noqreport--2020-04-29--Dear China, Please lie less: A comprehensive chronology of China’s COVID-19 lies, malfeasance, and i

Dear China, Please lie less: A comprehensive chronology of China’s COVID-19 lies, malfeasance, and incompetence

Seventeen years ago this month ( April of 2003 ) , The Economist ran an article on the Chinese SARS epidemic entitled , “ Please lie less , ” which noted that “ China ’ s response to the SARS epidemic [ was ] being hobbled by a culture of secrecy.
” [ 1 ] In the months following the publication of this article , the world would learn the true extent of China ’ s lies .
Now , in 2020 , it has become increasingly clear that China ’ s lies and mistakes appear to be occurring on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet again right before our eyes .
What follows is an in-depth chronology of the COVID-19 pandemic , detailing China ’ s deadly lies , malfeasance , incompetence , and cover-up .
To demonstrate the repetition of history , the chronology first begins with a brief synopsis of the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak .
On November 16 , 2002 , a businessman checked into a Foshan hospital ( Guangdong Province , China ) with a mysterious case of pneumonia .
[ 2 ] Two weeks later and 124 miles from Foshan , in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , China ) , Municipal Hospital staff began to fall sick and die from pneumonia .
[ 3 ] In early January , Chinese state media ran a story entitled “ The Appearance of an Unknown Virus in Heyuan is a Rumor , ” which claimed that the increased number of ill citizens was “ the result of changes in the weather leading to a decline in people ’ s immune systems.
” [ 4 ] “ Concerned that news of the disease might cause panic and affect foreign investment and the tourism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blackout.
” [ 5 ] On February 1 , 2003 , in the city of Guangzhou ( Guangdong Province , China ) , a seafood salesman was admitted to the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital with a high fever and unable to breathe .
[ 6 ] “ His coughs were like biological bombs , and the infection they spread was unlike any flu virus ” the doctors had ever seen .
[ 7 ] The world would later learn that the pneumonia – severe acute respiratory syndrome ( SARS ) – epidemic had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
Meanwhile , the Chinese “ New Year celebrations had just begun , and most of China ’ s 1.36 billion people were either en route to their hometowns or already with their families enjoying the longest and most anticipated holiday season of the year.
” [ 8 ] On February 11 , “ the official People ’ s Daily website published an article stating that five people in Guangzhou had died of what it termed ‘ atypical pneumonia.
’ The article ’ s headline proclaimed ‘ Guangzhou Atypical Pneumonia Already Effectively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the hospital in Guangzhou , 45 other people had fallen ill from the mysterious pneumonia brought to the hospital by the sick seafood salesman whom doctors were now calling “ Du Wang ” ( meaning “ Poison King ” ) .
[ 10 ] Doctor Liu Jianlun “ worried that he was witnessing the birth of a new epidemic , and that the authorities were turning a blind eye to it.
” [ 11 ] Our latest episode of the NOQ Report Podcast ... “ The Chinese media were already aware of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do nothing but watch until Feb. 11 , when Guangdong provincial health officials held a belated news conference .
A disease called ‘ atypical pneumonia ’ had sickened 305 people and killed five but was now under control , they said .
Among the brief flurry of articles that appeared in the provincial press was an interview with a local academic who accused the government of incompetence.
” [ 12 ] This resulted in “ a second media blackout that lasted until March.
” [ 13 ] While doctors , the media , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens in Guangdong Province were aware of a potential threat posed by an unknown infection , they “ kept quiet because they were also aware of the fate of the last person who spoke out about a health crises in the PRC : Dr. Wan Yanhai , who was detained in late August 2002 for disclosing a government report documenting the spread of AIDS in Henan province through contaminated blood .
Authorities released Dr. Wan almost a month later after an enormous international outcry , but only after Dr. Wan signed a confession @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secrets.
” [ 14 ] On February 21 , 2003 , Dr. Liu Jianlun ( of the Guangzhou hospital ) traveled to Hong Kong to attend a family wedding .
By “ the next morning he was too sick to attend the wedding .
He left the hotel and walked five minutes down Waterloo Road to the Kwong Wah Hospital.
” [ 15 ] “ Lock me up .
Don ’ t touch me .
I have contracted a very virulent disease , ” warned Dr. Lui .
[ 16 ] It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected 7 other occupants at the hotel , who then “ traveled to Canada , Singapore , and Vietnam .
Two of them were dead within three weeks.
” [ 17 ] Thanks to the government-imposed silence , the Kwong Wah medical staff in Hong Kong attempting to treat Dr. Liu knew nothing of the deadly virus spreading in mainland China .
Within a month of Dr. Liu ’ s arrival at the Hong Kong hospital , 70 medical staff and 17 medical students at the hospital were struck down.
” [ 18 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease on March 4 , 2003 .
[ 19 ] The “ Poison King , ” whose name is Zhou Zuofeng , survived his bout with SARS .
[ 20 ] It was only after SARS began killing people in Hong Kong that the Chinese government allowed reporting on the epidemic .
“ Even then , the government-controlled Chinese media continued to insist that everything was under control for several weeks.
” [ 21 ] On April 3 , 2003 , Chinese state media in Beijing aired a statement by China ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ announced that China ’ s capital had just 12 cases of SARS.
” [ 22 ] The statement was seen by Jiang Yanyong , a surgeon who , knowing the statement to be false , sent an e-mail to state-run television station CCTV-4 objecting to the facts aired in the health minister ’ s statement to the public .
In reality , there were 50 SARS cases in Dr. Jiang ’ s Beijing hospital alone .
[ 23 ] Par for the course , the TV station ’ s response to Dr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is , until his e-mail landed in the hands of international media .
[ 24 ] The World Health Organization ( WHO ) , “ which had bought the government ’ s line that the epidemic was under control , demanded access to Beijing ’ s military hospitals .
Within a fortnight , the government upped its Beijing SARS statistics tenfold ; three days later , the numbers were doubled again.
” [ 25 ] Although the Communist state eventually admitted to some degree of mishandling of the SARS outbreak , firing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discourage provincial and local officials from concealing information from the central government… criticism [ in the press ] was limited to local officials and ‘ the media , ’ while the central government was portrayed as coming to the rescue of the people.
” [ 26 ] In reality , the regulations were enacted with a goal to “ increase the flow of information to central authorities in Beijing , control how the press reported on the matter , and prevent private citizens from publishing opinions regarding the government ’ s handling of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same month the Ministry of Health issued a notice requiring government departments to conscientiously report incidents of unknown infectious diseases to the Ministry , several provincial and municipal governments issued a notice threatening internet users who ‘ distorted facts ’ or ‘ spread rumors ’ regarding SARS with criminal prosecution.
