Covid in China

Available for over a year

When it came to tackling Covid, China has been among the strictest on the planet. There have been almost three years of travel restrictions, testing and lockdowns but no longer. We hear from people about life in the country and discuss with Chinese people living abroad the experience of not seeing distant family and friends at home since March 2020. Daniel, Vivian and Teresa are Chinese citizens keen to finally get back to their country. Teresa tells us she expects to cry when she crosses the border again; while for Daniel is it is particularly emotional, as he is eager to return so he can attend his grandfather’s funeral. Host James Reynolds also chats with Yanni, Lex and David, who discuss what it has been like to live under China’s ‘zero Covid’ policy and how they have all recently had the disease, following a nationwide surge in cases. We also get a perspective on what’s been happening in China from two foreigners living in the county: Jonathan, a Canadian, and Lee, a South African, who tells us that she has felt unable to leave Beijing for the past three years. (Photo: China reopens borders to travel, Shanghai, 08 Jan 2023. Credit: Alex Plavevski/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)