SIGNATURE WORK
CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION 2023

Public trust towards the political systems has been widely identified as a foundational condition of facilitating economic take-off and good governance, while it tends to be noticeably changed during global health crises. In the context of COVID-19 pandemic, extensive discussions focused on whether emotional factors or rational evaluations have led to a raise in political trust in European countries, yet little has been known about the shifting trust in China, the biggest developing country with unique political institutions. This study explores how much and why Chinese citizens become more trusting or distrustful of their urban local government after the outbreak. Empirical results within a nationally representative dataset indicates that Chinese citizens are 12.95% more trusting their local government in 2020 than in 2018. Ordered logistic regression on a difference scale suggests that rational evaluation of government performances still significantly affects their political attitudes. While the pandemic has led to an increase in depression among individuals, it has not necessarily eroded or raised their trust in their governments, as one might expect. Additionally, the changing economic status and labor market outcomes during the pandemic appear not influential for the changes in political trust. The shifting political attitudes, as a manifestation of the changing citizen-state relationship in times of crises, then merits policy attention in rebuilding or strengthening public trust during global health challenges and serve better for sustainable development.