychological strain. In Beijing, fearing a lockdown similar to that of Shanghai, people are stocking up on their basic needs. However, contamination figures are lower compared to those of Shanghai.
Isolation of positive but asymptomatic people is another hot topic. Those who have been through quarantine in those huge centres talk about the terrible living conditions. More than 100,000 people are currently quarantined there. Overall, the population fears these isolation centres more than the coronavirus. The American consulate in Beijing points out the Chinese "zero Covid" strategy as a total failure. Covid waves follow one another despite closed borders. On Tuesday, April 12, the American consulate, therefore, authorized its "non-essential" employees to leave Shanghai. But China opposed the groundless accusations by the Americans. The Chinese diplomacy spokesperson Zhao Lijian spokesperson made it clear that "China's epidemic control policy is scientific and practical. But expatriates, like locals, speak about an attempt at human dignity. For them, leaving seems to be the only solution to escape the chaos.
Inflation, Covid, recession: Is Shanghai still attractive?
Due to the lockdown in Shanghai, some 4,600 French expats registered on the electoral lists were deprived of their right to vote last Sunday. The scene is likely to repeat next Sunday. The Chinese authorities have rejected all exemption requests from France. Laurianne testifies: “We knew from the start that we would not be allowed to vote. In my neighbourhood, we were not allowed to leave the compound, whether to go to the hospital or to fly overseas. So it was pretty obvious that we would not be allowed to go out to vote".
Covid contamination figures are also rising, with more than 20,000 new cases per day. This Tuesday, seven more deaths were reported (on a total of 10 cases). On social media, you can find comments from alarmed and exasperated expats. Some point out the difficulty in finding food, total isolation, etc. Many of them express their desire to leave as soon as possible. Others believe that their respective governments are not taking proper action to help them. Valérie, a French expat, believes that the French embassy or consulate should have anticipated. "It's really more than disappointing!" However, according to French authorities, nearly 7000 French expats have already been repatriated. Last Friday, some 300 French expats boarded an Air France flight back to France.
Directly linked to the health crisis, inflation is another factor that's making expats want to leave. In March 2021, it was at 1.5%, a little more than the experts' forecasts. In fact, Ting Lu expects the consumer price index to keep on rising in April. Before the Shanghai lockdown, thousands of households had already stocked up, and this is repeating as concern grows. Multiple lockdowns have dragged China into a new recession, like in 2020, before the economic recovery. However, the gloomy Chinese economy directly impacts the global economy that has already been weakened by the war in Ukraine and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Will more expats be leaving Shanghai in the future? More and more expatriates feel pressured initially by the stringent measures that don't seem beneficial for the population. Others wonder whether they should pursue their studies in Shanghai and at what cost. The high cost of living since the beginning of the pandemic has become a serious concern for those who work. For many expats, one thing is for sure: their future is away from Shanghai.
