We are all still recovering from the shock and awe of China’s sudden rollback of its long-held zero-Covid policy.

Much ink has been spilled about the country’s staggering reversal and the reasons galvanising the U-turn. But few have examined the challenge faced by China in reconciling the chasm between this latest move and the narrative that people were fed over the past three years to withstand the hardships of zero-Covid in the name of public health.