CCP Reclaims “Big White” Bonuses; Netizens Decry Betrayal

During the three years of the pandemic, the Chinese Communist Party established "Big White" epidemic prevention teams across the country, acting as enforcers to suppress innocent civilians. This is a continuation of the "Maple Bridge Experience." (Screenshot from the internet)

[People News] China's economy has been in a prolonged downturn for several years, leading to increasingly severe financial difficulties at the local level. The Communist Party of China has historically avoided engaging in productive activities, and when funds run low, it resorts to exploiting the populace. Recently, reports have emerged that some grassroots governments, facing financial strain, have issued orders to recover bonuses and subsidies that were awarded to epidemic prevention personnel (known as "Big White") and medical staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. This action has ignited widespread debate, with many netizens mocking the authorities by saying, "When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked," and noting that "even funds within the system are now being clawed back." They argue that the government's unreasonable and untrustworthy behavior will make it difficult to find personnel willing to respond to future public health emergencies or urgent tasks.

Financial Crisis Forces the CCP to Revisit Past Payments

Recently, individuals from the CCP's financial system, including civil servants, teachers, and state-owned enterprise employees from various regions, disclosed to The Epoch Times that some local governments have not only suspended and reduced salaries and performance bonuses but have also begun auditing allowances and rewards distributed over the past few years. This includes temporary work subsidies received by some frontline epidemic prevention personnel during the pandemic, which are now being demanded back. The CCP's lack of productive engagement has led local governments to reach out to civil servants to recover bonuses that have already been disbursed, sparking significant public discourse.

Wuhan volunteer Ms. Jiang remarked, "The lockdown has been over for many years, and now the bonuses that were meant to compensate frontline workers are being clawed back. This is simply excessive. How can this country be in such dire straits? Just a few days ago, I stumbled upon news about the authorities donating money to Africa.

Mr. Hu from the Jiangsu Finance Bureau remarked that financial pressures were previously concentrated in certain counties and townships. However, this is no longer just an issue for specific areas; many local governments are now primarily focused on maintaining salaries and ensuring basic government operations. He stated, 'Currently, local financial reserves are nearly exhausted, land transfer fees have dropped to zero, and fixed expenditures cannot be eliminated. Many civil servants entered through connections; how can we discuss layoffs? Many departments can only rely on 'seeking assistance' from the provincial government to pay salaries.'

Mr. Huang, a civil servant from Tongzi County in Guizhou, shared, 'During a meeting last week, the leadership conveyed a verbal notice without any formal written document, instructing us to return the performance bonuses issued two years ago to a designated account within 10 days. The unit also prohibited photos and recordings. We have already spent the money; now you suddenly demand that we return tens of thousands to cover the financial shortfall. Everyone in the group is furious at that person.'

The financial data for the first half of 2026 released by the Ministry of Finance of the Communist Party of China indicates that traditional revenue sources for local governments continue to decline. In the first half of the year, the budgetary revenue from local government funds saw a significant year-on-year drop, with income from the transfer of state-owned land use rights—long relied upon by local governments—continuing to experience double-digit declines.

Netizens commented: 'When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked.'

The news regarding some regions reclaiming epidemic prevention bonuses and subsidies for 'Big Whites' (epidemic prevention workers) and medical staff during the pandemic has ignited widespread and in-depth discussions across Chinese online communities (such as Weibo, Zhihu, Douyin, etc.).

The term "epidemic lockdown" evokes a period filled with collective memories and complex emotions. As such news surfaces, Chinese netizens express a variety of sentiments, including ironic reflections, sympathy for grassroots workers, skepticism about financial matters, and the emergence of a "rebound effect," among other complex attitudes.

Most netizens feel that doctors and nurses in formal hospitals faced high risks of infection while working overtime during the pandemic, often being away from home for months. They believe that the allowances received were hard-earned "money for their sweat and health." The demand for repayment of subsidies from medical staff is viewed as extremely inhumane and akin to "biting the hand that feeds you." Many netizens lamented, saying, "We were pushed to the front lines and scolded back then, and now we are treated like 'leeks' to be harvested for profit," and "Initially thought it was a sweet deal, but it turned out to be an interest-free loan." Some even mocked, stating, "When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked."

Additionally, some netizens criticized the authorities for their lack of credibility, noting that the practice of "settling accounts afterwards" undermines the spirit of contracts, effectively turning the subsidies from that time into "temporary funds." This reflects the arbitrary nature of policies and a lack of legal safeguards.

However, in regard to the community temporary workers or security personnel who exhibited poor attitudes and excessively enforced lockdown measures during the pandemic, some netizens displayed a mentality of "watching the excitement" or "settling historical accounts," commenting that "those who come out to mix will eventually have to pay back," and "back then, they wielded chicken feathers as orders, now all the money they distributed must be returned."

During the lockdown period, 'Big White' was depicted as a symbol of anti-epidemic heroism in official propaganda. However, under the government's directive for 'absolute zero', numerous incidents of violent enforcement by 'Big White' personnel surfaced, with public assaults becoming increasingly common. In the years marked by 'dynamic zeroing' and stringent disinfection policies, many regions adopted 'household disinfection' measures, where epidemic prevention workers entered the homes of confirmed cases or close contacts to carry out disinfection. Many individuals reported feeling as if they had been raided by bandits, experiencing not only significant property losses but also having their homes turned upside down. The public lacked proper channels to report these incidents, and even when they did, the authorities remained unresponsive. As a result, people were left to 'swallow their anger and blood', with their frustrations and grievances having no means of expression.

Where did the hundreds of billions allocated for epidemic prevention go?

On analysis-oriented platforms like Zhihu, such incidents are generally viewed as just the tip of the iceberg regarding local financial difficulties.

Many netizens believe this situation suggests that 'even the funds within the system are starting to be clawed back.' In recent years, those within the system (civil servants, public institutions, medical staff) have often been seen as having the most secure 'iron rice bowl.' The government's practice of reclaiming previously disbursed subsidies has led netizens to realize that the local financial shift towards 'tight days' has now affected the medical and public institution sectors, indicating that future salary cuts and reductions in benefits may become increasingly common.

Some netizens have raised concerns about the allocation of epidemic prevention funds and the validity of the audits. They questioned why, after spending hundreds of billions or even trillions on nucleic acid testing and lockdown measures, the authorities are now 'demanding back three to five thousand yuan' from the lowest-level personnel who carried out these tasks. This tactic of 'picking the soft persimmons' has led to increased skepticism regarding the overall flow of epidemic prevention funds and the rationale behind the audits.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is further entangled in a crisis of trust.

Additionally, some netizens have pointed out that this precedent of 'what has been given can be taken back' has had a lasting negative impact on social trust and grassroots mobilization: who will be willing to 'charge into battle' in the future?

Many netizens commented that if there are future public health emergencies or urgent tasks, it will be challenging for grassroots personnel to fully commit when the authorities label them as 'frontline fighters' or 'heroes' and promise rewards, as they will worry about having to repay money years later.

The practice of 'retrospectively' reclaiming bonuses from grassroots workers further illustrates that the CCP does not uphold its promises; any minor disturbance results in the grassroots population bearing all the pressure and losses as the sole group.

When a system relies on depriving grassroots workers of their earned income to sustain its operations, it indicates that its governance model has entered a state of severe difficulty in self-repair.

(First published by People News)
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