The rare protests against China's zero-Covid policy are evidence that the people are "deeply unhappy" with the restrictions imposed on them by the Chinese government, the UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Monday.

He also described the arrest of a BBC journalist in Shanghai as "deeply disturbing".

In a rare show of dissent against the ruling Communist Party led by President Xi Jinping, protests have erupted across China. People are angry over the Chinese government's controversial zero-Covid policy, which include mass testing and snap lockdowns.

Cleverly said the Chinese government and international community should take notice over the rare protests in China over the weekend.

"It's clear that the Chinese people themselves are deeply unhappy with what is going on, about the restrictions imposed upon them by the Chinese government," he told journalists in London.

"These are the voices of Chinese people talking to their government - and I think it's right that the Chinese government listens to what those people are saying," Cleverly was quoted as saying by the BBC.

He also said that the arrest of BBC journalist Ed Lawrence was deeply disturbing.

Lawrence was detained while covering a protest in Shanghai on Sunday. He was later released by police in the eastern Chinese metropolis.

Meanwhile in Beijing, China's foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the government was dealing decisively with the problem, and relied upon the cooperation of the Chinese people.

China is following "the dynamic zero-Covid policy", he said, adding that the government has been "making adjustments based on the reality on the ground".

"We believe that with the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and the support of all of the Chinese people, our fight against Covid-19 will be successful," he said.