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China’s Draconian COVID Policies Underscore Dangers of Marxist Ideology

Posted on Tuesday, September 13, 2022
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by Ben Solis
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38 Comments
COVID

AMAC Exclusive – By Ben Solis

While the rest of the world has largely returned to normal, ending most COVID-19 restrictions, Communist China has continued to impose broad draconian lockdowns on its population in pursuit of a “zero COVID” policy. Despite claiming to be engaged in a battle against the virus, however, Chinese President Xi Jinping appears far more concerned with continuing to use COVID-19 as a pretext to tighten his authoritarian grip over the country and engage in blatant human rights violations. But even as the Chinese economy shows signs of faltering as a result of his policies, Xi appears more committed than ever to the ideological tenets of Marxism and ensuring above all else that the absolute power of the state is not questioned.

In many parts of China, residents have been on lockdown throughout the spring and summer, with many ordered to not leave their homes for days or weeks at a time. In the northwestern city of Yining, thousands have been quarantined for more than a month.

Earlier this year, Shanghai, a city of nearly 25 million, was locked down for more than 60 days. Though the lockdown was lifted on June 1, the city, which is one of the most important economic regions in China, has struggled to recover under lingering restrictions. Tests are still required to enter many establishments, and those who contract the virus are placed under strict quarantine orders.

Things are even worse in other parts of the country, where lockdown orders have led to food shortages and uncommon public outcry against government policies. One resident from the Western province of Xinjiang told BBC News that “it’s been 15 days, we are out of flour, rice, eggs. From days ago, we run out of milk for kids.” Another resident told the New York Times that the government food rations contained only bread and rice, no fruits, vegetables, or meat.

Yet even in the face of these strict policies, China has largely failed to stop the spread of the virus. Though the country has only officially reported 25,315 COVID-19 deaths since the onset of the pandemic, the actual number is likely exponentially higher.

Nonetheless, Chinese health officials have continued to double down on restrictions. Last month, Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, the Chinese equivalent of Dr. Anthony Fauci, recommended more testing and new regulations. Health workers now conduct millions of tests each week on not only people, but also shopping items, travel bags, fish, and even shrimp.

Predictably, China’s economic outlook has taken a hit as a result of these policies. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that some experts now believe China won’t overtake the United States as the world’s largest economy by the end of the decade after all. According to CNBC, a full 12% of China’s economy is now affected by COVID controls – up from 5.3% at the beginning of the month. Some pundits have even asked if Xi Jinping has stopped caring about China’s economy altogether.

For Xi Jinping, however, the fight against COVID-19 appears to have merged with his broader Marxist ideological agenda. “Zero COVID” has become not so much about eliminating the virus, but about eliminating dissent against the government narrative.

As much was evidenced in a report from a Chinese state media outlet earlier this year on a meeting of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee. “The meeting stressed the importance of unswervingly adhering to the dynamic zero-COVID policy and resolutely fighting any attempts to distort, question or dismiss China’s anti-COVID policy,” the report reads. “Party committees, governments, and the whole society must guard against a lack of vigilance, fully mobilize the people, and take fast action to implement various COVID-19 control measures.” For Xi and top Communist Party officials, the primary concern has become ensuring that the population complies with the COVID protocols, no matter how extreme or how unlikely they are to be effective.

The Chinese government even has its own dedicated army of COVID enforcers, the so-called “white guards” that have become ubiquitous with Xi’s Zero COVID policy. This new type of police force can seal the entrance door of a home or an apartment, and even decide whether a COVID-diagnosed individual should stay home or be jailed in a camp. Clashes between white guards and citizens have become common, as tensions run high in many communities forced into lockdown.

This obsession with obedience to the state – even when obedience means suffering to no apparent end – is a feature of all Marxist regimes and reveals the brutal reality of Communist rule. For Xi, economic prosperity is not worth it if it comes at the cost of ideological obedience. He would rather let his economy collapse than have the Communist Party’s rigid ideological control challenged, or even admit that the Party was wrong. Zero COVID has been tried and failed in dozens of countries around the world. But because Xi committed China to pursuing the policy, extensive testing and lockdowns became a measure of loyalty to the state, and any dissent or questioning of such was quickly snuffed out.

For observers in the West, this course of action likely seems self-defeating, perhaps even suicidal. But it should not be so surprising in light of the broader picture of Chinese Communist Party goals that Xi Jinping described in a 2019 essay that was published in the Party’s ideological journal, Qiushi. In that piece, released just months ahead of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Xi reiterates his absolute devotion to a Marxist-Leninist worldview, including the belief that capitalism is destined to perish. Though Xi accepts that China must exploit the benefits of capitalism, it is always with the end goal of working within the West’s economic system to spread Chinese influence and power around the globe. The Chinese people, Xi maintains, must have a “great strategic determination” to remain committed to the end goal of a socialist world revolution.

