Finally, Lockdown Lifted... 'Chinese Economic City' Shanghai Starts Normalization Process

65 Days After Lockdown on March 28... 'Saho-myeon Zero COVID' Criteria Met
Experts Say "China's Economic Growth Rate Will Be 2.3% or Lower"
Normalization to Proceed 'Gradually'... Businesses Not Resuming Operations 'All at Once'

The subway in Shanghai, China, resumed operations after 51 days.

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Se-eun] Shanghai, China, which had imposed a city lockdown due to the spread of COVID-19, has begun the process of 'normalization.'

On the 1st, Shanghai lifted the city lockdown as of 0:00 AM (local time). It has been 65 days since March 28.

Residents in general areas are now free to move outside their residential complexes, and restrictions on the movement of cars and motorcycles have been lifted. Public transportation such as buses and subways has also returned to normal operation levels.

Self-employed individuals have started to reopen offices, factories, and shops.

At the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak in April, Shanghai recorded about 27,000 new daily cases. Since then, the spread has slowed, with only 29 cases reported on the 30th.

Since mid-last month, almost no new infections have occurred in the 'social areas' outside quarantine and control zones, meeting the health authorities' condition for lifting the lockdown, which is 'zero COVID in social areas.'

However, high-risk and medium-risk zones still maintain restrictions such as movement controls.

Shanghai is a metropolis with a population of 25 million, and the paralysis of the entire city caused significant damage to the economy of China and the world.

In April, China's retail sales and industrial production growth rates recorded -11.1% and -2.9%, respectively, plunging into chaos. This was the worst situation since the initial Wuhan outbreak in 2020 when COVID-19 first emerged.

Experts have expressed concerns that China's economic growth rate this year may fall far short of the government's initial target of 5.5%, possibly reaching only 2.3% or lower.

This Shanghai lockdown also dealt a political shock to the Chinese Communist Party leadership, including President Xi Jinping.

The Great Wall-style quarantine system, which China had proudly upheld, collapsed, and with over 600,000 confirmed cases in Shanghai alone, many citizens began to doubt the government's zero-COVID policy. This led to distrust in the party and government.

Especially within Shanghai, as food shortages and other livelihood crises worsened, citizens staged collective protests.

With factory operations halted and export routes blocked, supply chains not only within China but globally also fell into turmoil.

On the 30th, Li Qiang, Shanghai Party Secretary, emphasized at a meeting on economic normalization that "with bold thinking and actions, we must regain the lost time of Shanghai and compensate for the losses caused by COVID."

However, the 'recovery of Shanghai,' including shops, company offices, and factories, is expected to proceed gradually.

Deputy Mayor Zhong Ming of Shanghai stated, "The reopening of general stores will be carried out 'gradually' starting from the 1st." This means that not all stores will reopen at once but will open in a staggered manner.

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