China ‘to make Covid policy changes soon’

China will make substantial changes to its “dynamic-zero” Covid-19 policy in coming months, a former Chinese disease control official told a conference hosted by Citi yesterday, according to a recording of the session heard by Reuters.Separately, three sources familiar with the matter said China may soon further shorten quarantine requirements for inbound travellers.Zeng Guang, former chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention who has remained outspoken on China’s Covid fight, said the conditions for China opening up were “accumulating”, citing new vaccines and progress the country had made in antiviral drug research.Asked by Citi chief China economist Yu Xiangrong if China would open up after its annual meeting of parliament that traditionally takes place in early March, he said many new policies would be introduced in the next five to six months, without indicating the basis for that information.“The situation is changing now and China’s ‘dynamic zero’ will also undergo major changes. Substantive changes will happen soon,” he said, according to the recording of the session, which was titled “China’s Exit Strategy from Zero-COVID”. Citi declined to comment on Zeng’s remarks.Zeng and Yu did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Zeng’s remarks add impetus to recent investor hopes China will ease some of the strict measures that have made it a global outlier and inflicted deep damage to the world’s second-largest economy.Public health experts have warned that reversing China’s rigid Covid regime would require a clear timeline and strategy for booster shots in a nation of 1.4bn people with little natural immunity, and many believe China will begin significant easing only after the March parliamentary session.This week’s optimism defies news of rising infections and widespread Covid-related disruptions in China, including the postponement yesterday of the Guangzhou auto show that had been planned for later this month.Chinese health authorities will hold a press conference at 3pm today on Covid-19 prevention, according to a notice that said officials from the National Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention would attend.No other details were immediately available.