CCP congress signifies uncertain future for China - Joshua Park, Tiffin Boys

For example, the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic is still being felt in full force in Chinese cities such as Chengdu (boasting a population of 21 million), with the state-controlled media insisting that a raging battle against COVID still needs to be won. This is despite the fact that other Asian countries (e.g. South Korea, which similarly imposed strict lockdown restrictions and effective track and trace methods to prevent a catastrophic spread of the disease) have taken steps to return to a sense of pre-pandemic normalcy. China’s Health Commission reported 1,476 locally transmitted Covid-19 cases nationwide on Thursday, which seems minuscule, however just one case can trigger harsh lockdowns, such as in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang, where 900,000 residents in Hegang city have been locked down since Friday.

It has also caused Chinese citizens to express their anger publicly in a backlash that is rare in how big it has become, against the Chinese government that is escaping even the country's most diligent censors. It is quite surprising to see this phenomenon in a country which many know keeps a tight hold over the online information that their citizens can see. Nevertheless, this ruthless policy seems to have been the last straw for many, as for example a tearful woman who has been under quarantine for a year took anger out verbally at quarantine workers in a video that has recently gone viral on Chinese social media platform Weibo. More unfortunately in Henan province, Guo Jingjing, a 14 year-old girl, passed away after she was sent to a COVID quarantine centre, with her parents demanding justice for their daughter. They said that their calls for medical help were ignored by health services, with this sentiment being shared by netizens online who reacted to videos of her shaking and convulsing on a bed which were shared to Douyin, China's version of Tiktok. This information however has been removed by Chinese censors, once again reminding the world that independently-reported information faces fierce challenges from the CCP. This policy, as well as a halting real estate market, has placed burdens on the Chinese economy, with some apartments under construction in which people have paid mortgages on being destroyed, and other unfinished apartments already have people living in them. 

The Communist Party Congress has also brought much attention to the situation in China, as footage has been released of aforementioned Chinese ex-leader Hu Jintao being escorted out of the twice-a-decade event has been revealed to the Internet. 

Hu Jintao, who served his term between 2003 and 2013, was on stage when two officials approached him. He then said something to Xi Jinping, who nodded back, and was promptly escorted out of the Great Hall of the People. The Chinese government's radio-silent to this has prompted people to believe that he was possibly purged by Xi Jinping, although it is difficult to make any judgement whatsoever. Nevertheless, earlier in his opening speech at the Congress last Sunday, Xi praised the ruthless crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong as a move from "chaos to governance". He also waved around China's so called right to use force to seize the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which has seen increasing consultation from its US allies. 

Mr Xi currently inhabits a role that combines the positions of general secretary of the Communist Party, president and head of the armed forces. He is expected to be officially confirmed for a third term as general secretary and to unveil his new leadership team this Sunday. In 2018 he abolished the presidential two-term limit which paved the way for him to rule indefinitely, mirroring similar successful attempts made by Russian President Vladimir Putin to curb limits to how long he can serve in his position. 

However, Xi's public image in his own country may have been overshadowed by increasing frustration aimed at his government. This has most notably taken the form of a protest made by a man wearing an orange worksuit and a yellow hard hat. On an overpass in Beijing's Haidan university district, he revealed two massive white banners covered in slogans written in red paint. He then set tyres on fire, picked up a loudhailer and repeatedly chanted:

"Go on strike at school and work, remove dictator and national traitor Xi Jinping! We want to eat, we want freedom, we want to vote!"

Such public opposition to Xi's authority has always been considered impossible until now, with other social campaigns accompanying it fueling growing resentment against authorities.

Examples include ones such as one which says:

"Say no to Covid test, yes to food. No to lockdown, yes to freedom. No to lies, yes to dignity. No to cultural revolution, yes to reform. No to great leader, yes to vote. Don’t be a slave, be a citizen,”

And another, which states: 

“Go on strike, remove dictator and national traitor Xi Jinping,” read the other.

Many spoke out to express their support and awe despite the massive censorship which has limited searches on terms such as “Beijing,” “Haidian,” “warrior,” “brave man,” and even “courage”. Some shared the Chinese pop hit “Lonely Warrior” in a veiled reference to the protester, who some called a “hero". A truly unforgettable moment, one might add. 

This has led to an ongoing cat-and-mouse game with citizens, who are now using AirDrop and file transfer services to share pictures, or coming up with innocent-sounding terms such as "I saw it" to discuss the incident. However, according to political economy expert Ho-fung Hung, "This kind of individualised protest is far from the collective action that the Communist Party fears… and they have been able to stifle threats bigger than Bridge Man,". Crackdowns on intellectuals, activists and lawyers in recent years back up this observation.