China city mayor apologizes over COVID-19 lockdown response

BEIJING (AP) — The mayor of a northeastern Chinese city on the North Korean border that has been under lockdown for more than 50 days has apologized for failures in his administration’s work amid widespread — but often disguised — dissatisfaction over the government's heavy-handed approach to handling the pandemic.

Dandong Mayor Hao Jianjun gave no specifics, but said government work and basic services had been “unsatisfactory,” for which he offered his apologies, according to a statement issued by the city government late Monday.

It is highly unusual for a ranking Communist Party official to publicly concede errors, particularly regarding the hardline “zero-COVID” policy that has been repeatedly endorsed by top officials under President and party leader Xi Jinping.

Despite reporting only a handful of cases, Dandong had seen one of the strictest lockdowns in China, with even deliveries of food and other necessities banned, according to unconfirmed reports.

In his reported comments at a meeting with residents, Hao acknowledged the sacrifices made by the city's 2.4 million citizens, along with the “complaining voices" among them over the government's work. Dandong would now be moving into a stage of pandemic control that would be “more proactive, more active and more effective," Hao said.

Unable to root out the source of new cases, Dandong officials took increasingly extreme measures, some of them of questionable scientific merit. That included recommending residents close their windows to prevent the virus being blown in from North Korea, even though its ability to spread through the air is extremely limited.

Authorities have also cracked down on smuggling across the Yalu River with North Korea, offering cash incentives for information on those involved. China has...