” [ 27 ] All discussion/mention of censorship and restrictions on speech , as well as the central government ’ s and the Communist Party ’ s roles in the unchecked spread of SARS-CoV remained forbidden .
[ 28 ] As promised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ban on what the regime considered to be “ politically sensitive information.
” [ 29 ] Consider the following examples : • “ In April 2003 , authorities in Beijing arrested a person for sending messages saying that an ‘ undiagnosed contagious disease was spreading in Beijing , ’ on the grounds that he was spreading rumors and that ‘ Beijing had never had the spread of any ` mysterious illness . '
” [ 30 ] • “ In April 2003 , two editors at Xinhua were fired for publishing a document @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ In April 2003 , Chinese authorities removed the editor-in-chief of Southern Weekend , a publication known for addressing politically sensitive topics , and replaced him with Zhang Dongming , a former Director of News Media at the Propaganda Department in Guangdong , who some observers in China consider partly responsible for the initial SARS cover-up.
” [ 32 ] • “ In May 2003 , China blacked out a CNN interview that was critical of the government ’ s handling of the SARS crisis.
” [ 33 ] • “ In June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an issue of Caijing magazine that discussed the government ’ s handling of the SARS crisis .
Although it was reported that Caijing editors claimed that the failure to distribute the issue was the result of logistical problems , censors repeatedly blocked attempts by Commission staff to post questions such as ‘ Has Caijing been censored ?
’ on government-controlled Internet bulletin boards.
” [ 34 ] • “ In July 2003 , the Propaganda Department issued a notice to at least one television station prohibiting it from inviting academics to discuss the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis.
” [ 35 ] In February of 2020 , it was revealed that Dr. Jiang – the Beijing doctor whose e-mail revealed the SARS cover-up in 2003 – has been held in confinement since April of 2019 , “ after he wrote to the top leadership asking for a reassessment of the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy movement.
” [ 36 ] In 2004 , a new outbreak of SARS-CoV occurred in Beijing after the SARS virus “ escaped ” from the Institute of Virology ’ s lab at the Center for Disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
[ 37 ] According to WHO spokesman Bob Dietz , “ We suspect two people , a 26-year-old female postgraduate student and a 31-year-old male postdoc , were both infected , apparently in two separate incidents.
” [ 38 ] Eight people were infected and one person died .
“ Director Li Liming of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) resigned ” as a result of the incidents .
[ 39 ] “ [ D ] etails about the incident and the lab ’ s operating procedures remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2003 article in World Press Review portently concluded with a foreboding message : the issue of China ’ s lies and mishandling of SARS is not “ whether this disease will make or break China , but if [ it ] will make or break the world as we know it.
” [ 41 ] Like the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak , which originated in the month of November , the novel coronavirus likely emerged in November ( 2019 ) , according to the Hudson Institute .
[ 42 ] A report published March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of patients ’ specimens had revealed that “ a 55 year-old from Hubei province could have been the first person to have contracted Covid-19 on November 17 [ 2019 ] .
” [ 43 ] “ From that date onwards , ” the report continues , “ one to five new cases were reported each day .
By December 15 , the total number of infections stood at 27 – the first double-digit daily rise was reported on December 17 – and by December 20 , the total number of confirmed cases had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As of this writing , the World Health Organization lists the first case as occurring on December 1 , 2019 . )
Like the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak , China ’ s lies , secrecy , restrictions on speech and the sharing of information , and governmental culture of intimidation allowed the 2019 novel coronavirus to spread unabated both within China and beyond the country ’ s borders .
Unlike the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak of the SARS-CoV coronavirus – which spread to 26 countries and infected 8,098 people , killing 774 [ 45 ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus has become a global pandemic ; the virus has spread to 185 countries/regions around the globe and , infected nearly 3.2 million people , killing nearly 210,000 ( at the time of this writing ) .
[ 46 ] In December of 2019 , health care workers in the city of Wuhan ( Hubei Province , China ) had noticed an uptick in the number of cases of an unknown pneumonia .
[ 47 ] Though the illness looked a lot like viral pneumonia , “ doctors in Wuhan , a city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could not pinpoint the cause .
Rumors of a mysterious virus started to swirl on Chinese social media , particularly among medical professionals.
” [ 48 ] By December 25 , doctors and nurses had become alarmed by the human-to-transmission occurring within Wuhan hospitals , as more and more health care workers contracted their patients ’ infection .
[ 49 ] “ As early as the morning of Dec. 26 , ” [ 50 ] a genomics company based in Guangzhou “ had sequenced most of the virus from fluid samples… The results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sars coronavirus that killed nearly 800 people between 2002 and 2003.
” [ 51 ] On December 27 , that Wuhan health authorities were informed that a new coronavirus was circulating in the community , causing the unknown pneumonia .
[ 52 ] On December 30 , 2019 , Ai Fen , the director of the emergency department at Wuhan Central Hospital , “ posted an image of a diagnostic report on social network WeChat… showing that the patient had a pneumonia infection caused by a Sars-like coronavirus.
” [ 53 ] Ai @ @ @ @ @ @ @ superiors , including “ the hospital ’ s community health service centre and infectious disease control.
” [ 54 ] “ I even grabbed our hospital respiratory department director , who happened to be passing my office , and told him that one of his patients was confirmed to have been infected with a Sars-like virus , ” she later recalled .
[ 55 ] Dr. Ai Fen “ was told by superiors the day she sounded the alarm that Wuhan ’ s health commission had issued a directive that medical workers were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or the disease it caused , to avoid sparking a panic .
Soon after , the hospital reminded all staff that public disclosure related to the illness was forbidden.
” [ 56 ] Later that evening , a Wuhan ophthalmologist named Li Wenliang “ warned his medical school classmates in an online chat group that a Sars-like illness had stricken several patients in a Wuhan hospital and that all of them were quarantined in the emergency department.
” [ 57 ] The 34 year old doctor “ posted a snippet of an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and extensive bacteria colonies in a patient ’ s airways.
” [ 58 ] The next day , the Wuhan Health Commission informed local hospitals that it was investigating 27 cases of “ pneumonia of unclear cause.
” [ 59 ] The notice omitted any mention of SARS or a coronavirus .
[ 60 ] A few days later , “ an official in charge of ” Wuhan Central Hospital ’ s “ supervision department gave Ai [ Fen ] a dressing down for ‘ spreading rumours ’ – a reference to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 61 ] It wasn ’ t until December 31 , 2019 , that China “ informed the World Health Organization ’ s China office of the mysterious pneumonia cases in Wuhan .
