WASHINGTON: China is likely to continue the widespread lockdown into 2023, the US ambassador said on Thursday, as he cautioned that the zero-Covid strategy was hurting trade.
“I think we will have to live with this for a long time. My own belief is that we will probably see a continuation of zero-Covid in early 2023,” Ambassador Nicholas Burns said Brookings Institution,
Burns, talking to Washington By video link from Beijing, the think tank said the lockdown was disrupting supply chains and made foreign businesses wait before considering further investments.
“It’s very important for countries to leave a market, so we don’t see a lot of companies giving up lock, stock and barrel,” burns Told.
But from his conversations with American businesses, Burns said, “I think there’s a lot of hesitation to invest in future obligations until they see the end of it.”
The American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai said in a recent survey that a quarter of US firms were withdrawing investment plans and nearly all business hubs were dropping revenue forecasts after the lockdown.
Covid-19 was first detected in the Chinese metropolis of Wuhan in late 2019, which saw rare public displays of anger over the government’s failure to contain its spread.
Beijing has since vowed to defeat the global pandemic and is the only major economy trying to contain any cases, imposing massive testing requirements and keeping millions of people at home at a time. is forcing.
Burns said the lockdown also hampered diplomacy with China, whose relationship with the United States he recently described as falling to the lowest point since ties were established half a century ago.
“It’s hard to convince any of my colleagues in Washington to come here if I tell them that if they do they will have to quarantine for 14 days before they can even hold a single meeting,” he said. They said.
“I think we will have to live with this for a long time. My own belief is that we will probably see a continuation of zero-Covid in early 2023,” Ambassador Nicholas Burns said Brookings Institution,
Burns, talking to Washington By video link from Beijing, the think tank said the lockdown was disrupting supply chains and made foreign businesses wait before considering further investments.
“It’s very important for countries to leave a market, so we don’t see a lot of companies giving up lock, stock and barrel,” burns Told.
But from his conversations with American businesses, Burns said, “I think there’s a lot of hesitation to invest in future obligations until they see the end of it.”
The American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai said in a recent survey that a quarter of US firms were withdrawing investment plans and nearly all business hubs were dropping revenue forecasts after the lockdown.
Covid-19 was first detected in the Chinese metropolis of Wuhan in late 2019, which saw rare public displays of anger over the government’s failure to contain its spread.
Beijing has since vowed to defeat the global pandemic and is the only major economy trying to contain any cases, imposing massive testing requirements and keeping millions of people at home at a time. is forcing.
Burns said the lockdown also hampered diplomacy with China, whose relationship with the United States he recently described as falling to the lowest point since ties were established half a century ago.
“It’s hard to convince any of my colleagues in Washington to come here if I tell them that if they do they will have to quarantine for 14 days before they can even hold a single meeting,” he said. They said.