European companies operating in China are suffering badly from the restrictions imposed by China’s strict zero-COVID policy, the chairman of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China, Joerg Wuttke, said on Monday.

“The uncertainty makes everything very difficult. What will happen next? When will the next lockdown be implemented,” Mr Wuttke said.

Chamber representatives reported that freight transport between cities is difficult and businesses have had to suspend or reduce production, all of which adds up to severe supply chain disruption.

Many of China’s metropolitan areas are affected by restrictions due to COVID-19 outbreaks, some of which are minor in scale.

Shanghai, the country’s economic and financial centre, has been under a lockdown involving strict curfews for millions of people for six weeks.

Mr Wuttke said that the authorities had been forced to impose draconian measures because China was still a long way from achieving herd immunity.

“Instead of accelerating the vaccination of the elderly, they have actually slowed down,” he said.

More than 100 million people in China over the age of 60 have not yet been fully vaccinated.

(dpa/NAN)