Opinion: Collective Punishment Exemplifies How Local Covid Policies Can Trample Rule of Law

Chengde’s high-tech zone turned a blind eye to the law. The local authorities should think long and hard on what exactly went wrong in the decision-making process. Photo: VCG

The system of collective punishment, a concept that prevailed in ancient times when family members are punished simply due to their relationship with an offender, are being crudely copied and applied in China today.

On Aug. 29, Chengde High-Tech Industrial and Development Zone in North China’s Hebei province issued an announcement saying that those who deliberately concealed their travel history and refused to cooperate with epidemiological investigations, once verified, would be responsible for treatment costs and included on a list of discredited persons. Those who cause serious consequences would bear criminal liability.