China continues to deal with the lasting effects of its strict COVID-19 lockdowns, which originated in Wuhan five years ago. The initial travel ban imposed on the city's 18 million residents in January 2020 led to a significant migration out of Wuhan, inadvertently aiding the virus's spread throughout China and beyond.

As the lockdowns widened, citizens experienced harsh conditions that lasted for three years, including citywide closures, the establishment of massive quarantine facilities, and compulsory daily COVID-19 testing. Many individuals were confined to their homes, struggling to work or receive necessary medical care, with some even being physically barricaded in their apartments.

Although official restrictions came to an end in 2022 after widespread protests, the nation still faces difficulties in recovering from the imposed measures. Political analyst Qin Peng highlights that the Wuhan lockdown has influenced the government to adopt more efficient strategies for managing public sentiment, such as censoring dissent, arresting journalists, and shaping media narratives to divert accountability for the crisis.

To go along with this, the government has maneuvered these strategies to maintain adherence to official portrayals of events while often attributing the outbreak to the United States or labeling it as a natural occurrence. China's gradual recovery is hindered by various public health and economic setbacks, leading to a twitch in the return to pre-lockdown life.

Although the strict regulations have ended, the long-lasting social and economic impacts remain prevalent. Many businesses are struggling to resume normal operations, and mental health issues have surfaced among the population. Furthermore, despite the World Health Organization's requests for more information regarding the virus's origins, China has consistently dismissed these appeals, raising concerns about the level of transparency in the country following the pandemic.