This residential community in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou, Henan Province, is raising discussions on Chinese social media for a stern warning that is blasted over the entrance gate loudspeakers: “Outsiders will be executed on the spot with the authority of law” (“外来人员就地正法格杀勿论”).
The community is the Tianxiacheng Community (天下城社区) in the Jinshui District of Zhengzhou. Zhengzhou is currently the city with the worst Covid outbreak in the province, and Jinshui is among the affected districts.
A video showing the community gate in question went viral on Chinese social media, and the stern tone of the message and the serious face of the guard did not exactly make the situation look like it was meant to be a joke.
According to Chinese media outlets, a community staff member later suggested that this was a non-official, self-initiated move by the property management and that it has since been corrected.
According to various Chinese news sources, the harsh warning telling outsides not to enter the community relates to people from outside the residential community coming inside the community gates to do their nucleic acid tests at the Tianxiacheng testing point. Trying to minimize people’s movements in light of the ongoing Covid outbreak, property management staff clearly were not happy about these cross-community flows of people and took rather drastic measures to stop them.
“Perhaps it was a joke,” one person commented: “But it’s a joke without any humour.”
This residential community in Zhengzhou is trending b/o the message on repeat via loudspeakers at gate: "Outsiders coming in will be killed on the spot." Too many people from outside apparently visited the community for its Covid test point (& person in charge is a bit dramatic). pic.twitter.com/va5gziKBaj
— Manya Koetse (@manyapan) November 22, 2022
Another person replied: “I’ve already seen so many things this year that I’m not even surprised anymore.”
The Covid situation in Zhengzhou has recently made more headlines, from the Foxconn situation to the local launch of a VIP nucleic acid testing service.
“What is most scary in China? It’s the newly gained power of people at the lowest rung of society,” one Weibo blogger from Hebei wrote: “It’s scarier to people than ghosts and gods.”
“Actually, there are many epidemic prevention enthusiasts who are infatuated with the idea of having this kind of power – they don’t want it to end!”
In light of China’s recent Covid wave, there have been multiple incidents showing how local anti-epidemic authorities take excessive measures in the fight to curb the spread of the virus. In Guangzhou, two women were tied up by local anti-epidemic workers after they violated local epidemic rules; in Daqing, a milk tea shop was temporarily closed down after a shop assistant welcomed customers before asking them to swipe their health app; in Mudanjiang, one business was given a ‘yellow card’ when an employee was caught taking a nap in an empty store without wearing a mask.
Although many people commenting on the Zhengzhou Tianxiacheng Community incident blamed it on local staff abusing their authority, there are also those who blame it on the lack of nucleic acid testing points.
“Frankly speaking, when public places require a negative Covid-test taken within 24 hours, yet there are not enough nucleic acid test points around, you’ll see this kind of problems,” one popular Weibo blogger from Guangdong (@好大的奕) wrote.
Despite all criticism, there are also those who stress the funny side of the situation. “Before I clicked this: this surely must be in Northern China (Beifang). After I clicked it: of course, it’s you, Henan!”
“What’s the problem?” another person wondered: “Have you all completely lost your sense of humor now?”
By Manya Koetse
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