WHO officials sent Beijing a list of questions about the outbreak and offered assistance.
” [ 62 ] The Wuhan Municipal Health Commission declared that it “ had no evidence of human-to-human transmission.
” [ 63 ] It would later become known that , on December 31 , 2019 , Taiwanese public health officials had warned the World Health Organization ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between humans in China .
The WHO , however , never publicized nor responded to the warning .
[ 64 ] That same day , Chinese social media censors introduced “ a list of coronavirus-related terms , including ‘ Wuhan unknown pneumonia ’ and ‘ unknown SARS , ’ to block from online discussions.
” [ 65 ] As the Washington Post later observed , “ [ w ] hile scientists and public health experts scrambled to collect more information , China ’ s security services tried to smother it.
” [ 66 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the 2002 AIDS outbreak in China , in January of 2020 , authorities too began targeting whistle-blowers , most of whom were doctors .
On January 1 , 2020 , the Wuhan Public Security Bureau summoned eight doctors “ to its headquarters , including [ Wuhan ophthalmologist ] Dr. Li Wenliang , who initially warned the public about the virus , accusing them of spreading ‘ hoaxes . '
” [ 67 ] China ’ s state broadcaster , CCTV , “ accused the eight people in Wuhan of spreading what the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police issued a “ chilling warning ” in the Xinhua News Agency : “ The police call on all netizens to not fabricate rumors , not spread rumors , not believe rumors.
” [ 69 ] Authorities added that “ they encouraged Web users to ‘ jointly build a harmonious , clear and bright cyberspace . '
” [ 70 ] Dr. Li complied with authorities , “ signing a statement confessing to his ‘ misdemeanor . '
” [ 71 ] “ The fate of the other seven [ doctors ] is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the targeting of whistle-blowers during the 2002 AIDS outbreak in China had brought about increased self-censorship by doctors and others during the following 2002-2003 SARS outbreak , so too have the state-publicized arrests of the eight doctors who had tried to warn others of the dangers posed by the novel coronavirus .
Chinese surgeon , Wang Guangbao , noted , “ The eight posters getting seized made all of us doctors feel we were at risk.
” [ 73 ] Dali Yang , a professor of Chinese politics at the University of Chicago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were afraid… It was truly intimidation of an entire profession.
” [ 74 ] As an American jurist once remarked , “ the value of a sword of Damocles is that it hangs – not that it drops .
For every [ person who tests ] the limits of the statute , many more will choose the cautious path and not speak at all.
” [ 75 ] With swift force , China put a choke hold upon information exchange – and even research into – the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus .
On January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Commission ordered a genomics company to “ stop testing samples from Wuhan related to the new disease and destroy all existing samples.
” [ 76 ] On January 2 , 2020 , the Director-general of the Wuhan Institute of Virology sent an internal e-mail to all staff .
The subject of the e-mail : “ Notice regarding the strict prohibition of disclosure of any information related to the Wuhan unknown pneumonia.
” [ 77 ( 31:15 ) ] The next day , authorities ordered all genomics lab ’ s to “ ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing institutions or to destroy them.
’ The order did not specify any testing institutions.
” [ 78 ] That same day ( January 3 , 2020 ) , “ China ’ s National Health Commission ( NHC ) , the nation ’ s top health authority , ordered institutions not to publish any information related to the unknown disease.
” [ 79 ] “ Key state media omitted mention of the outbreak for weeks .
Cadres focused on maintaining stability — and praising party leader Xi Jinping — as the crisis worsened.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks , from January 5-17 , China ’ s “ national Center for Disease Control did not register any [ new ] cases [ of the coronavirus ] … Yet during that time , from Jan. 5 to Jan. 17 , hundreds of patients were appearing in hospitals not just in Wuhan but across the country.
” [ 81 ] On January 5 , 2020 , “ six days after its China County office was ‘ informed of cases of pneumonia with unknown etiology ’ in Wuhan , ” and after Wuhan officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of human-to-human transmission , the World Health Organization advised the nations of the world “ against the application of any travel or trade restrictions on China.
” [ 82 ] That same day , a Shanghai genomics lab fully sequenced the novel coronavirus genome .
[ 83 ] China withheld this information for 7 days .
“ China has many years of disease control , there ’ s absolutely no chance that this will spread widely because of Spring Festival travel , ” declared the head of an expert team sent from Beijing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ 84 ] From January 6-17 , the city of Wuhan – the epicenter of the SARS-CoV-2 Outbreak – hosted Hubei ’ s annual provincial meetings .
Local and provincial officials gathered “ to discuss the state of affairs at the local/provincial levels ” – a time when “ authorities mobilize stability maintenance systems to get rid of troublemakers.
” [ 85 ] It is also a time when local authorities are “ motivated by the desire to hide undesirable developments from Beijing.
” [ 86 ] As the Washington Post reported , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approach to control information about the outbreak ” as the provincial meetings commenced .
[ 87 ] According to the Washington Post , this “ multipronged approach ” to information control enacted by the Wuhan Health Commission included ( 1 ) concealing any indication of human-to-human transmission , ( 2 ) silencing whistle-blowers , ( 3 ) keeping expert groups in the dark , and ( 4 ) restricting diagnosis/testing criterion to only those who had visited the Huanan market , which was closed on January 1st after Wuhan officials singled out the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transmission .
[ 88 ] One doctor lamented the narrowed diagnostic parameters as being “ so strict , not a single patient met [ them ] .
” [ 89 ] One Wuhan doctor daringly “ overrode the stringent criteria ” and submitted probable cases for lab diagnosis .
Consequently , the doctor “ received ‘ stern criticism ’ from hospital leadership .
Barricaded behind the restrictive criteria and with doctors too afraid to speak up , the WHC [ Wuhan Health Commission ] effectively made the coronavirus outbreak disappear while Hubei provincial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provincial meetings .
[ 90 ] History appears to have repeated itself once again… Back in March of 2003 , in the throws of the SARS outbreak in China , a concern for the health of the Chinese was overridden by the Communist Party ’ s emphasis on social stability and the desire of Zhang Dejiang , the Communist Party Secretary of Guangdong , that the annual People ’ s Congress political meetings should commence uninterrupted .
[ 91 ] On January 7 , 2020 , China disclosed that a new coronavirus was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unknown viral pneumonia .
[ 92 ] Yet , there was no mention of the genomic sequence of the novel coronavirus ( which had been completed on January 5th ) .
Furthermore , “ the transmissibility of the virus was downplayed , leaving the public unaware of the imminent danger.
