In such a tightly controlled system, public opinion is hard to gauge, but for the first few years of Xi’s rule, it seems plausible that support for him was strong. Many in China applauded his high-profile anti-corruption drive and enjoyed the feeling that the country was under firm and vigorous leadership, after a period of perceived drift under Xi’s faceless predecessor, Hu Jintao.
The ongoing coronavirus epidemic in China seems to have changed this situation suddenly and unexpectedly.
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