Last week, public protests erupted in China over the ruling Chinese Communist Party’s strict “zero COVID” lockdown policies. These protests piqued the interest of international media. Videos recorded on smartphones made their way to Twitter and other social media platforms, much to the risk of citizens, some of whom were taken into custody or even physically assaulted by the authorities.

The protests, which follow an incident in which Chinese citizens under lockdown were unable to escape an apartment fire, have forced several international media outlets, global health experts, and government officials to walk a tightrope over their own past support for the “zero COVID” theory. This pandemic management approach centers on support for the strictest of lockdowns. Supporters include the Canadian government and pro-government media outlets that condemned the vaccine mandate trucker protests last year. Indeed, the convoy drivers were all but labeled domestic terrorists for slowing commerce.