A spokesperson for the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) told insidethegames that “preparations are continuing as planned” for the competition which is due to be staged between September 30 and October 9.

The event was previously due to be held in April but was postponed by almost six months because of the coronavirus pandemic.

If the tournament takes place as planned, it will be the first World Team Table Tennis Championships since 2018, after the 2020 edition in Busan was cancelled.

The South Korean city is set to host the 2024 version instead.

China won both gold medals in 2018.

Fears surrounding the COVID-19 situation in China has caused the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games and the Chengdu 2021 Summer World University Games to be delayed until next year.

Meanwhile, the Shantou 2021 Asian Youth Games were cancelled.

China has imposed strict restrictions across some of its largest cities as part of its fixed "zero-COVID" policy.

Participants of the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Games were forced to adhere to stern rules once they arrived at the airport as organisers imposed a "closed loop" system.

They were not able to mix with the general Chinese population.

An estimated 2.5 million tests were carried out with 463 cases being recorded.

Some Olympians complained about the "draconian" measures, but this was rejected by Beijing 2022 organisers due to the low number of cases.

The ITTF had previously announced the table tennis competition would be subject to a "closed-loop management system in a bubble format", which is similar to the one imposed for Beijing 2022.

Any chance of China easing their COVID-19 policy is far-fetched at best.

On Thursday (April 5) the Politburo Standing Committee, the ruling Communist Party body led by President Xi Jinping, pledged to "unswervingly adhere to the general policy of 'dynamic zero-COVID,' and resolutely fight against any words and acts that distort, doubt or deny our country's epidemic prevention policies."

China’s strong pro-lockdown policy has increased public discontent among its population as well as causing economic ramifications.

United States news outlet CNN reported that residents in Shanghai, which has experienced one of the toughest lockdowns, have called for help and expressed their anger regarding severe food shortages and access to medical care on social media.

Some protestors allegedly took to the street to confront police and health care workers.