Why is the latest wave of Covid-19 destabilising the Chinese regime?

On the night of 24th November 2022, a locked down building caught fire in Urumqi in the majority-Uyghur Xinjiang region of China. Firefighters were held back by the sealed entrance to the building, in place due to the latest strict Covid-19 lockdown measures. 10 people ended up dying in the fire.

The following day, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in cities across China. Grievances against the Zero Covid policy had turned into grievances against Xi Jinping’s authoritarian regime. CNN has called it an “unprecedented uprising”. This kind of protest movement hadn't been seen since Tiananmen Square, where a student revolt was brutally put down on the night of 3rd June 1989. Tanks were deployed, killing over 2000 protesters .

Are we saying this kind of protest movement has never happened before? What form are the latest protests taking? Could this really cause the Chinese regime to wobble? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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A Bababam Originals podcast, written and produced by Joseph Chance.

In partnership with upday UK.

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