pressure is building on the chinese government over its handling of this crisis, with a twice a decade communist party congress starting on october 16. many people feel that zero covid has become much about politics as it is about science, and that this stems from xi jinping becoming china s most powerful leader since chairman mao. here at the great hall of the people, a big meeting will soon usher in a historic third term in office for xijinping, and the hope was to have china in a stable and tiptop shape when this occurs. however, the coronavirus is not playing nicely. yet scientists are more likely to be open about the pandemic than politicians, as a key government adviser, this professor is one of the architects of the policy