Korean Youths support the Chinese Protests against the Xi Jinping Regime

번역: 김태양, 박이랑

Protests against Zero Covid lockdown are taking place all across China. Protests took place in Zhangzhou by Foxcon workers and other major cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, Lanzhou and Wuhan. It also continued in universities. Youths and students are prominent in the protests.

The protests demonstrated anger not only towards the Covid lockdowns, but also Xi government. The slogan “we want freedom not lockdown” summarises their resentment. Protesters also demand freedom to protest, march and freedom of press. They call for the abolition of media censorship and demand the release of every detainees. Even the chant of “Xi step down” can be heard.

This is happening after only a month since Xi’s 3^rd term was confirmed. Unlike past protests when it was confined to certain cities or factories, current protests are taking place all across the country. This reminds us of the great uprising of Tienanmen Square in 1989.

Chinese youths in Korea also gathered to protest against the Xi government in 30 November in central Seoul.

Zero Covid

Chinese people are outraged by the authoritarian Zero Covid policy of the Xi government. ‘Zero Covid’ policy is not just enforcing self isolation, but locking down a whole factory, or a complex or an area without providing adequate food and supplies. People had to live through prison-like conditions. In the midst if all this, a fire broke out in Urumqi city, killing 10 people. The city is under lockdown for 3 months now, and ‘Zero Covid’ policy is viewed responsible for theses deaths.

These events accumulated to become the detonator of resentments. China witnessed a slowdown in economic growth all along Xi’s rule. Unemployment rate among the youth is 18.2 percent. Ordinary people suffer greatly from the steep rise of housing prices and essential supplies.

In 2020, prime minister Li Kuching confessed, that there are “600 million people (40 percent of the population) in China who earn less than 1000 Yuan (156 US dollar) a month.” This is happening in the second largest economy in the world! Authoritarian lockdown worsened the conditions of ordinary people.

Xi Jinping government also sacrificed the needs of the people and oppressed their resentment for the sake of imperialist aims, by developing China into the world’s super power. Basic rights such as freedom of press and association was not allowed, and criticism against the government was oppressed. In fact, the Zero Covid policy was a part of this authoritarian rule.

It is under these very conditions, which ordinary people of China rise against and start to fight back the Xi Jinping government, showing great courage. We have a huge amount of support towards these protests of Chinese people.

Therefore China, a society dotted with extreme inequality, exploitation, oppression, clearly is not a socialist country.

Ordinary people of South Korea also have attained democratic rights through a hard struggle, putting an end to a long-been dictatorship. By the way, current ruling party of South Korea, which is party of descendants of dictatorship, and its leader Yoon Seok-yeol are making the ordinary people carry the burden of economic crisis, oppressing resentment by strengthening authoritarianism.

Just like in Urumqi city, where innocent people lost their lives in vain, 158 youths died at the Itaewon street because of government policies which had zero interest on public life and safety. It triggered a mass movement to step down Yon Seok-yeol government. We see no difference between suffering and resentment of ordinary Chinese people and that of working class and youth in Korea.

Western countries including U.S are by no means on the side of Chinese people resisting their government. Brutality done by these Western rulers against protests which took place in their own countries such as the ‘Black Lives Matter(BLM)’ movement and the Yellow Vest movement points that their rhetoric about “democracy” and “human rights” is complete hypocrisy.

Xi Jinping government is cracking down on protests taking place on the streets and universities very firmly. Numerous people already have been arrested and disappeared or placed under surveillance. Although these crackdowns may constrain protests temporarily, it can not calm down enormous resentment of Chinese mass. Rather, it would bring up more resentment, followed by bigger protests.

We support the resistance of mainland China and the Chinese people in Korea!

On December 1^st of 2022

Worker’s Solidarity Youth and Student Society

Chinese people who are planning to show solidarity to mainland struggle by protests or campaigns, please give us a call. As Korean youths, we are more than welcome to show solidarity with you. (010-5443-2395)