” [ 93 ] Just as it had during the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak , the World Health Organization continued to swallow whole – and even propagate – China ’ s lies and propaganda regarding COVID-19 .
On January 9 , 2020 , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China : “ Preliminary identification of a novel virus in a short period of time is a notable achievement and demonstrates China ’ s increased capacity to manage new outbreaks.
” [ 94 ] The WHO insisted that “ the virus does not spread readily between people , ” and again advised the nations of the world against travel or trade restrictions on China .
[ 95 ] On January 11 , 2020 , the Wuhan City Health Commission issued a blatantly deceitful “ update ” on the outbreak which declared , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical staff , have undergone medical observation and no related cases have been found .
.
.
No new cases have been detected since January 3 , 2020 .
At present , no medical staff infections have been found , and no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission has been found.
” [ 96 ] The health commission also issued a fallacious Q & A sheet later that day , that reemphasized “ that ‘ most of the unexplained viral pneumonia cases in Wuhan this time have a history of exposure to the South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of human-to-human transmission has been found.
’ ” [ 97 ] After watching as authorities took “ no obvious action to warn the public about the coronavirus , ” on January 11th the Shanghai genomics lab ( which had sequenced the virus genome on January 5th ) made their findings public .
[ 98 ] The lab “ shared the data on virological.org , an online forum for discussing viruses , and GenBank , an open-access data repository , inviting researchers to download and analyze the data.
” [ 99 ] The next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lab for “ rectification.
” [ 100 ] That same day , January 12th , Wuhan ophthalmologist , Li Wenliang , was hospitalized .
The young doctor who had been arrested for “ spreading rumors ” after he warned others about the danger posed by the contagious virus , had himself contacted it from one of his patients .
[ 101 ] On January 12 , 2020 , hundreds of miles away from Wuhan , in the city of Shenzhen ( Guangdong province , China ) , “ a team led by microbiologist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to confirm that six members of a family of seven had the virus.
” [ 103 ] In a later interview with the Chinese finance magazine , Caixin , Yuen explained that “ he informed CDC branches ‘ of all levels , ’ including Beijing.
” [ 103 ] “ But internal [ Chinese ] CDC numbers did not reflect Yuen ’ s report.
” [ 104 ] In fact , Shenzhen ’ s first case of COVID-19 would not be recorded until January 19 , 2020 .
Like the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beyond China didn ’ t Chinese Communist Party ( CCP ) authorities begin to take the outbreak seriously .
On January 13 , 2020 , Thailand reported the first case of the novel coronavirus outside of China .
[ 105 ] In an internal government fax obtained by the Associated Press , China ’ s National Health Commission organized a January 14th teleconference “ because of the case reported in Thailand and the possibility of the virus spreading during [ Chinese ] New Year travel.
” [ 106 ] The fax “ added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak in an ‘ open , transparent , responsible and timely manner , ’ in accordance with ‘ important instructions ’ repeatedly issued by President Xi.
” [ 107 ] According to an internal memo obtained by the Associated Press , during the January 14th teleconference , “ the head of China ’ s National Health Commission , Ma Xiaowei , laid out a grim assessment of the situation , ” stating , “ The epidemic situation is still severe and complex , the most severe challenge since SARS in 2003 , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health event.
” [ 108 ] “ Clustered cases suggest that human-to-human transmission is possible , ” the memo notes .
[ 109 ] Citing the case in Thailand , the memo goes on to stress that “ the situation had ‘ changed significantly ’ because of the possible spread of the virus abroad.
” [ 110 ] “ With the coming of the Spring Festival , ” ( the name for the Chinese lunar New Year ) , “ many people will be traveling , and the risk of transmission and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for and respond to a pandemic.
” [ 111 ] According to the internal memo , “ Ma demanded officials unite around Xi and made clear that political considerations and social stability were key priorities during the long lead-up to China ’ s two biggest political meetings of the year in March.
” [ 112 ] That very same day ( January 14 , 2020 ) – the World Health Organization ( WHO ) tweeted , “ Preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identified in # Wuhan , # China🇨🇳.
” [ 113 ] In reality , Chinese Communist Party ( CCP ) authorities had been aware of human-to-human transmission for at least 4 weeks .
On January 15 , 2020 , the head of the China CDC ’ s emergency center , Li Qun , announced on state television that China ’ s CDC had “ reached the latest understanding that the risk of sustained human-to-human transmission is low.
” [ 114 ] As noted by the Associated Press , “ That was the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group preparing emergency plans for the level one response , a CDC notice shows.
” [ 115 ] According to Chinese government documents given to the Associated Press by a medical professional in China ( whose identity is being withheld for fear of retribution from CCP officials ) , “ In response to the teleconference , the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Beijing initiated the highest-level emergency response internally , level one , on Jan. 15 .
It assigned top CDC leaders to 14 working groups tasked with getting funds , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing field investigations and supervising laboratories , an internal CDC notice shows.
” [ 116 ] A 63-page set of instructions which was distributed to provincial health care officials by China ’ s National Health Commission “ ordered health officials nationwide to identify suspected cases [ of infections due to the novel coronavirus ] , hospitals to open fever clinics , and doctors and nurses to don protective gear.
” [ 117 ] The instructions were marked “ internal ” — “ not to be spread on the internet , ” “ not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] Health care officials began “ distributing CDC-sanctioned test kits , easing the criteria for confirming cases and ordering health officials to screen patients… [ and ] instructed officials in Hubei province , where Wuhan is located , to begin temperature checks at transportation hubs and cut down on large public gatherings.
” [ 119 ] All of this was done without informing the public .
[ 120 ] According to Daniel Mattingly , a scholar of Chinese politics at Yale , “ The imperatives for social stability , for not rocking the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretty strong… My guess is , they wanted to let it play out a little more and see what happened.
” [ 121 ] At this same time , in mid-January – while China was actively concealing information about the COVID-19 outbreak and about the virus itself , including its rapid transmission between humans – China began preparing for the impending world-wide pandemic by secretly snatching up the global supply of personal protective equipment ( PPE ) , along with other medical and sanitary products .
[ 122 ] The purchasing and importation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accomplished by the utilization of China-owned companies located across the world .
[ 123 ] For example , real estate companies – including Greenland Group , Poly Development and Holdings , and Risland – locally purchased thousands of pounds of vital pandemic protection products and sanitary products such as hand sanitary , and exported those items to China .
[ 124 ] Additionally , China blocked PPE equipment companies – whose products are manufactured in China , but are headquartered elsewhere , including in the United States – from exporting their products from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China ’ s hoarding of vital medical and sanitary supplies allowed the Communist regime to corner the world market , all the while foreknowing that the world was about to be laden with a pandemic from a new coronavirus – that China had failed to control .
