Possibility of American citizens entering China

[Serg]

I said it, China won't open until mid 2023, early 2024, mark my words

[889]

Today's SCMP:

 

"China’s zero-Covid border rules going nowhere this year"

[mungouk]

Yes, everyone here seems to think that nothing will change until after the 20th party congress at the earliest (October or November), since that's such a crucial moment for the leadership.

We also have the Winter Olympics, Paralympics, and the Asian Games (Hangzhou, September) coming up this year as well. The outside is watching.

 

Meanwhile, the "covid-zero" policy is unlikely to be able cope with Omicron's ability to evade vaccines, so there's likely to be a mega-scale game of whack-a-mole going on for the next 9-12 months.  (ref: what just happened in Xi'an with many parts of a city of 13 million being locked down for 3-4 weeks.)

 

(Speaking from lockdown here on our college campus in Hangzhou, because ONE person who confirmed as positive happens to work in the 18th floor of a building just outside our campus.)

 

 

[abcdefg]

On 1/28/2022 at 6:39 AM, mungouk said:

Meanwhile, the "covid-zero" policy is unlikely to be able cope with Omicron's ability to evade vaccines, so there's likely to be a mega-scale game of whack-a-mole going on for the next 9-12 months. 

 

I no longer have my fingers crossed. My China days are past; but the memories are sweet. 

[889]

Once again Hong Kong is going to admit non-residents, so if you really really want to be in China this is your chance.

 

There's a vaccination requirement and a seven-day hotel quarantine, which can be expensive and hard to book. As well, your flight will be subject to last-minute cancellation if your airline's recently carried too many passengers who test positive on arrival.

 

The rush begins May 1.

 

[abcdefg]

As much as I once loved Hong Kong, it's too late for me now. Ditto the Mainland. 

[alantin]

On 1/28/2022 at 2:39 PM, mungouk said:

Meanwhile, the "covid-zero" policy is unlikely to be able cope with Omicron's ability to evade vaccines, so there's likely to be a mega-scale game of whack-a-mole going on for the next 9-12 months.

Got that right......

[mungouk]

Yep... sadly it's become massively worse in the last 4 weeks or so, especially in Shanghai. 

 

Meanwhile my teacher in Wuxi has only just emerged from 3 weeks of mandatory at-home lockdown.

 

On 1/28/2022 at 12:39 PM, mungouk said:

(Speaking from lockdown here on our college campus in Hangzhou, because ONE person who confirmed as positive happens to work in the 18th floor of a building just outside our campus.)

 

Well, thankfully I managed to leave China in mid-February, but back in my old campus exactly the same thing just happened today — a single case, even in the same building, and they're all back in lockdown again.

 

 

[alantin]

I have a tutor who lives in a dorm in a university in Shanghai. They have been in different, gradually stricter, states of lockdown for 7 weeks or so (of which the last three basically unable to leave their dorm rooms. Now they are having cases... Suddenly there were three last week. In a supposedly closed loop environment.

 

I think she is one of the lucky ones. The whole city has gone mad.

[abcdefg]

My friends in Kunming are feeling the pinch of uncertainty, despite the absence of large-scale rolling lockdowns such as Shanghai is undergoing. The feeling I get from them, mainly reading between the lines, is that they try to pretend it is "business as usual" but they know that this "new normal" might be an illusion. Several have put longer-term plans on hold, being content to manage their lives from day to day. Some shortages of goods and services exist, but the girls can still get their hair done and the guys can still go out for shaokao 烧烤 and a beer on Saturday night. Mass transit is running, the light rail plus the bus system, with masks and QR health codes usually required. I try to not be too inquisitive about details when we chat, out of concern that it might be construed as a criticism of the government. If they volunteer a gripe, I listen, but I'm careful to not "go fishing" for dirt.

[alantin]

On 4/23/2022 at 5:06 PM, abcdefg said:

If they volunteer a gripe, I listen, but I'm careful to not "go fishing" for dirt.

Meanwhile I don't really need to "fish for dirt".. Most of my contacts will volunteer plenty of opinions after just a simple "are you guys still ok?" question...
It is quite remarkable coming from people who were still quite roundabout and careful (and generally supportive of) about any government policies just a month ago.

But I don't have any idea what it is like outside Shanghai in the other cities suffering lock downs.

[Flickserve]

People in other cities had better stock up on food. If any cases occur, plan for severe restrictions.