How People Perceive The Dynamic Zero-COVID Policy: A Retrospective Analysis From The Perspective of Appraisal Theory

Abstract: The Dynamic Zero-COVID Policy in China spanned three years and diverse emotional responses have been observed at different times. In this paper, we retrospectively analyzed public sentiments and perceptions of the policy, especially regarding how they evolved over time, and how they related to people's lived experiences. Through sentiment analysis of 2,358 collected Weibo posts, we identified four representative points, i.e., policy initialization, sharp sentiment change, lowest sentiment score, and policy termination, for an in-depth discourse analysis through the lens of appraisal theory. In the end, we reflected on the evolving public sentiments toward the Dynamic Zero-COVID Policy and proposed implications for effective epidemic prevention and control measures for future crises.