A worker disinfects a public garbage can in Beijing, China’s capital. The worst seems to be over in China.
Image: dpa
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The corona pandemic has China and America firmly under control. How do the two rivals deal with it? And how are German students doing there? Call the offices of the German Academic Exchange Service in Beijing and New York.
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Good evening to Beijing, Ms. Schimanowski, and good morning to New York, Mr. Brisch. They both work in hotspots of the corona pandemic. What restrictions do you live under there?
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Schimanowski: Life in Beijing is still very limited, although the number of corona cases in China has fallen sharply and the government is promoting the revival of the economy and consumption.
Do you trust the official figures in China?
Schimanowski: As good as it gets (In the sense of: “Can you work with”, author’s note). The restrictions and controls are still very much present. For example, through the digital health code: You sometimes have to prove that you have been in the same place for 14 days. This is handled a little more loosely in other provinces, but in Beijing you still have to adhere to the quarantine regulations particularly strictly. The schools and universities have been completely closed since the end of January. Unlike in other provinces, there are still no official announcements at the universities at the start of face-to-face teaching in Beijing. We assume that the summer semester will continue to run digitally and largely without the presence of the students. The students’ freedom of movement will be severely restricted when they return to campus. But in Germany it is basically very similar when I see how much the basic rights and everyday life for social distancing have been restricted! I’m amazed at how Chinese Germany has become.
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