China city mayor apologises over Covid lockdown response

The mayor of a northeastern Chinese city on the North Korean border that has been under lockdown for more than 50 days has apologised for failures in his administration’s work amid widespread — but often disguised — dissatisfaction over the government’s heavy-handed approach to handling the pandemic.

Dandong Mayor Hao Jianjun gave no specifics, but said government work and basic services had been “unsatisfactory,” for which he offered his apologies, according to a statement issued by the city government late Monday.

It is highly unusual for a ranking Communist Party official to publicly concede errors, particularly regarding the hardline “zero-COVID” policy that has been repeatedly endorsed by top officials under President and party leader Xi Jinping.

Despite reporting only a handful of cases, Dandong has seen one of the strictest lockdowns in China.

In his reported comments at a meeting with residents, Hao acknowledged the sacrifices made by the city’s 2.4 million citizens, along with the “complaining voices” among them over the government’s work.

Dandong would now be moving into a stage of pandemic control that would be “more proactive, more active and more effective,” Hao said.

Unable to root out the source of new cases, Dandong officials took increasingly extreme measures, some of them of questionable scientific merit. That included recommending residents close their windows to prevent the virus being blown in from North Korea, even though its ability to spread through the air is extremely limited.

Authorities have also cracked down on smuggling across the Yalu River with North Korea, offering cash incentives for information on those involved.

China has long held that the virus is spreading through packaging and other surfaces, despite little evidence showing that is a significant factor.

Officials at one point also transported residents of an entire apartment block to quarantine in the city of Shenyang, about 250 kilometers north of Dandong. Upon their release, it was discovered the positive case sparking the move had been in a resident of a neighbouring building, leading to an angry confrontation between the residents and authorities.

Residents have been permitted out to shop, but no word has yet been given on when normal work can resume, said Li Yueqing, the owner of a wood processing factory in Dandong reached by phone.