The pandemic seems to have reinforced this belief, and should reveal to the West how committed China is to the Marxist-Leninist ideal. When challenged by their people and the reality of the virus to change course on lockdown policies, Xi and his ministers instead doubled down, even at the expense of the country’s economic growth.

Much like the authoritarian left elsewhere throughout the world, Xi views COVID-19 as a convenient tool to re-assert the power of the state over the lives of ordinary people. While voters in democratic nations have by and large demanded that those in power accept the reality of living with the virus and move on, no such need to appease voters exists for Xi. As the Chinese people suffer, it is yet another stark warning about the inherent dangers of Marxist-Leninist ideology which must always be guarded against, lest it infect and destroy even the healthiest of countries.

Ben Solis is the pen name of an international affairs journalist, historian, and researcher.

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Thomas
Thomas
1 year ago

Just say NO to communism, compost all commies.

Zoe
Zoe
1 year ago

Communist Demoncrat people in positions of power want total control, which they NEED, because their totalitarian tyranny is so oppressive as they lie their faces off and offer freebies to recruit more useful idiots. Then they hit on the perfect control, lockdowns due to their, and traitor, beagle torturer, murderer, megalomaniac, and EVIL liar Fauci’s gain-of-function enhanced virus created in their Wuhan Lab. The Communist Chinese declared lockdowns Will Continue until there are NO NEW CASES…which will be when Stacy Abrams and HELLary can fly (without their brooms). ChiCom lockdowns forever; Commie/Globalist Demons tried, but failed. Let’s go Brandon, fake puppet traitor and cohorts in treason.

Eugene s.
Eugene s.
1 year ago

I am not sure when was the last time I read such a clear-cut explanation of Marxism-Leninism’s relevancy. I fully agree that the party prolonged the pandemic situation in China to increase the effect of “victory” over the virus and to proclaim Xi as the savior. It does not matter whether the Chinese believe it, but it matters for communist propaganda. CCP’s goal is to turn Xi into one of China’s gods. It is clear as the sun. Thanks for this story amac.

Albert
Albert
1 year ago

I learned so much from this report. It is excellent with emphasis on what many overlooks – Xi’s philosophy, which is, in my opinion, more dangerous than his nuclear weapons. We, Conservatives, need to wake up and start to introduce them to the books we learned about the threat of Marxism-Leninism parallel to teaching them the philosophy of the Founding Fathers.

Jeff
Jeff
1 year ago

“another stark warning about the inherent dangers of Marxist-Leninist ideology which must always be guarded against” – yes.

Somehow it needs to be initiated a discussion on this topic although we face corruption, unjust investigations, inflation and many other things. To stop that evil infiltrating our country is an issue no 1.

Ken
Ken
1 year ago

China is our enemy not a rival that should be obvious by now. If so, we should learn what that Communism with “Chinese characteristics” means for us.

We know that allowing them to acquire membership in WTO equaled exports of American manufacturing jobs and technology to China. It meant import low quality goods to the U.S. Did anyone say: a mistake? No. Trump’s policies were not clear until the ‘pandemic’. One cannot make any deal benefiting both sides with Communists. It was also a mistake.

Jake the snake
Jake the snake
1 year ago

UT the drmocrats or their new name democratic love the Chinese communists and their tyrannical rule..

Biden even said the Chinese rape, slavery, and organ harvesting of their Muslim minority. Nothing says happy democratic democrats like ramming a cattle prod up in a prisoner and pushing the button a few times to hear them scream.

phil
phil
1 year ago

As Lenin said, rotten capitalism must perish, and the West be defeated. At the heart of communism is the victory in a war when the socialism will prove supreme over democracy and the free market. It is the highest time to add, that unwanted by the academia and ruling class, “Communist” adjective next to China. It will be a starting point in the education process.

Mary
Mary
1 year ago

Thank you for informative and insightful article.

I’d like to join those who are discussing education.. In 90s, after Berlin Wall went down, some believed in the free market as it would panacea for everything. We completely ignored that communism existed in China and minds of academia in the West. And these ideas infiltrated our schools, and other our institutions, including churches. Many became oblivious to them being convinced it was yesterday’s threat. Now that threat looms over America – and Chinese will intensify these ideological attacks against our youth.

I read somewhere that little above 40% (42 or 43) of our youth believes that Communist Manifesto better guarantees their rights and freedoms than our Constitution. It is time to do something as someone here said even on the state level where we have our governors. And influence our Conservatives leaders like in CPAC or other groups to include education about these things to their programs.

