China's Tolerance for Xi's Unyielding Covid Fight Is Cracking

Since the initial outbreak emerged in the central city of Wuhan, many people in China have been more or less supportive of mass testing, citywide lockdowns and strict hotel quarantine that has restricted overseas travel. But signs are emerging that patience is wearing thin. While there aren’t reliable surveys on Chinese attitudes toward Covid-19 and social media is heavily censored, more criticisms of Xi’s policy have broken through of late. On the official Weibo account of Li Wenliang, a whistle-blowing doctor in Wuhan who was lionized by China’s government after his death, a greater number of complaints have emerged about lockdowns and constant PCR tests in recent weeks.