"Failed to Contain COVID-19 Spread"... Over 70 Officials Dismissed or Disciplined in China Within a Month

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] As COVID-19 spreads nationwide in China, more than 70 local officials have been dismissed or disciplined over the past month, according to a report by the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 22nd.

According to SCMP's investigation, at least 74 officials have been dismissed or reprimanded in the past month due to COVID-19 prevention measures. This includes 14 city and public security officials dismissed in southern Guangdong Province, as well as the Guangdong police chief, and the heads of the security bureaus in Shenzhen and Dongguan. Authorities did not provide detailed explanations for their dismissals.

Northeastern Jilin Province also dismissed the top health officials of the provincial capital Changchun and 12 mayors of Jilin City, the province's second-largest city, for failing to contain the spread of the virus, which currently accounts for more than half of mainland China's infections. These disciplinary actions align with Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent directive at the Politburo meeting urging local governments to actively enforce zero-COVID policies.

According to Professor Alfred Wu of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, local officials regard the battle against COVID-19 as a "political challenge," strengthening prevention guidelines and applying universal approaches. Professor Wu stated, "Local officials must show determination to take responsibility for their actions; otherwise, people will blame the leadership for the failures." He added that although China's National Health Commission urged local officials not to impose additional restrictions beyond the national official guidelines, excessive measures have appeared in many cities.

Meanwhile, since the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, more than 1,000 officials, including former Hubei Party Secretary Jiang Chaoliang and Governor Wang Xiaodong, have reportedly been dismissed or reprimanded for failing to control the epidemic in China.

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