Peter Navarro – an American economist who currently serves in the Trump administration as the Assistant to the President , Director of Trade and Manufacturing Policy , and the national Defense Production Act policy coordinator – later lamented : “ During that period of time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this virus from the world , China went from a net exporter of personal protective equipment — they are the largest producer of that in the world — to a large net importer .
“ They basically went around and vacuumed up virtually all of the PPE around the world… “ And what that did was leave people in New York , Milan , and everywhere in between defenseless when it came time to have that PPE.
” [ 126 ] Meanwhile , Wuhan officials continued to organize “ holiday shopping fairs ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They continued to distribute “ hundreds of thousands of tickets to local attractions.
” [ 128 ] On January 17 , 2020 , the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission issued an update on infections , which declared , “ A total of 763 close contacts have been tracked , 665 medical observations have been lifted , and 98 people are still receiving medical observations .
Among the close contacts , no related cases were found.
” [ 129 ] Later that day , the United States CDC , along with the Department of Homeland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began screening travelers arriving in the US from Wuhan , China , for symptoms of COVID-19 at 3 airports in San Francisco , Los Angeles and New York .
[ 130 ] On January 18 , 2020 , despite knowing that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was contagious , Wuhan city officials allowed “ 40,000 families to gather and share home-cooked food in a Lunar New Year banquet.
” [ 131 ] Then , late that same evening , “ [ a ] t 10 minutes after midnight… the [ health ] commission announced the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , officials downplayed the risk of human-to-human transmission.
” [ 132 ] On January 19 , 2020 , five days after the pandemic preparation teleconference , China ’ s National Health Commission issued its first public statement since the outbreak began .
[ 133 ] After reassuring the world that the coronavirus outbreak was “ still preventable and controllable , ” the National Health Commission issued a disarming lie ; the commission stated that there had been “ no cases of the virus spreading from one person to another , ” as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barrier and come from infected animals at a seafood and wildlife market in Wuhan.
” [ 134 ] The commission “ promised to step up monitoring during the Lunar new year , ” a time when “ [ m ] illions of Chinese travel to their families for the holiday.
” [ 135 ] Despite the fact that the novel coronavirus had by that time spread to Thailand and Japan , the world seemed to tentatively breathe a collective sigh of relief , swallowing the Chinese Communist Party ’ s line – hook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was at least one country , however , which wasn ’ t buying China ’ s bull .
According to a report in Reuters , a Vietnamese government-backed hacking group known as APT32 had begun attempting “ to compromise the personal and professional email accounts of staff at China ’ s Ministry of Emergency Management and the government of Wuhan , the Chinese city at the centre of the global coronavirus pandemic , ” since at least one week prior to the first known international infection of the novel coronavirus .
[ 136 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vietnam was quick to react to first reports of the new coronavirus , sealing off its border with neighbouring China.
” [ 137 ] “ These [ cyber ] attacks speak to the virus being an intelligence priority – everyone is throwing everything they ’ ve got at it , and APT32 is what Vietnam has , ” said Ben Read of the cybersecurity firm , FireEye .
[ 138 ] Adam Segal , a cybersecurity expert at the Council on Foreign Relations , said the hacking activity “ shows both a distrust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that when China sneezes , it is its neighbours that get the flu – in this case literally.
” [ 139 ] Finally , on January 20 , 2020 , Dr. Zhong Nanshan – a leading authority on respiratory health – confirmed on Chinese state television that the COVID-19 disease does in fact spread from person-to-person .
[ 140 ] “ The late-night announcement capped a day in which authorities announced a sharp uptick in the number of confirmed cases to more than 200.
” [ 141 ] We now know this number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher .
The head of China ’ s National Health Commission ’ s investigatory team , Nanshan confirmed “ cases of human-to-human transmission in Guangdong province , indicating spread between provinces.
” [ 142 ] President Xi also made a public statement that day , but he failed to include any mention of human-to-human transmission .
[ 143 ] This admission came almost a month after Chinese officials had determined human-to-human transmission was taking place in Wuhan .
Like the 2002-2003 SARS-Cov outbreak , during which China ’ s 1.36 billion people traveled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Lunar New Year [ 144 ] , on January 20 , 2020 , China ’ s 1.4 billion citizens were preparing for or had already begun what has been referred to as “ the world ’ s biggest human migration.
” [ 145 ] “ Spring Festival ” travel “ typically begins 15 days before the start of Lunar New Year.
” [ 146 ] This year ’ s festival travel window was January 10 through February 18 , 2020 .
[ 147 ] On January 21 , 2020 , The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US case of a the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in a resident of Washington state who had returned to the US six days earlier ( January 15 , 2020 ) after visiting China .
[ 148 ] Tragically , by this point in time , as many as 5 million people had already left Wuhan , carrying the virus with them to destinations in China and around the world .
[ 149 ] Stock prices fell that afternoon , following the CDC announcement of the first US case of COVID-19 .
[ 150 ] On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Organization convened what would become a two-day Emergency Committee meeting to determine whether or not the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus outbreak constituted a Public Health Emergency of International Concern ( PHEIC ) .
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , the WHO director-general , continued to praise China ’ s handling of the outbreak : “ I was very impressed by the detail and depth of China ’ s presentation .
I also appreciate the cooperation of China ’ s Minister of Health , who I have spoken with directly during the last few days and weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Xi and Premier Li have been invaluable , and all the measures they have taken to respond to the outbreak.
” [ 151 ] On January 23 , 2020 , the WHO Emergency Committee concluded that the virus outbreak did not constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern ( PHEIC ) .
[ 152 ] The same day ( January 23rd ) that the WHO declined to declare the 2019-nCoV outbreak a PHEIC , Singapore and Vietnam reported their first cases of COVID-19 .
[ 153 ] The virus had already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , South Korea and the United States .
[ 154 ] The same day ( January 23rd ) that the WHO declined to declare the 2019-nCoV outbreak a PHEIC – after millions have already visited the Wuhan , and left it , during the Lunar New Year celebrations and after a significant number of Chinese residents had “ traveled abroad as asymptomatic , oblivious carriers ” of the coronavirus [ 155 ] – authorities in China announced the first steps for a city-wide lockdown of Wuhan , “ halting all public transportation going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ 156 ] However , in a fateful blow to the rest of the world , internal flights in and out of Wuhan continued unabated .
[ 157 ] The next day , on January 24 , 2020 , person-to-person transmission was reported in Vietnam .
[ 158 ] The US reported its second case , this time in the city of Chicago , Illinois .
