Beijing fully reopens its borders Covid and hopes the Chinese will “escape” after restrictions: USA, Canada and even Africa most desirable destinations

Tana free everyone. FromJan 8th over there China It will remove most of the restrictions on international travelBoth incoming and outgoing. The new measures – which suspend among other things the obligation of hotel quarantine for foreigners – fall short of the immediate and full opening up of the country. There are still many gray areas. As points out The New York TimesThe authorities did not say when they would resume the release of I Tourist visas, suspended at the beginning of the epidemic. In the official press releases, there is simply talk of “further improvement” of procedures for those who want to travel to China for work, study or family reunion. The version will also be reactivated in an “orderly manner”. New passports Normal to Chinese citizens, frozen a Early 2020. However, it is not clear how many international flights will be restored: II Vari Flightin november incoming traffic was equal to 6% for 2019, while, according to Flight Master, only 617 flights International, with nearly done during the first seven days of 2020 16,000.

for Liu SiminResearch institute official China Society for Futuristic StudiesGiven the complex national framework of the pandemic, intercontinental travel will not even return to pre-Covid levels 2024. Despite the mystery shrouded in mystery, reopening the border was enough of a dare Ambitious travelers. Thanks to the approaching Lunar New Year (January 22-February 5), one of the few Chinese holidays that allows long-distance travel. Tuesday, the day after the announcement of the new policies, on the tourist portal Trip.com Flight bookings from China to popular destinations, eg SingaporeAnd the Japan And the South Koreatripled. In Europe, France ranks as the most popular destination, thanks also to the courtship of the Parisian authorities. above Weibo The French Embassy in Beijing has specified that Chinese tourists will not be subject to quarantine. The reception is different compared to the ones made in Italy with reservations swab at airports.

But it’s not just leisure travelers packing their bags. The three years of Zero Covid, first, and now the new epidemic wave are prompting part of the Chinese population to leave the country. to me financial times, At the end of March “search on the platform WeChat to Tencent Top How to move to Canada increased by approx 3,000%It is a phenomenon known in Mandarin as ranxo: literally “fugue study”, is a symptom of a Less trust in the party/state. After years of double-digit economic growth, its missteps Beijing In managing the epidemic, they have further strained the relationship between citizens and political authorities. Disappointment appears most clearly between the middle class and generations After TiananmenIt arose in an era of prosperity and social stability. The slowdown in GDP has something to do with it, but that’s not all.

recent protests byA4 sheets“It showed how a part of the population began to feel needs that were no longer just ‘material’. Above all, the rare criticisms against Censorship It calls for freedom of expression. In the big cities that for ranxo It’s a fairly widespread position. Of course, in some cases the subject of alienation is a talker, a temporary explosion. But it is undeniable that more and more Chinese are searching “better” living conditions abroad. The quotation mark is a must because the difficulty of obtaining a visa in the era of a pandemic leads many to choose unusual and not entirely easy destinations. if it was Japan It remains the first choice for the wealthy, there are those who do not mind taking risksThe American dream.

According to the Panamanian government, in 2022 at the latest 1300 Chinese They crossed the “Darién plug”, one of the most dangerous migration routes in the world, between Colombia and Panama. nearly three times the previous decade. The hope, as for thousands of other immigrants, is to get there United State. A goal requires a budget $5,000-10,000 And days of walking in the woods, among deep rivers and steep cliffs. According to the journalist BBC Mingyu DongOn Telegram, there are private, censorship-resistant group chats in which those who have arrived at their destination share helpful tips: where to change money, how to bypass local authority checks and do proper baggage in the rainforest. As he explains Alexis Zhouan expert researcher on North American immigration, the recent popularity of Zhouxian – this is the Chinese name for the uphill journey – a symptom ‘growing desperation’ that tear those who dream of a new life away from China.

Without going into the bowels of the tropics, a similar mood can also be found among the diaspora in Africawhere the Asian giant has been investing for decades, but has always been considered a destination b series For climate and personal safety issues. According to the portal Sixth toneWith the epidemic and the simultaneous increase in unemployment in China, there has been a significant increase in the number of recent Chinese graduates interested in finding a job on the continent. Even those enrolled in the best universities. In 2021, a Chinese state-owned company in Algeria Saw job requests soar80%.

Other than the difficulties of adjusting, Africa has some advantages: higher salaries, generous vacations, and a less frantic pace of work than by Chinese standards. Compared to the past, young people also value the opportunity to see the world, develop their language skills, and learn about new cultures. Covid has changed many things. In China, priorities have changed Millennials. Until recently, the greatest aspiration was to gain economic stability and own apartments. Today is to improve one’s quality of life. Even at the cost of fleeing thousands of kilometers from home.