'Speak out' against China policies, commentator tells Covid experts. Here's why

Prominent Chinese commentator Hu Xijin said on Sunday that experts need to speak out on China's zero-Covid policy and the country should conduct research and make studies transparent to the public.

Hu Xijin made the comments on popular Twitter-like microblog Weibo, Reuters reported. "About the future, China needs very rational research and calculations," Hu Xijin, former editor-in-chief of nationalist state tabloid Global Times said.

“Experts must speak out, and the country should organise comprehensive studies and make them transparent to the public: what are the pros and cons for our common people, and what are the overall pros and cons for the country?” he added.

“The people must trust the state, but the state must also trust the understanding of the people."

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China has adopted a zero-Covid strict policy with entire cities being put under severe lockdown over a few infected or even suspected cases to contain the spread of the Omicron variant even as the the number of infections and related deaths remain low.

Despite strict policies in China, Hong Kong is moving to scrap its controversial hotel quarantine policy for all arrivals and Macau is also planning to reopen its borders to mainland tour groups in November.