[ 159 ] Within the next two days , new cases were reported in California and Arizona , as “ the odds of preventing an outbreak ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to zero.
” [ 160 ] Also on January 24th , it was confirmed that the virus had spread to Europe , as France recorded the continent ’ s first and second cases .
[ 161 ] The next day , the first cases of COVID-19 were recorded in Australia and Canada .
[ 162 ] For three crucial days , from January 24-27 , 2020 : “ The weeklong Lunar New Year string of holidays began on Jan. 24 , with the outbound traffic peak lasting through Jan. 27 .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group travelers [ from Wuhan ] continue [ international travel ] despite the public health crisis .
No explanation has been given .
“ Furthermore , while suspending group travel [ on January 27 , 2020 ] , China did nothing to limit individuals traveling overseas .
“ Groups account for less than half of all Chinese tourists heading abroad .
“ Chinese travelers journeyed to Japan , South Korea , Italy , Spain , France , the U.K. , Australia , North America and South America , one planeload after another.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ February 29 , 2020 , China “ imported 2.46 billion pieces of ‘ epidemic prevention and control materials . '
” [ 164 ] “ The gear , valued at nearly $ 1.2 billion , included more than 2 billion masks and more than 25 million “ protective clothing ” items , ” came from countries across the globe , including from those “ in the European Union , as well as Australia , Brazil and Cambodia.
” [ 165 ] According to a White House official , “ Data from China ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempt to corner the world market in PPE like gloves , goggles , and masks through massive increased purchases — even as China , the world ’ s largest PPE manufacturer , was restricting exports.
” [ 166 ] Finally , on January 30 , 2020 – while still praising “ China ’ s capacity to control the outbreak ” [ 167 ] – the World Health Organization reversed course and declared that the 2019-nCoV outbreak to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern ( PHEIC ) .
[ 168 ] Again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against border closures , visa restrictions , and quarantining of healthy visitors from affected regions.
” [ 169 ] On January 31 , 2020 , the United States suspended entry of foreign nationals who had visited China to protect against the further spread of the dangerous SARS-CoV-2 pathogen .
[ 170 ] The following day , Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson , Hua Chunying , criticized the travel restrictions as “ neither based on facts , nor helpful at this particular time , ” [ 171 ] She added that the action was “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ 172 ] On February 3 , 2020 , Dr. Wu Xiaohua claimed that the haphazard laboratory management at the Wuhan Institute of Virology by bat virologist , She Zhengli , may have led to a laboratory leak of the novel coronavirus .
[ 173 ( 32:12 ) ] On February 4 , 2020 , Chairman of Duoyi , Xu Bo , made the public charge that the Wuhan Institute of Virology was “ suspected of manufacturing and leaking the Wuhan virus.
” [ 174 ( 32:28 ) ] On February 5 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as the United Nations Children ’ s Fund had donated epidemic prevention and control supplies to China .
[ 175 ] Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson , Hua Chunying , added that “ China welcomes and thanks the understanding , support and help from the international community.
” [ 176 ] On February 6 , 2020 , Chinese citizen journalist , Chen Quishi , went missing .
[ 177 ] “ In late January [ Chen ] decided to travel to Wuhan to report on the worsening situation.
” [ 178 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a video was shared on his Twitter account – which is currently managed by a friend – featuring his mother , who said he had gone missing the day before .
His friend Xu Xiaodong later alleged… that [ Chen ] had been forcibly quarantined.
” [ 179 ] That same day ( February 7th ) , Chen Wei , a top biomedical weapon expert with China ’ s People ’ s Liberation Army ( PLA ) , officially assumed control over the laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology ( WIV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] Tragically , also on February 7 , 2020 , Doctor Li Wenliang – the young doctor who had been arrested for “ spreading rumors ” after he warned others about the danger posed by the contagious virus – succumbed to the disease .
[ 181 ] He was 34 years old .
Hours after initially denying reports of his death , Wuhan Central Hospital confirmed Li had in fact died early Friday morning .
[ 182 ] The hospital issued a statement through social media : “ In the fight against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , our hospital ’ s ophthalmologist , Li Wenliang , was unfortunately infected .
He passed away after all the efforts we ’ ve taken to resuscitate him .
We deeply mourn his passing.
” [ 183 ] In an interview ( on January 30 , 2020 ) before his death , Li stated , “ I think there should be more than one voice in a healthy society.
” [ 184 ] On the day of Li ’ s death , ( February 7th ) , the hashtag “ # wewantfreedomofspeech ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media platform .
[ 185 ] “ The same day , along with other related topics , ” it is was deleted by China ’ s censors.
” [ 186 ] After a discussion between China ’ s president , Xi Jinping , and President Trump on February 7 , 2020 , Trump pledged assistance to China .
[ 187 ] On February 9 , 2020 , Chinese citizen journalist , Fang Bin , went missing .
[ 188 ] Fang had been “ posting videos about the outbreak to ‘ report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ promising to ‘ do his best ' ” In reporting on the outbreak .
[ 189 ] On February 9th , “ he posted a 13-second video with the words ‘ all people revolt – hand the power of the government back to the people.
’ After that , the account went silent.
” [ 190 ] On February 11 , 2020 , the World Health Organization issued updated guidance regarding travel restrictions , stating that any “ travel measures that significantly interfere with international traffic ” undertaken during the COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be short in duration , proportionate to the public health risks , and be reconsidered regularly.
” [ 191 ] Curiously , on February 11th , the World Health Organization also released the official name for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus disease , “ COVID-19 , ” noting that the location of origin – China – was specifically omitted from the name to avoid “ stigmatisation.
” [ 192 ] Contagions have long been named for the location of origin , including Zika , West Nile Virus , Ebola , Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Middle East Respiratory Syndrome .
Japan ’ s deputy prime minister and finance minister , Taro Aso , would later refer to the World Health Organization as the “ Chinese Health Organization , ” referencing the WHO ’ s close ties to Beijing .
[ 193 ] On February 14 , 2020 , President Xi “ called for the inclusion of biosecurity into China ’ s national security framework and to accelerate the introduction of a biosecurity law.
” [ 194 ( 32:57 ) ] Intriguingly , beginning on February 15 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new infections dropped dramatically , and continued to drop each day thereafter , according to data from Johns Hopkins University .
[ 195 ] On February 16 , 2020 , China ordered the lockdown of Hubei Province , home to the city of Wuhan .
[ 196 ] On February 19 , 2020 , China expelled 3 reporters from the Wall Street Journal , because of a negative headline .
[ 197 ] At this time , a “ network of bloggers in China ” began attacking Wesyern news outlets , including The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ trying to increase international political tensions for Taiwan ” – a “ campaign ” which would later pick up steam around the middle of March 2020 .
