The Chinese Communist Party has always been wary of the influence of the business class, even as it tried to co-opt its members to help strengthen the country’s economy. Under China’s current top leader, Xi Jinping, the party’s attitudes toward the private sector took a more hostile turn and made the entrepreneur class the boogeyman for social ills. In the past few years, the government has steered away from the market economy and cracked down on some industries. Many business leaders believe that it will be hard to reverse the damage if the government doesn’t stop the zero Covid policy. With a big public company to run, he said, it would be too risky to be vocal.

Source: New York Times June 11, 2022 07:18 UTC