Patricia A Arsenault
Patricia A Arsenault
1 year ago

They want us dead! Period! #AmericaFirst

Mike
Mike
1 year ago

Was this article about China or US

lucy
lucy
1 year ago

For too long, we’ve ignored what they were teaching their people. In 50s, some Patriots got involved in the courses about the Soviet threat. We would learn how the Soviets live and what they think of us. We read books about the persecution of political prisoners and Christians there. It is also how part of the future strong Reagan base was formed. We knew, not rumors or conspiracies, about the Soviets. I do not see our leaders doing the same for our kids and grandkids. 

HocasPocas
HocasPocas
1 year ago

How about 86,000 IRS Agents who will be packing heat. Sounds pretty Marxist, socialist and communist to me

richard
richard
1 year ago

So we must promote our American values, Conservative education among our grand kids. They must have do doubts that they can build prosperous and peaceful life our Constitution,, the Bible and American values..

It needs to be intensified effort to provide them with truthful history of socialism and communism. do we still remember,,, those times? It seems to be too much self-promotion and political ads among our youth, but so little fundamental education.

anna hubert
anna hubert
1 year ago

Obedience to the state at any cost if phony pandemic serves the purpose so be it

mark
mark
1 year ago

If we dont change things here in the USA ,,that will be us in just a few short years ,, we will own or have nothing that we can truly call ours ,, we will do as told like it or not,,, or suffer with no way to fight back ,, WE THE PEOPLE ,, have to take our nation back from the hands of the Socialist DemocRATS ,, VOTE IN PERSON PEOPLE ASAP ,, dont mail them in to be destroyed

Denise
Denise
1 year ago

Lest we forget, China was also in the infanticide “business” for many years. One child per couple. Some couples did have two children…one of which, no matter the age, would be executed in front of the parents. There are many Christian Chinese who are persecuted and executed regularly. This dictator who is directed by Satan is evil to the core. This dictator also owns Biden and his spawn Hunter….let that sink in. America is a conquest he wants to make and the next time you buy something made in China (and so much is) think about what you’re supporting.

Rowland
Rowland
1 year ago

Finally! That’s the point! China is dangerous because of their philosophy (ideology) of socialism which Comrade Xi has been imposing on their own and the rest of the world (do you remember Western diplomats posing on photos with Xi books? or Ambassadors granting these books as a gift to Prime Ministers in Europe?) from the start.

As the Soviets in the past, they export their culture of corruption and control to the U.S. . But, frankly, the ideology like Nazism or anything which treats man as a tool or “cog in the machine” threatens us.

judith
judith
1 year ago

Since the 1990s, we did not have a real strategy for China.

Yes, we forgot or we did not accept that Beijing has been communist all that time.

We were told China was hostile to the Soviets – maybe, maybe not. But we should have had a plan on how to encourage them to transform.

Now, we must focus on the state level until the Biden Administration is out. The education about the history of communism and Chinese communism combined with the ban on investment controlled or influenced by Beijing must be part of that strategy.

PaulE
PaulE
1 year ago

The CCP can do whatever it wants with its people. The people have no say or rights to anything in China. That ended the day in 1949 that Mao and his army seized power. Llike all communist governments, the citizenry exists only to serve the state and anyone who either dares to speak up or refuses to do as they’re told will either be beaten, imprisoned or killed. No doubt President Xi enjoys randomly shutting in some cities every now and then just to send a message to the rest of the Chinese people and the world as a whole. Life means nothing if you are not a high-ranking official in the CCP. His citizens know that and tolerate whatever they are subjected to.

Stephen Russell
Stephen Russell
1 year ago

China runs the show from Beijng or nearest Emb

Nancy
Nancy
1 year ago

Chinese Government will always be fine! The citizens of China suffer & they do not care!

This is coming to a city near you!

TOMASD
TOMASD
1 year ago

This may be a bit more extreme but this was how the dems used the scamdemic in America. It won them an election, filled their pockets and gave them more power over that period.

Jeb
Jeb
1 year ago

I do not believe that the CCPs activities at present are about Covid. I believe that something much more sinister is occurring under the guise of Covid. I honestly have no idea what, just a feeling. Anyone else have thoughts on the subject.

jerry
jerry
1 year ago

It is the essence of the threat. China is turning into North Korea, increasing its totalitarian grip. Some had hopes that after Mao things would change. It did not. Now, all technology that stole from us is now being used in their concentration camps and their cities which are like a semi-concentration camps or by the military. China is preparing for war.

Rich
Rich
1 year ago

This has nothing to do with stopping covid. This is about controlling the population for when the Chinese population realizes their country is broke.

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