News analysis

Political stars of Shanghai and Beijing party bosses appear dim

Both Mr Li Qiang (left) and Mr Cai Qi belong to Chinese President Xi Jinping's "New Zhijiang Army" faction. PHOTOS: EPA-EFE, REUTERS
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

BEIJING - Shanghai's massive Covid-19 outbreak, which has led to an outpouring of public unhappiness, could turn out to be a watershed moment in how the Chinese view their country's "dynamic zero" strategy towards the coronavirus.

But the question on the minds of political pundits is: how will this affect the political fortunes of the city's party chief Li Qiang?

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.