• @roccopun
    link
    122 years ago

    I’d say it’s a mix. The Chinese majority saw success with zero-covid and support it across the board, Shanghai is no exception even if the place lean more liberal in general, so many still disapprove. Then of course on the other hand, we have the minority of western worshippers who are just going to be blindly support any anti-China pro-west positions.

    The city is definitely a more liberal one, plus they are used to being the superior poster child while they get to join in on criticizing everybody else. Many are becoming defensive of the decisions now being on the receiving end of criticism. Just two months ago many were celebrating their lax policies as “more advanced” than the rest of us hillbillies all over the media. At this point it’s more that people didn’t admit there would be a real outbreak rather than “it’s okay people are going to die”.

    But either way, since the pandemic is spilling over, the rest of the country especially their neighbors are forced to respond as well, and this will not bode well politically. China do have their own democratic system but it’s not like the simple elections in the west, I feel like it’s different in many ways so it’s hard to explain well for me. Bottom line is determining the leadership isn’t pure elections, but if they do bad people are going to disapprove and see them gone. The ways of the west, where the policies of a slight majority 51% can totally “win” and totally screws over the 49% phenomena, doesn’t really apply in a Chinese context, it’s not how the society is governed.

      • @roccopun
        link
        62 years ago

        If you are interested, maybe you can look into some of the talks of Zhang Weiwei. I think his English is decent, his positions are a bit official, but they do reflect realities and explain things well, geared towards a western audience.

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR0Zyfqwb08 short video on why western China experts are always wrong on China

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCxsgTShFQc One hour interview by a Canadian host, I watched this back then I think it was relatively insightful