China covid protests – live: Anti-lockdown dissent in Shanghai spreads to cities worldwide

We are pausing our updates on the China protests today. Thank you for tuning in.

The Chinese government should “take notice” of protests against its strict zero-Covid policy and restrictions on freedoms, British foreign secretary James Cleverly said on Monday.

“Protests against the Chinese government are rare and when they do happen I think the world should take notice, but I think the Chinese government should take notice,” Cleverly told reporters.

Protests in China and among Chinese citizens abroad were triggered by a fire in the Xinjiang region last week that killed 10 people who were trapped in their apartments. Protesters said lockdown measures were partly to blame, though officials denied that.

From the streets of several Chinese cities to dozens of university campuses, the protesters made a show of civil disobedience unprecedented since leader Xi Jinping assumed power a decade ago.

“It’s clear that the Chinese people themselves are deeply unhappy with what is going on, about the restrictions imposed upon them by the Chinese government,” Cleverly said.

“These are the voices of Chinese people talking to their government and I think it’s right that the Chinese government listens to what those people are saying.”

Rare protests broke out in China over the weekend as residents railed against the government’s strict “zero Covid” policy.

Watch here to learn more about why the unprecedented protests are happening:

Downing Street said the government would not seek to “conflate” its stance on the right to protest with its intention to build “constructive relationships” with China on other issues.

Asked if Rishi Sunak is concerned that co-operation on matters such as climate change and the global economy will be hampered if he takes a firm line on protests, the prime minister’s official spokesman said: “We will not seek to conflate the two issues.

“Our position on the importance of the right to protest will not change... and arresting journalists is unacceptable and we will not change that position.

“But that does not mean we will not seek to have constructive relationships with China on other issues and attempt to solve some of these global (problems).”

Matt Mathers explains what the China protests are about and what the response has been so far:

At the height of the Covid pandemic, China imposed a harsh lockdown as it tried to stop the virus from spreading.

The Communist Party-ruled country stopped people from leaving their homes, with pictures showing entire apartment blocks sealed up and residents not allowed out.

Despite much of the rest of the world relaxing restrictions this year, China continues to follow a policy of zero Covid.

This means that citizens are still subject to lockdowns, quarantine and mandatory testing to stop the virus spreading.

“Why China? Why the protests across the country? Why the calls for President Xi to stand down, or even for the Chinese Communist Party to end its rule? Why now?

“Ostensibly, it’s because of the zero-Covid policy, and the draconian measures taken by the authorities to achieve what is now an entirely unrealistic policy aim, whatever its theoretical attractions may once have been,” Sean O’Grady writes.

“It is an extremist policy, and should not be necessary to keep Covid cases suppressed at low, manageable levels – particularly at a phase in this post-pandemic environment when less lethal variants are circulating, and when the vaccines are continuing to protect people against the most serious effects of illness.”

The detention of a BBC journalist in China who was covering protests against the country’s zero-Covid policy was “shocking and unacceptable”, a spokesman for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Monday.

Britain will raise concerns with China about the response to protests while the government will continue to seek constructive relations with the country on other issues, the spokesman said.

“We will continue to raise our human rights concerns with the Chinese government at all levels as part of a frank and constructive relationship,” he said.

“The arrest of this journalist, who was simply going about their work, is shocking and unacceptable. Journalists must be able to do their jobs without fear of intimidation.”

The BBC said Chinese police had assaulted one of its journalists covering a protest in the commercial hub of Shanghai and detained him for several hours, drawing criticism from Britain’s foreign minister who said the detention was deeply disturbing.

China disputed the account and said the journalist had not identified himself as a reporter.

“The BBC is extremely concerned about the treatment of our journalist Ed Lawrence, who was arrested and handcuffed while covering the protests in Shanghai,” the British public service broadcaster said in a statement late on Sunday.

“He was held for several hours before being released. During his arrest, he was beaten and kicked by the police. This happened while he was working as an accredited journalist.”

In Beijing, a foreign ministry spokesman said the BBC’s statement did not reflect what had happened. “According to our understanding, the BBC’s statement is not true,” spokesman Zhao Lijian said.

“According to authorities in Shanghai, the journalist in question did not reveal his journalist identity at the time, he did not openly show his foreign press card,” he added.

“When the incident happened, law enforcement personnel asked people to leave, and when certain people did not co-operate, they were taken away from the scene.”

Police in China have made people delete photos from their phones amid ongoing anti-lockdown protests, a BBC journalist has said.

Ed Lawrence, who the broadcaster has said was arrested and “beaten” by police, captured officers asking for pictures to be deleted from devices as demonstrations against strict anti-Covid measures broke out across the country.

Protesters are demanding that the zero-Covid policy, in which strict local lockdowns can be imposed if just a few cases are found, be relaxed.

At least three people were arrested on 28 November amid clashes between residents and police in Shanghai.