Xi is Repressing Protesters to Show a Sign Of Weakness

• Antony Blinken claims it’s a sign of weakness for Xi Jinping in order to crush Chinese dissent.
• He stated that the “massive repressive actions” taken by Xi’s Government is not a sign Xi’s strength.
• Blinken said that China must move on from its zero COVID policies.

Antony Blinken, Secretary-of-State, called the attempts of Chinese President Xi Jinping stifle dissent “a signal of weakness.”

A Wednesday appearance MSNBCBlinken spoke out about how the Chinese government has suppressed mass demonstrations in every major city in the country. 

“I think any country where you see people trying to speak out, trying to speak up to protest peacefully, to make known their frustrations, whatever the issue is — in any country where we see that happening and then we see the government take massive, massive repressive action to stop it, that’s not a sign of strength,” Blinken said. “It’s weakness.”

He also said that he couldn’t comment on whether Xi’s standing in the Communist Party has changed since the protests.

Blinken stated, “China must find a way forward in dealing with COVID. It has to be a way forward that addresses the health needs of the people, but also addresses their needs.” “We cannot address that for them.” 

Blinken’s comments are amid widespread protestsChina’s zero COVID policy is being challenged in Chinese cities such as Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing. These protests mark a rare moment of mass dissatisfaction and the largest organized rallies against the Chinese government since the Tiananmen Square protest in 1989.

Police in Beijing arrested at least three people from their homesAfter they attended a demonstration in the capital on Sunday. A protester in ShanghaiThis week, he also shared his account of being snatched while peacefully protesting. He was then hung upside-down before being loaded onto a bus. 

China’s censorship is on the rise. The Chinese police are now conducting stop-and-search checks on peoples’ phones and making them delete foreign apps like Instagram Twitter, per the Wall Street Journal and CNBC. Protesters from China are also trying to evade the long arm of censorship on social media, resorting to Telegram and other platformsto spread their disapproval of the country’s anti COVID measures.