[The Epoch Times, December 05, 2022](Reported by Epoch Times reporter Li Jing) Under the pressure of surging public opinion, the authorities in Urumqi, Xinjiang recently announced the “gradual lifting of the lockdown” and demanded the resumption of work and production. However, some private owners revealed that the local area has been locked down for more than 100 days, most of the main consumer groups have left Xinjiang, many factories and physical stores have no intention of resuming work, and the department store industry is almost wiped out.
On December 4, an official of the Urumqi municipal government in Xinjiang stated at a press conference that Urumqi now has the conditions to implement normalized epidemic prevention and control measures, and decided to further increase efforts to resume work, production, business and the market, and resume from the same day Pedestrian streets that already have opening conditions and various ski resorts in the city will operate.
Authorities in Urumqi hope to restore the economy as soon as possible, but many local factories and physical stores seem to be preparing to “lay flat”.
On December 3, a private owner in Urumqi filmed a video. He said: “I don’t plan to open business after the lockdown is lifted. This sentence expresses how much sadness and helplessness the real boss feels.”
The private owner mentioned: “I chatted with two catering friends today. Although the lockdown has been lifted, they are not ready to resume business. Many people have left, and the business will not improve. Once the door is opened, what is the labor cost? It’s all here, it’s been sealed for more than a hundred days, and a lot of ingredients are broken. When the door is opened, the ingredients are coming in, what if it’s sealed again?
“This is a common mentality. Many factories and physical stores are not ready to resume work. It is difficult to organize personnel, guarantee materials, and deliver logistics. As long as you move, you will spend money everywhere.
“According to the information released by the Gansu Provincial Department of Communications, during the epidemic period, there were about 20,000 ex-Xinjiang people entering Gansu every day, and most of the main consumer groups have already left Xinjiang, or are planning to leave Xinjiang.
“The winter critical point for construction in Xinjiang is October 31. It is now the beginning of December, and it is the twelfth lunar month in a blink of an eye. There is no point in resuming work in industries related to the construction industry, such as materials, furniture, and home appliances. Markets, supermarkets, barber shops, and auto repair industries have resumed normal operations, and there are very few other industries and fields that are eligible for resumption of work.
“Just today, Urumqiya New Life Plaza announced its closure. Prior to this, major department stores such as Danlu Plaza, Wangfujing Department Store, Xidan Shopping Mall, Youhao Fashion Shopping City, Youhao Parkson, Fucheng Department Store, and Siji Jinhua were closed one after another. The department store industry is almost wiped out this winter.”
The private owner continued: “Their closure means that hundreds of people have lost their money, thousands of people have lost their jobs, and how many people are shivering in the cold wind this winter.
“According to reports, in the first three quarters of Urumqi, the growth rate of residents’ per capita income was at the forefront of the country. After the epidemic, people have become numb to this figure. It doesn’t matter whether you believe it or not. Most people are locked at home and cannot go out. No one knows how it has increased. , but you know if you are sick, and you know if you have money in your pocket.”
The private owner finally mentioned: “In the past few days, some communities have been able to go downstairs, and cars can go out, but there are very few pedestrians on the street, a bleak scene after the catastrophe… People who have gained freedom have not gained sudden freedom. Instead, I fell into deeper confusion and sadness. For 3 years, everyone was exhausted, thinking about the way of life tomorrow, not knowing what they were going to do, what they were able to do, and people walking on the road lost their minds. .2023 will be the most miserable Spring Festival in our lifetimes.”
Officials ease lockdown after protests
Before this private owner released the video, the city of Urumqi had been closed for more than 100 days. The extreme epidemic prevention and control measures implemented by the authorities caused serious secondary disasters and public complaints abounded.
A major fire broke out in Urumqi on November 24, causing a large number of casualties. Some people believe that the tragedy was caused by the blockade and control measures of the epidemic that hindered the rescue and prevented the residents from escaping.
The local people spontaneously mourned the victims, and went to the municipal government to protest on the 25th, demanding the unblocking, which later turned into demonstrations and triggered a movement against the CCP’s dynamic zeroing policy, known as the “white paper movement” or ” The Paper Revolution”.
Under the pressure of turbulent public opinion, the Beijing authorities’ epidemic prevention and control policy has been loosened. On November 26, the Urumqi municipal government announced that the city had “basically achieved zero social impact” and that low-risk areas would be “gradually unblocked.”
I was shocked when I opened my mouth! The song “East of Urumqi” has a taste of “that era”, a brainwashing song and a song of resistance that are easy to sing. The pop singing skills of singers have great potential.pic.twitter.com/EGKzh9QsrU
— Dae Woo Lee (@xwpajq) December 4, 2022
Responsible editor: Wu Hao#