China Should Eventually "Co-Exist" With Covid, Says Top Scientist

COVID-19 in China: "It is the long-term goal of humanity to co-exist with the virus" at tolerable death and illness rates, Zeng Guang wrote on social media platform Weibo.

China should aim to co-exist with the virus and could move away from its zero-Covid strategy "in the near future," a top Chinese scientist said in a possible sign that the country's leadership is rethinking its strict approach.

The country where the coronavirus was first detected in 2019 is now one of the last places still clinging to a zero-tolerance approach, responding to small outbreaks with snap lockdowns and cutting off most international travel.

But fatigue over disruptions to everyday life as well as semi-autonomous Hong Kong's struggle to contain a mass Omicron outbreak have raised questions about the sustainability of Beijing's approach.

China's strategy against Covid-19 cannot "remain unchanged forever" and "it is the long-term goal of humanity to co-exist with the virus" at tolerable death and illness rates, Zeng Guang wrote on social media platform Weibo on Monday.