Clashes in Shanghai as protests over China’s zero-Covid policy continue

Shanghai: Hundreds of demonstrators and police have clashed in Shanghai as protests over China’s stringent Covid restrictions continued for the third day and spread to several cities, in the biggest test for President Xi Jinping since he secured a historic third term in power.
The wave of civil disobedience is unprecedented in mainland China in the past decade, as frustration mounts over Xi’s signature zero-Covid policy nearly three years into the pandemic, the Guardian reported.
Protests triggered by a deadly apartment fire in the far west of the country last week took place on Sunday in cities including Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, Wuhan and Guangzhou.
On Monday, China reported a new daily record of new Covid-19 infections, with 40,347 cases.
Also Read Covid in China: Protests erupt in Xi Jinping’s alma mater Tsinghua University The cities of Guangzhou and Chongqing, with thousands of cases, are struggling to contain outbreaks. Hundreds of infections were also recorded in several other cities across the country, The Guardian reported.
Chinese stocks fell sharply as investors raised concerns over the impact of the protests on the world’s second-largest economy.