海角大神

Panic buying was in full swing at my local supermarket in Beijing鈥檚 central Chaoyang District 鈥� all the carts were taken and many vegetables were sold out. Store clerks in green vests were snapping photos of frenzied customers, overloaded with bags of cabbage, eggs, and meat.聽

鈥淓veryone is scared!鈥� said one shopper. 鈥淧rices are going up!鈥� exclaimed another.

It was late Sunday night, and I had rushed to the store after getting a three-word text from a Chinese friend: 鈥淏uy more food!鈥� News spread that authorities seeking to contain a cluster of COVID-19 cases had sealed off several compounds and ordered mass testing in the district of 3.5 million people where I now live.

My mind was reeling. Just the day before I鈥檇 enjoyed my first taste of relative freedom in China following five weeks of quarantine since arriving in Shanghai in mid-March. Strolling down a street lined with blossoming plum trees, squinting in the sun, I felt a huge relief soaking in the city on my way to the Monitor鈥檚 Beijing bureau.

But now, as the fleeting respite gave way to urgent stockpiling, I had a sinking sense of d茅j脿 vu. After witnessing heartbreaking scenes of lockdown hardship in Shanghai, China鈥檚 glittering financial capital, I had to wonder, could Beijing, the political capital, be next?

Ann Scott Tyson/海角大神

Beijing residents crowd a supermarket on April 24, 2022, in Beijing's Chaoyang District. A COVID-19 outbreak in the capital's largest district has pushed average weekly cases in Beijing to the highest levels since the beginning of the pandemic.

鈥淭rust Beijing鈥�

The next morning, I awoke to the familiar sound of a bullhorn, as workers in white hazmat suits summoned all residents in my compound for mandatory COVID-19 testing.聽

After my test, I rushed out to pick up my press pass from the Foreign Ministry, several blocks away. Everywhere along the way, Beijingers were forming long, orderly lines for testing. Spotting some carrots at a tiny sidewalk grocer, I snapped them up.

Soon the Foreign Ministry鈥檚 giant silver convex structure came into view. Like other Beijing government edifices and monuments 鈥� from the ancient Forbidden City to the Great Hall of the People 鈥� it reminded me of the city鈥檚 historic status as China鈥檚 seat of power, and of the premium its leaders place on stability.聽

Already, Beijing has restricted inbound travel to insulate the capital from COVID-19 outbreaks in the provinces 鈥� and has discouraged its 21 million residents from leaving for the upcoming May Day holiday. Beijing鈥檚 special status and extra-stringent COVID-19 policy lead many residents to believe a Shanghai-scale outbreak simply can鈥檛 happen here, I discovered.

鈥淏eijing will never let that happen. It鈥檚 the capital, so it has to be stable politically,鈥� says Julia Wang, a Beijing university teacher, stopping to chat as she took her out-of-school kindergartner for a walk. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no way the masses here won鈥檛 have food to eat, like in Shanghai,鈥� she says, adding that she鈥檚 also stockpiled food.

Even as Beijing鈥檚 cases reach an all-time pandemic high 鈥� a tiny outbreak by global standards but one called 鈥済rim鈥� by local health officials 鈥� Ms. Wang and other residents believe the city has the personnel and medical capacity to quickly bring them under control.

鈥淭he government will be prepared,鈥� says Ms. Wang. 鈥淲e have so many hospitals and makeshift hospitals, so even if something bad happens, we have the ability to solve the problem.鈥�

Beijing鈥檚 culture is also an asset, she says, stressing that Beijingers pride themselves on civic-mindedness. 鈥淧eople in Beijing can sacrifice,鈥� she says. 鈥淭rust Beijing.鈥�

Ann Scott Tyson/海角大神

University teacher Julia Wang, pictured in a Beijing park on April 28, 2022, says she has confidence that the city has the resources to control its current COVID-19 outbreak. She has stockpiled food as a precaution.

Balancing business, people, and pride

So far, however, Beijing鈥檚 outbreak continues to spread, with more than a dozen communities housing many thousands of residents who are now confined to their homes.

鈥淢y boss is locked down in Shunyi District鈥� in northeastern Beijing, says Ms. Hu, a shop worker, asking to withhold her first name to protect her privacy. 鈥淏usiness is bad due to the pandemic,鈥� she says, adding that she may have to relocate her photography shop.

While a Beijing lockdown would not cause as heavy an economic blow as that of Shanghai, it would further hamper the government鈥檚 effort to achieve its target of 5.5%聽gross domestic product growth this year.聽

Yet despite slowing economic growth and a rise in joblessness 鈥� with urban unemployment reaching 5.8% in March 鈥� China鈥檚 government has made clear it has no plans to abandon its zero-COVID-19 policy anytime soon.聽

The 鈥渓ife first鈥� policy has succeeded in keeping the level of cases and deaths in China far lower than that in other countries 鈥� with fewer than 5,000 fatalities in China compared with nearly 1 million in the United States.聽

Despite her loss of business, Ms. Hu fully backs that approach. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 really good,鈥� she says. 鈥淏eing healthy is the most important.鈥�

Back at the grocery store, food supplies were fully restored by midweek, as Beijing authorities聽rushed to聽increase shipments of fresh produce to quell residents鈥� worries.聽

鈥淎ll this panic buying makes no sense,鈥� says a clerk restocking the shelves. 鈥淏eijing definitely won鈥檛 be like Shanghai,鈥� he adds, withholding his name for privacy.

Asked why he feels so certain, he sums up the pride of place that many Beijingers feel 鈥� and China鈥檚 preoccupation with聽鈥渟aving face鈥� 鈥� in a couple of words:

鈥淏eijing鈥檚 face!鈥� he says, stroking his cheek with the back of his hand and letting out a laugh.

Basically, a lockdown in Shanghai is one thing; here, it would be an embarrassment.