[Report] "Cheer Up China"... Patriotism Highlighted Amid Silence and Vigilance Over Epidemic Spread

-War Against the Epidemic... China After the Spring Festival

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Sunmi Park]"I risked my life for you. Standing at the door of life and death, I promise I will neither leave nor abandon you. I believe that love can overcome anything. We are uniting the strength of the Zhonghua Minzu (Chinese nation)."

On the evening of the 3rd, the first working day after the official Spring Festival (Lunar New Year) holiday, just minutes before the start of the 7 PM (local time) main news Xinwen Lianbo on China Central Television (CCTV), a song titled "Epidemic Resistance Theme Song" was broadcast. The song conveys that all of China is fighting to overcome difficulties and that with love, we can overcome everything, encouraging everyone to stay strong together. This song was created to express the determination to overcome the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia) that is engulfing the entire country.

However, contrary to the lyrics of this song, China is still holding its breath in the face of the raging novel coronavirus. Although the Spring Festival holiday has ended, scenes of people unable to return to daily life are easily observed across China due to the virus. Beijing, which should be bustling with citizens returning to their routines after the holiday, still has a desolate atmosphere. Most shops and department stores are closed, and roads have lost their usual traffic and pedestrians. Notices have been posted on every household, instructing people from Hubei province or those showing suspicious symptoms to voluntarily report themselves in preparation for the influx of workers returning to Beijing from their hometowns after the holiday.

On the 3rd in Beijing, delivery drivers who were 'restricted from entry and exit' due to the spread of the novel coronavirus laid out delivery boxes and mail on the road, waiting for recipients.

In Beijing, where vigilance has reached its peak due to the increasing number of confirmed cases and deaths, apartment entrances in densely populated residential areas are firmly closed.

To block outsiders, all small doors except one or two main passages leading outside have been shut. No one can enter the apartments without wearing a mask, and entry requires a temperature check by security guards. Many places have completely blocked the entry of delivery workers and food couriers. In Chaoyang District’s Wangjing area, known for its high concentration of Koreans, it is common to see delivery workers prohibited from entering apartment gates, spreading out packages and mail on the street, waiting for recipients to come out. Security guards even spray disinfectant on the tires of vehicles entering the apartments and open the doors for them.

Masks are essential for going out for daily life, but masks have disappeared from neighborhood marts and pharmacies. It is difficult to find masks known to be effective even on online stores like JD.com and Taobao. As the mask shortage worsens in China and mask management has been taken over at the national level, private companies are struggling to secure masks for their employees from mask factories. Since it is impossible to purchase masks in bulk in China, there are even requests to procure hundreds of thousands of Korean-made masks at a premium.

Although the Lunar New Year holiday has ended, Beijing, the capital of China, remains quiet and deserted due to the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Most employees are delaying their return due to safety concerns, and even those who have returned to Beijing are extremely reluctant to go outside, so companies are not operating normally despite the end of the Spring Festival holiday.

Some banks have announced that they will only handle urgent matters until the 9th and will not provide regular counter services. Many Korean corporate expatriates in China have either returned home or are working remotely to cover work gaps. Most factories have stopped operating. The Chinese government has notified companies to suspend operations of most factories except for certain industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, and daily necessities until the 9th.

CCTV fills its screen all day with slogans and messages such as "Wuhan Fighting," "China Stay Strong," and "We Will Win the War Against the Epidemic" instead of daily life scenes. While pessimistic news about the rapid increase in confirmed cases and deaths is briefly reported, the focus is on the government’s determination and efforts to overcome the crisis. The scenes of quarantined close contacts are portrayed in a bright atmosphere full of belief that they are not bored or lonely under various government supports and can go outside without any symptoms. Online news websites are flooded with comments promoting patriotism.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.