European Chamber statement on Beijing’s reversal of its policy to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for people to enter public spaces Go back »

2022-07-08 | All chapters

The European Chamber is disappointed that the Beijing Government reversed the important policy to mandate vaccinations for Beijing citizens announced just one day previously, as vaccines are the most effective way to protect people’s health. While the decision to roll out a campaign to push for higher vaccination rates was well intended, the fact that it was rescinded within 24 hours suggests the plan had not been well conceived and communicated.

A lack of consultation with key stakeholders on the policy and the absence of a broad communication campaign in advance of its introduction, resulted in a very strong push back from a large section of the public. For such a policy to be successful in the future, it will be necessary to give citizens the opportunity to understand the benefits of being vaccinated. It will also be essential to communicate the potential downsides, to demonstrate full transparency and provide a balanced picture, something that has so far been lacking from public discourse in China on this topic.

“The Chamber is now very concerned that this sudden policy U-turn will discourage other cities in China from pursuing an effective vaccination campaign that will protect the population from a virus that is simply not going away,” said Joerg Wuttke, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China. “It has also undermined the possibility of an exit from zero-COVID, at least in the short term, and China’s economy will continue to suffer as a result.”

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