Adhering to the general policy of "dynamic zero-COVID" is a valuable experience which China has gained from its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Practice has fully proven that it is an effective strategy that conforms to China's reality. As the ongoing fight against the pandemic in Shanghai enters a critical stage, it is imperative for us to unswervingly adhere to the general policy of "dynamic zero-COVID" without no hesitation whatsoever. This is an essential prerequisite that will decide whether Shanghai can resume production and return to normal social life at the earliest opportunity.



Adhering to the "dynamic zero-COVID" policy can minimize the impact of the pandemic

The winning formula behind China’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic has long been one of discovering the outbreaks, carrying out rapid investigation, rapidly blocking the transmission chains and realizing dynamic zero-COVID. This is also the "optimal solution" for containing the pandemic. The ultimate purpose of China's adherence to dynamic zero-COVID is to make every effort to safeguard people's safety and health and do everything possible to effectively and accurately coordinate the relationship epidemic prevention and control, normal production and life, and economic and social development. In the short term, the adoption of lockdown, isolation and other measures in places with serious outbreaks so as to achieve dynamic zero-COVID will inevitably impact local economic and social development and bring inconvenience to people's lives. However, in the long run and for the overall situation, temporary inconvenience in some places will contribute to lasting development, convenience and peace to more places, more people, as well as to those places where the control measures are imposed. Temporary adherence to the dynamic zero-COVID policy in some places serves the purpose of maintaining the normal order of production and life in more places and for more people. 

For some time, some Western media have cast doubts on China’s ability to truly achieve "dynamic zero-COVID" and the sustainability of the "dynamic zero-COVID". They do not believe that China can control the spread of the COVID-19 virus, let alone balance anti-epidemic work and economic and social development. However, facts always speak louder than words. Despite outbreaks at multiple places across the country since the beginning of this year, all localities have firmly adhered to the "dynamic zero-COVID" policy and brought to the pandemic under effective control. Currently, even the hard-hit Shanghai has also made breakthrough progress in its epidemic prevention and control, with the resumption of production just around the corner. Through concrete action, China has proven that the general policy of "dynamic zero-COVID" is scientific, necessary and effective and the right choice which conforms to China's national conditions. In fact, it is precisely because China adopted the right policy of "dynamic zero-COVID" that it was the first in the world to restore economic growth. In 2021, China's GDP grew by 8.1% over the previous year, with an average growth rate of 5.5% in two years, taking the lead among the world's major economies. It is precisely by adhering to this policy of powerful and effective epidemic prevention and control that China has made important contributions to maintaining the stable and smooth operation of global industrial and supply chains and the growth of the world economy, while keeping its own economic and social development on the growth track. Last year, China's foreign trade volume and international market share both reached record highs, injecting strong impetus into global economic and trade recovery. 



Adhering to the "dynamic zero-COVID" policy will accelerate the effective resumption of production

Effective epidemic prevention and control is directly related to the overall stability of the economy and society. Only by maintaining stable economic operation and social harmony and stability is it possible to provide solid support for adhering to normalized epidemic prevention and control. In the current situation, solidly implementing the “dynamic zero-COVID” policy is actually the most effective and powerful way to ensure economic development and safeguard livelihood. Since the beginning of this year, affected by the triple pressure of shrinking demand, supply interruptions and declining expectations, as well as the pandemic, China's economy has been facing considerable downward pressure. As the leader in the Yangtze River Delta region and an economic hub in China, Shanghai has an irreplaceable key position in industrial and supply chains in the country. The current outbreaks in Shanghai have certainly produced an adverse impact on the stable operation of industrial and supply chains both at home and abroad. In this context, accelerating the realization of dynamic zero-COVID at the community level and quick and effective production resumption is of great significance to stabilizing the overall economic fundamentals and keeping the economy within a reasonable range of growth in China. It is also vitally important for maintaining the overall economic and social stability of Shanghai itself.

For this reason, Shanghai issued the Work Plan for Ensuring the Operation of Key Enterprises (for Trial Implementation) and a whitelist of key enterprises under the plan. Its main purpose is to explore effective pathways and accumulate more experience for the subsequent orderly, effective and even full-scale resumption of production. This is a specific arrangement for Shanghai to implement the decision made at the meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on "striving for progress while maintaining stability and effectively coordinating the relationship between anti-epidemic work and economic and social development". It should be noted that achieving dynamic zero-COVID is a means and a process, but not the ultimate goal itself. Under the triple test of epidemic outbreaks, economy and livelihood, adhering to the dynamic zero-COVID policy is to race against the virus, fast block the transmission chains through fast response, fast identification and fast handing, so as to lay a solid foundation for restoring the normal order of production and life, create a safe and stable development environment, and strive for gaining more room and time for the full lift of control measures in a scientific and orderly manner. By solidly pursuing dynamic zero-COVID, we will win time for overcoming the pandemic and serve the purpose of bringing Shanghai back to normal production and life as soon as possible.



Solidly implementing the "dynamic zero-COVID" policy and scientifically planning the resumption of production

The pandemic will eventually be defeated, and production will resume in time. As far as the overall situation is concerned, it is equally important to solidly implement the “dynamic zero-COVID” policy and scientifically plan the resumption of production. For Shanghai now, winning the fight against the pandemic remains a big test. Equally, pushing forward work to resume production in a fast, effective, targeted and steady manner is also a difficult issue to tackle. On the one hand, Shanghai must resolutely implement the general policy of "dynamic zero-COVID" and achieve the strategic goal of zero-COVID at the community level as soon as possible. This is not only an important prerequisite for the quick and effective resumption of production, but also the bottom line to stick to. No hesitation or wavering should be allowed. On the other hand, on the premise of ensuring public safety, Shanghai must make overall planning and scientific arrangements to push forward the resumption of production in a fast, effective, targeted and steady way. The current focus of work should be on effectively carrying out pressure test related to the resumption of production, thoroughly screening out difficult and blocking points, tackling existing issues one by one, and helping market entities to build up confidence in resuming production.







Sheng Lei, Research Professor 

Institute of World Economy 

Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences