Group storms Shoprite, protests alleged intellectual property theft

A deadly apartment fire in Xinjiang has triggered a wave of anti-zero-COVID protests across several cities in China. How will the Communist Party react as the movement gains momentum?

Protesters are demanding easing of COVID curbs in Beijing and Shanghai. People also took to the streets in the western Xinjiang's capital Urumqi after deaths in an apartment fire were blamed on lockdowns.

China is witnessing its biggest wave of public dissent in a decade. Chinese universities are now sending students home in a bid to tighten COVID restrictions.

In a DW interview, Frank-Walter Steinmeier said he hoped Chinese authorities would "respect" the protesters' freedom, and expressed that he did not see a way out of Russia's war on Ukraine "at this point in time."

State interior ministers have decided on the move due to the violent suppression of anti-government protests. Meanwhile, Tehran has summoned the German ambassador for the third time.

The United Nations also called on Chinese authorities to respond to protests "in line with international human rights law," and refrain from arresting people simply for taking part.

Fresh protests were reported from China's Guangzhou despite massive police deployment across the country. China is currently facing its largest civil disobedience movement since the Tiananmen massacre.

Authorities in at least seven districts in Guangzhou announced lifting temporary lockdowns. State media also cited a top official as saying the virus was weakening.

Beijing's vast surveillance apparatus is being used to track and intimidate protesters. Several people told DW they suspect their phones were hacked.

As widespread protests break out across China, we take a closer look at the impact of the zero-Covid policy on workers, businesses and the economy, by speaking to Professor Chang-Tai Hsieh of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

DW spoke to Chinese artist and dissident Ai Weiwei about the protests in China against its extreme COVID lockdowns.

Cities across China have rolled back some Covid-19 restrictions, requiring less testing and allowing people to isolate at home instead of in quarantine centres. The authorities have been careful not to send any signal that the relaxing of rules were in any way a response to rare displays of public discontent.