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For many leaders, mounting public anger and a rapidly worsening economic outlook would be cause for worry and a policy rethink.

But Chinese President Xi Jinping, who doubtless would prefer smoother sailing in the run-up to a third leadership term, is doubling down on a signature “dynamic zero” COVID-19 policy that has been increasingly tested by the more infectious Omicron variant, Reuters reported.

Xi’s high-profile reiteration of the policy, made last week during a visit to the southern island of Hainan that capped days of state-media support for it, reflects a political imperative not to reverse course and look weak in a year in which he needs to appear strong, analysts said.

It also points to the absence of attractive alternatives, beyond tweaks and refinements, given the lack of herd immunity and a shaky healthcare system in China, which until recently kept COVID at bay after fumbling the outbreak when it first emerged in late 2019 in Wuhan city .

China has also made much of the dangers of COVID and how it has ravaged populations elsewhere, and changing course would require an awkward reversal of messaging to a public conditioned to view the coronavirus with horror, according to Reuters.

“Persevering in China’s own answers to shocks, rather than import answers found by the West, seems to be his thinking,” said Alicia Garcia-Herrero, chief economist for Asia Pacific at Natixis.

“This includes ‘dynamic zero COVID’ policy versus the Western approach of pursuing herd immunity,” she said.

Xi’s loyalty to the policy, despite widespread public anger with it, also reflects the security of his position in the absence of internal opposition as he strides towards a precedent-breaking third term at this autumn’s once-in-five-years Communist Party conclave.

“Looking at the number of people from across different backgrounds who spoke up and the intensity of their expression, this has been the most massive public display of anger since Xi came to power in 2012,” said Yang Chaohui, a political science lecturer at the prestigious Peking University.

“But the public discontent is fragmented and doesn’t amount to a momentum that can impact Xi,” he said, Reuters reported.

CURE WORSE THAN DISEASE?

China’s COVID policy, under which every infected person, symptomatic or not, has to go into quarantine, long had public support but now faces pushback from fed-up residents and businesses in Shanghai and elsewhere who argue that the costs are starting to outweigh the benefits , especially as most cases are without symptoms.

While Shanghai had until this week not reported any deaths from COVID-19 during its recent outbreak, numerous social media users have posted stories of people who perished from other causes during the city’s lockdown. Consumption, supply chains and employment have been battered.

Many people, including the well-off who are accustomed to international travel but have been grounded by two years of nearly closed borders, have grown increasingly exasperated with zero-COVID as other countries try to live with the virus, according to Reuters.

But while Shanghai residents have vented frustration online and scuffled with officials, curbs on movement, state control of media, censorship and the speed with which China quashes protests means such outcry is unable to gain traction.

“The CCP leadership has decided for a long time to keep Xi as number one,” said Jean-Pierre Cabestan at Hong Kong Baptist University, referring to the Chinese Communist Party.

“Xi and his faction will find any kind of reasons or excuses to protect him and put the blame of any weakness or mistake on lower-level officials,” he said.

Unlike in democracies, where public discontent manifests itself in opinion polls and votes, it poses a danger to leaders in authoritarian regimes only when leveraged by an opponent, said Chen Daoyin, a former associate professor at Shanghai University of Political Science and Law and now a commentator based in Chile.

“Since Xi has already removed all viable opponents, the public anger now can’t do much to him,” he said, according to Reuters.

The original COVID outbreak in Wuhan, which sparked fear and online protest, ended up doing little political damage to Xi, with the government ultimately spinning its response as a win.

Many lower-level officials fared less well, which partly explains the speed with which cities now impose COVID restrictions.

Before Shanghai’s outbreak, its party chief, Li Qiang, was widely expected to be promoted to the highest power echelon, the Politburo Standing Committee, where he would be a key ally for Xi in his third term.

“If Li gets punished for the Shanghai outbreak, it could mess up Xi’s planned lineup for the party’s next generation leadership,” said Chen.

