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Chinese citizens are outraged at the scenes from the ongoing World Cup 2022 in Qatar.

Not because footballing giants at the tournament have been falling to unheralded teams.

But because large crowds of tens of thousands of people are gathering without masks to watch football -- for fun -- while people in China have been putting their lives on hold and living with perpetual lockdowns.

AFP reported that images of maskless fans have been circulating on Chinese social media site Weibo, which sparked outrage and debate.

People in China still dealing with Covid-19

Chinese citizens have been subjected to the country's harsh zero-Covid policy for many months now, with the government locking down entire cities and neighbourhoods in the name of stemming the spread of infections.

Such sudden lockdowns have caused panic, as those who find themselves in locations where lockdowns were suddenly introduced are subjected to Covid-19 testing and have to prove their negative infection status before being allowed to leave.

The process can take hours.

This potentially causes major disruptions to people's daily schedule and lives.

Moreover, the zero-Covid strategy has paid dubious dividends.

On Wednesday, Nov. 23, daily cases in China hit a high of 29,157, which is low compared to other countries, but nearing a domestic record.

The insistence that the zero-Covid policy continues until cases are eventually eradicated has already alienated those inside China from the rest of the world, where mask and travel restrictions have largely eased.

One way to let off some steam, it appears, is to take their frustrations online.

To add insult to injury, the 2022 World Cup is accessible for viewing by Chinese citizens, who are getting a glimpse of what the rest of the world have been up to -- in the wake of living with endemic Covid-19.

On "another pla...