China’s migrant workers forced home, factory owners struggling to survive under coronavirus lockdowns
- China’s southern manufacturing hub of Guangzhou is at the centre of the latest nationwide surge in cases after it reported more than 2,000 on Wednesday
- Migrant workers have been forced to return home as micro- and small-sized enterprises have closed with mass testing and lockdowns in place
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China’s zero-Covid policy under pressure as infections rise in major cities
Lockdowns in China’s southern manufacturing hub of Guangzhou have sent migrant workers scurrying for home and left the thousands of micro- and small-sized enterprises that they rely on for employment wondering if they will survive the latest coronavirus outbreak.
China’s largest fabric market, Zhongda, is usually home to some 100,000 employees, but the 5 sq km (1.9 square mile) market, one and a half-times the size of New York’s Central Park, is almost empty.
Zhongda had been until last week the home and workplace for Hu An, a skilled migrant worker from Hubei province, but he hurriedly packed up his belongings and returned home to undergo five days of local authority mandated quarantine.
The outbreak only makes the situation worse so I decided to leave Guangzhou and go back to my hometown. At least I don’t need to pay a high living cost at home
“The outbreak means the end of this year’s work for me. The owners and workers at most of the small workshops and factories have much less income this year compared to last year,” said 30-something Hu.