While city-level officials elsewhere have been fired or censured after outbreaks, only very low-level officials in Shanghai have been punished.

“If the Shanghai situation clears up within a month, both Xi and Li could still get what they want,” Chen said, Reuters reported.

The CPN-UML has endorsed the draft of manifesto prepared for the local level elections. 

The meeting held at the party Chairman KP Sharma Oli’s residence in Balkot, Bhaktapur, endorsed the manifesto, according to Deputy General Secretary Prithvi Subba Gurung. 

The UML is scheduled to make public the commitment paper on April 22.

A group of US Democratic lawmakers including four senators and a House member is arriving in Nepal on Friday.

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) announced the trip in an email Sunday evening, but said additional details on the schedule could not be released due to security concerns, The Hill, an American new site reported. 

Other senators making the trip with Kelly are Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ed Markey (D-MA), along with Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.), the lone House member. 

They are on a nine-day trip to Poland, Germany, India, the United Arab Emirates and Nepal to rally support for Ukraine.

“This strong congressional delegation will have the opportunity to meet with US military leadership and troops in Poland in order to learn how the US can continue to support Ukraine and our NATO allies against Russia’s unprovoked and unwarranted war,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement.

Nepal is among the few Asian countries that have condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, deviating from its policy of international neutrality.

Sri Lanka's president acknowledged Monday that he made mistakes that led to the country's worst economic crisis in decades and pledged to correct them, India today reported.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa made the admission while speaking to 17 new Cabinet ministers he appointed Monday as he and his powerful family seek to resolve a political crisis resulting from the country's dire economic state.

Sri Lanka is on the brink of bankruptcy, with nearly USD 7 billion of its total USD 25 billion in foreign debt due for repayment this year. A severe shortage of foreign exchange means the country lacks money to buy imported goods.

People have endured months of shortages of essentials like food, cooking gas, fuel and medicine, lining up for hours to buy the very limited stocks available.

“During the last two and a half years we have had vast challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the debt burden, and some mistakes on our part,” Rajapaksa said, according to India today.

“They need to be rectified. We have to correct them and move forward. We need to regain the trust of the people.”

He said the government should have approached the International Monetary Fund early on for help in facing the impending debt crisis and should not have banned chemical fertilizer in an attempt to make Sri Lankan agriculture fully organic. Critics say the ban on imported fertilizer was aimed at conserving the country's declining foreign exchange holdings and badly hurt farmers.

The government is also blamed for taking out large loans for infrastructure projects which have not brought in any money.

“Today, people are under immense pressure due to this economic crisis. I deeply regret this situation," Rajapaksa said, adding that the pain, discomfort and anger displayed by people forced to wait in long lines to get essential items at high prices is justified.

The Cabinet appointments follow weeks of protests over shortages of fuel and food and demands that Rajapaksa, his politically powerful family and his government resign.

Much public anger has been directed at Rajapaksa and his elder brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. They head an influential clan that has held power for most of the past two decades, India today reported.

Thousands of protesters occupied the entrance to the president's office for a 10th day on Monday.

The president and prime minister remain in office, but some other relatives lost their Cabinet seats in what was seen as an attempt to pacify the protesters without giving up the family's hold on power.

Many senior politicians and those facing corruption allegations were excluded from the new Cabinet in line with calls for a younger administration, though the finance and foreign affairs ministers retained their positions to assist with an economic recovery.

Most of the Cabinet resigned on April 3 after protests erupted across the country and demonstrators stormed and vandalized the homes of some Cabinet ministers.

Opposition parties rejected an offer by President Rajapaksa to form a unity government with him and his brother remaining in power. Opposition parties have failed, meanwhile, to gain a parliamentary majority.

Last week, the government said it was suspending repayment of foreign loans pending talks with the International Monetary Fund. Finance Minister Ali Sabry and officials left for talks with the IMF on Sunday. The IMF and World Bank are holding annual meetings in Washington this week.

Sri Lanka has also turned to China and India for emergency loans to buy food and fuel, according to India Today.