Techno-biopolitics under a tentative “state of exception”: the institutional logic of the digital governance of inbound travelers during the COVID-19 pandemic in China

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic propelled many countries into a “state of exception,” under which several regular governance norms were suspended and emergency regulations were enacted. China was no exception. After its initial domestic vacillation, China implemented rigorous measures to control its borders and employed digital technologies, such as health codes and intelligent gate magnets, to streamline inbound travel management. These measures were in place until the end of 2022. Drawing on 30 in-depth semi-structured interviews and public and social media posts, this study examines the multifaceted role of digital governance in the management of inbound travelers during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Digital governance facilitated and streamlined the quarantining of inbound travelers. Meanwhile, the use of digital measures was entangled with the institutional logic of China’s local governance, which sometimes had to reconcile contradictory goals. Theoretically, the paper enriches our understanding of not only the idiosyncrasies of Chinese digital governance but also of techno-biopolitics under a COVID-19-induced tentative state of exception, which sheds light on a possible future in which digital technologies are deeply integrated into the institutional logic of governance in an increasingly turbulent world.Keywords: COVID-19 pandemicinbound travelersdigital governanceinstitutional logicstate of exception AcknowledgmentsThe authors appreciate the valuable feedback and insights provided by all the participants in this study and the anonymous reviewers.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1 This policy was implemented until June 28th, 2022, when the centralized quarantine was shortened to seven days with another three days of home monitoring. Then starting from January 8th, 2023, the Chinese government suspended almost all the border restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. See https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-06-28/China-slashes-quarantine-time-for-international-arrivals–1beuKfAFrRC/index.html and http://www.customs.gov.cn//customs/302249/2480148/4761081/index.html2 See https://www.ccps.gov.cn/xtt/202004/t20200408_139331.shtml3 The information was collected and collated through a variety of official news platforms on WeChat and interviews (e.g. Shanghai Fabu, Beijing Fabu, etc.).4 See http://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/2020-07/21/content_5528639.htm5 See http://union.china.com.cn/zhuanti/txt/2022-04/15/content_41941244.htmlAdditional informationFundingThis work was supported by a Young Scholar Grant in Humanities and Social Science from the Ministry of Education, People’s Republic of China [Grant No. 19YJC860023 and 22YJC860011] and the National Social Science Foundation of China [Grant No. 20FXWB006.Notes on contributorsYungeng LiYungeng Li is an associate professor at the School of Media and Communication at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. His research examines the intersection of emerging media technology and broad social and cultural changes. His publications can be found in several SSCI and CSSCI journals, such as Social Media + Society, Journalism Practice, Health Communication, Asian Journal of Communication, and Xinwen Yu Chuanbo Yanjiu [Chinese Journal of Journalism and Communication]Qijun HeQijun He is an assistant professor of communication at Shanghai University. Her research interests include health communication and digital media, and her research articles can be found in publications such as Health Communication, The Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, Social Media + Society, and Asian Journal of Communication.