[ 198 ] By February 20 , 2020 , China had reported approximately 50,000 cases of SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus infections .
[ 199 ] However , “ according to research by academics at Hong Kong University ’ s school of public health , published in the Lancet , the true number… would have been 232,000.
” [ 200 ] The authors of the study have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the very narrow scope of the first diagnostic guidelines ” used at the onset of the crises .
[ 201 ] The researchers noted that “ [ t ] he initial diagnostic criteria for identifying the disease… was very narrow , and was revisited seven times between 15 January and 3 March by China ’ s national health commission.
” [ 202 ] “ The Hong Kong study analysed data up to 20 February taken from the World Health Organization ’ s mission to Wuhan.
” [ 203 ] In mid-to-late February @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Russia began to synchronize their propaganda campaigns , “ using the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to spread disinformation related to the United States.
” [ 204 ] The propaganda includes “ the baseless narratives that the coronavirus is an American bioweapon and is being spread by US troops , that the US is scoring political points from the crisis , and that all three governments — unlike the US — are managing the crisis well.
” [ 205 ] Some of the anti-American propaganda was and is being produced by state-run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was and is being produced by the foreign governments .
[ 206 ] “ A core message shared between [ the propaganda from the 3 nations ] is that China is a strong global health leader and the United States is a weak ally.
” [ 207 ] “ What we saw as the health crisis started to come under control in China is that the CCP really started pushing a concerted effort to try to reshape that narrative.
” [ 208 ] On February 26 , 2020 , the Chinese Communist Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ publish a book , entitled Great War , detailing “ Xi Jinping ’ s ‘ strategic vision and outstanding leadership ’ in combatting the virus in China , alongside a demonstration of the ‘ advantages ’ of the ‘ socialist system with Chinese characteristics ’ in handling such a crisis.
” [ 209 ] That same day ( February 26th ) , the Chinese government forced 30,000 Uighurs into factories – some of which are forced labor camps – in order to keep China ’ s economy moving , despite the risk of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Communist state .
[ 210 ] Uighurs , who have been described as “ dispensable labor , ” are an ethnic and religious minority in China , a large number of which are held in Chinese concentration camps .
[ 211 ] Back on January 31st , CCP authorities “ order [ ed ] residents in Atush , in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region , to confine themselves in their homes for three weeks .
Residents say they were given no prior warning and Uighur watchdog groups report widespread starvation in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ February 24 , 2020 – in front of a live audience – Wang Xining , China ’ s number two diplomat in Australia , responded to criticism of the way the Uighurs are being treated by re-labeling the forced labor camps as “ training centers ” that are “ mostly voluntary , ” where Uighurs receive “ training for future jobs.
” [ 213 ] The audience laughed at the absurdity .
It was also on February 26th , that Chinese citizen journalist , Li Zehua , disappeared .
[ 214 ] Li @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way into Wuhan to report on the outbreak .
[ 215 ] There , “ Li started posting videos of his visits to infected locations such as college campuses and funeral homes .
He interviewed residents , migrant workers , and employees at the funeral homes.
” [ 216 ] Acknowledging another missing citizen journalist , Li proclaimed in a video posted to YouTube : “ If one Chen Qiushi falls , 10 million more Chen Qiushis will stand up to take his place.
” [ 217 ] “ On February 26 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Wuhan Institute of Virology , which many conspiracy theorists believe was responsible for creating and spreading the coronavirus , he posted a short video while he was being chased at high speed by a public-security vehicle .
Viewers can hear him exclaim , ‘ They ’ re chasing me .
.
.
.
I ’ m sure that they want to hold me in isolation .
Please help me !
’ “ Li made it back to his apartment and started livestreaming again .
He was visibly shaken by the chase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was getting close to him .
Then he heard a knock at the door .
Through the peephole , he saw two big guys outside .
It was to be his final hour of freedom .
Before he opened the door , he made an impassioned speech .
“ Li said : ‘ Since I first arrived in Wuhan , everything I have done has been in accord with the constitution of the People ’ s Republic of China and with its laws.
’ Knowing he would be taken away and even forcibly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Li made sure to note in the video that he had protective gear and that he was healthy at the moment of his arrest .
It was important for him to emphasize this on the record , because if the Chinese government later claimed that Li was sick and quarantined or even had died of the coronavirus , the rest of the world , especially Li ’ s family , would know it was a lie.
” [ 218 ] Throughout the coronavirus outbreak , “ [ a ] uthorities never close Uighur @ @ @ @ @ @ @ By the end of February , the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus had spread to six continents .
[ 220 ] • None “ The latest numbers : The novel coronavirus has killed more than 2,900 people worldwide , the vast majority in mainland China .
There have been more than 85,000 global cases , with infections on every continent except Antarctica.
” • None “ First US death reported : President Trump spoke to reporters about the latest coronavirus developments , including the death of a Washington state patient.
” • None “ ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World Health Organization says the outbreak has reached the “ highest level ” of risk for the world , with the director-general warning it can go in ‘ any direction . '
” • None “ Markets plunge : Major stock indexes in the US recorded their worst week since the 2008 financial crisis.
” On March 3 , 2020 , XinhuaNet “ contend [ ded ] the ‘ world should thank China ’ for its early response to the virus and touts that , unlike the American government and Chinese citizens , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States citizens.
” [ 225 ] Xinhua added , “ Obviously , the true… epidemic in the United States is seriously underestimated .
The reason is that all the confirmed cases must be finally determined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , which has made the US data always suspicious worldwide.
” [ 226 ] A report published on March 3 , 2020 , by the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto ’ s Munk school of global affairs and public policy determined that “ Chinese social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak when they targeted references to the outbreak on WeChat and other platforms.
” [ 227 ] [ 228 ] “ Hundreds of keywords and keyword combinations… were censored in late December , as doctors sought to warn about the new virus , ” including “ Wuhan seafood market ” and “ Sars variation.
” [ 229 ] The report detailed “ troubling ” findings : “ Our findings show that information on Covid-19 is being tightly controlled on Chinese social media… Censorship of Covid-19 content started at early stages of the outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ range of speech , from criticism of the government to officially sanctioned facts and information.
” [ 230 ] The Guardian reported China ’ s censorship efforts to control the narrative of the outbreak : “ …between January and February , ‘ a wide breadth of content ’ was censored on WeChat and YY , a Chinese live-streaming platform , including criticisms of the Chinese government .
“ Speculative and factual information , and neutral references to the government ’ s handling of the outbreak , were also blocked.
” [ 231 ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would donate $ 8 million to the World Health Organization .
