China protests garner muted reactions from world leaders, UN

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Protester violently arrested at rally against lockdowns in Shanghai, China

A man holding a bouquet of flowers is taken down by cops for protesting against the country's severe lockdowns. (Viral Press)

The White House and U.S. State Department expressed disagreement with China's zero-COVID policy and support for the ongoing protests across the country.

"We’ve said that zero-COVID is not a policy we're pursuing here," a White House National Security Council spokesperson told Fox News Digital Monday. "And as we’ve said, we think it’s going to be very difficult for the People’s Republic of China to be able to contain this virus through their zero-COVID strategy."

The comments come as massive protests have raged across China in recent days, spreading to 20 provinces and the cities of Beijing and Shanghai, with some calling on President Biden to say more in support of the protesters.

Lisa Daftari, a foreign policy commentator for Foreign Desk News, drew parallels to the China protests and those still going on in Iran, arguing that people were standing up against corrupt political systems such as communism and theocracy. 

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A protester holding flowers is confronted by a policeman on a street in Shanghai, China, on Nov. 27, 2022. (AP Photo)

"Media got both wrong," Daftari said on Twitter Monday. "Biden admin silent."

The protests originated after a deadly apartment building fire last week in the Xinjiang regional capital of Urumqi, which resulted in the deaths of 10 people. As a result of lockdown measures in the city that have been in place for over 100 days, the city's fire department was delayed in arriving on the scene.

Residents of the city began demonstrating on the streets shortly after the tragedy, marching on government buildings and demanding an end to the city's strict lockdown.

Despite the fire happening in the far western region of the country, protests quickly spread across the country, a rare showing of resistance to China's Communist Party. Protesters across the country took to the streets to demand an end to China's zero-COVID policy that has resulted in three years of strict lockdowns in many cities. Some protesters called for freedom and democracy and others for the removal of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Protesters hold up blank pieces of paper during a commemoration for victims of a recent Urumqi deadly fire in Hong Kong, Monday, Nov. 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Kanis Leung)

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Video from Shanghai shows authorities in China attempting to crack down on the protests, with one protester being arrested while attempting to give a speech in support of the victims while holding up a yellow bouquet of flowers. Other protesters could be seen objecting to the man's arrest as police forced him into a police car and away from the scene.

Security clamp downs in the country have helped to temper protests slightly as of Monday, though reports from China indicate that demonstrations are expected to pick back up in subsequent days. A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the U.S. supports the rights of peaceful protesters throughout the world.

Protesters hold up blank pieces of paper and chant slogans as they march in protest in Beijing, Sunday, Nov. 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

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"We’ve long said everyone has the right to peacefully protest, in the United States and around the world. This includes in the PRC," the spokesperson said.

The protesters garnered some support from the United Kingdom, with British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly calling on the Chinese government to respect the rights of demonstrators and journalists after a BBC journalist was arrested in China.

"Media freedom and freedom to protest must be respected. No country is exempt," Cleverly said on Twitter Monday. "The arrest of BBC journalist @EP_Lawrence in China is deeply disturbing. Journalists must be able to do their job without intimidation."

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres would not comment on China's COVID policies but called on authorities to respect the protesters.

"We've seen some of the video of demonstrations and our reaction is the same one we have for the world over. Is that we believe in the importance of people's right to peaceful assembly and association and their right to demonstrate peacefully and urge the authorities to guarantee that right," the spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said Monday.