The impact of the COVID-2019 pandemic varies significantly across different groups of countries, depending on their level of socioeconomic development and the type of national anti-COVID policy. The author considers the features of the social consequences of the covid-crisis in catch-up countries using the case of China, where in 2020–2022 an artificial isolation was effected as a part zero tolerance policy. The study based on a sociological survey conducted by the author (N = 4842) using a random sampling in two cities of the Northeastern provinces of the PRC, bordering the Primorsky Territory of the Russian Federation, and significantly dependent on economic ties with Russia sharply decreased during the pandemic. Many specific changes in employment of the population were revealed: a general decline in the standard of living (almost 2/3 of the respondents), mass layoffs (more than a quarter), increase in gender inequality. It was found that the impact of the pandemic on employment and quality of life is especially negative for China's informally employed population.