[ 232 ] On March 9 , 2020 , China magazine People published an interview with Ai Fen , the doctor who tried to sound the alarm by sharing an image of a diagnostic report , back on December 30 , 2019 .
[ 233 ] Ai had been inspired to come forward and speak out following the death of Wuhan ophthalmologist , Li Wenliang .
[ 234 ] Ai suggested that “ local health authorities in Wuhan , the centre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to issue a warning about an imminent outbreak before the virus spread and infected more than 117,000 people globally and caused over 4,200 deaths , ” numbers reported at the time of the interview .
[ 235 ] In her interview with People , Ai said that “ Hu Ziwei , a nurse at the hospital , became infected about a week later .
But while the hospital originally noted in her diagnostic report that she was suffering from ‘ viral pneumonia ’ , it later changed the description of her ailment to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] Within hours of its publication , the magazine was pulled from newsstands and deleted online by China ’ s censors .
[ 237 ] On March 11 , 2020 , the World Health Organization declared the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak a pandemic .
[ 238 ] That same day , and without irony , the WHO praised China for its “ impressive ” performance in containing the virus : “ What we saw in terms of experience from China is really impressive .
Now the outbreak in China is on the decline , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus is hammered , and on a retreat .
We ’ re very glad that it ’ s reversing and the viruses retreating.
” [ 239 ] The next day ( March 12th ) , China ’ s Foreign Ministry spokesman , Zhao Lijian , propagated Russian anti-American propaganda on Twitter , “ insinuating COVID-19 originated in America and was spread to China by the United States military.
” [ 240 ] Meanwhile , China continued its persecution of dissidents .
On March 14 , 2020 , Chinese businessman , Ren Zhiqiang , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ 241 ] Ren had authored an essay blasting the CCP for its slow response to the outbreak , blaming its speech restrictions for exacerbating the crisis and calling President Xi a “ power-hungry clown.
” [ 242 ] On March 16 , 2020 – with a goal of inducing panic – Chinese operatives began to disseminate a false alarm to United States citizens through text messages , “ a tactic that several [ US ] officials said they had not seen before.
” [ 243 ] The text message , which was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , claimed that President Trump was about to lock down the entire country .
[ 244 ] On March 16 , 2020 , President Donald Trump referred to the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus as the “ Chinese Virus.
” [ 245 ] After a morning briefing warning of a possible economic recession due to the pandemic , the President tweeted : “ The United States will be powerfully supporting those industries , like Airlines and others , that are particularly affected by the Chinese Virus .
We will be stronger than ever before !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a China foreign ministry spokesman , said of the tweet : “ Some US politicians have tried to stigmatise China … which China strongly condemns… We urge the US to stop this despicable practice .
We are very angry and strongly oppose it.
” [ 247 ] XinhuaNet complained , “ Using racist and xenophobic names to cast blame for the outbreak on other countries can only reveal politicians ’ irresponsibility and incompetence.
” [ 248 ] Since 2018 , China has been battling another viral epidemic : “ African Swine Fever.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March , Italy was in the throws of a full blown epidemic .
On March 17 , deaths in Italy due to the novel coronavirus totaled 2,503 ; there were 31,506 Italians infected with the dangerous pathogen .
[ 250 ] In a matter of days , Italy would replace China as the world ’ s epicenter of the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus pandemic .
“ Before the virus hit Europe , Italy donated tons of personal protective equipment [ PPE ] to China ” to protect the front line workers .
[ 251 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s own health care workers , Italy was facing a dreadful shortage of PPE .
On March 17 , 2020 , in what appeared to be a much needed gesture of generosity and good will , China announced that it was donating medical supplies to Italy , as well as sending doctors to help Italy fight the China-born contagion .
[ 252 ] In reality , however , “ China forced Italy to buy back the PPE supply that it gave to China during the initial coronavirus outbreak.
” [ 253 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ China taking advantage of Italy ’ s generosity is just the latest example of its disastrous diplomacy in the wake of the pandemic .
Much of the supplies and testing kits China has sold to other countries have turned out to be defective .
Spain had to return 50,000 quick-testing kits to China after discovering that they were faulty .
In some cases , instead of apologizing or fixing the issue , China has blamed its defective equipment on others .
China condescendingly told the Netherlands to ‘ double-check the instructions ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the Netherlands complained that half of the masks they were sent did not meet safety standards.
” [ 254 ] A senior US administration official lamented China ’ s deceptive “ generosity , ” aimed only at improving its own image rather than at actually helping other countries : “ It ’ s so disingenuous for Chinese officials now to say we are the ones who are helping the Italians or we are the ones who are helping the developing world when , in fact , they are the ones who infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be helping .
They have a special responsibility to help because they are the ones who began the spread of the coronavirus and did not give the information required to the rest of the world to plan accordingly.
” [ 255 ] On March 18 , 2020 , China revoked the press credentials from Wall Street Journal , New York Times , and Washington Post reporters .
[ 256 ] On March 21 , 2020 – as part of its “ Health Silk Road ” initiative – China sent 110,000 medical masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yiwu , China , to Madrid , Spain .
[ 257 ] “ The train from Yiwu to Madrid takes seventeen days ( a flight takes less than one ) , and Chinese factories produced 110 million facemasks in February alone.
” [ 258 ] That same day , March 21 , 2020 , in a particularly cruel tweet , China state-run outlet , Global Times , misleadingly suggested that “ an unexplained strain of pneumonia ” may have originated in Italy late in 2019 , a clear attempt to shift the origin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Italy .
[ 259 ] On March 23 , 2020 , “ the Hubei Provincial government lifts restrictions on Hubei Province , with the exception of Wuhan.
” [ 260 ] On March 24 , 2020 , Spain [ 261 ] and the Czech Republic [ 262 ] report that medical supplies purchased from China are defective .
• None “ Spanish microbiologists report [ ed ] that tests sent to Spain by the CCP detected positive COVID-19 cases only 30 % of the time.
” • None “ Researchers from University Hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ed ] that 80 % of the coronavirus antibody test kits received from the Chinese government were defective.
” On March 26 , 2020 , the United States of America became the world ’ s new epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic .
[ 265 ] With at least 82,174 cases of the new coronavirus disease , COVID-19 , the US surpassed Italy ( which had 80,589 cases ) and China ( which had 81,285 cases ) .
[ 266 ] On March 29 , 2020 , the Dutch Health Ministry reported that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks received from the Chinese government .
[ 267 ] By the end of March , multiple countries across the globe , along with 41 of America ’ s 50 states , had issued lockdowns .
[ 268 ] A large part of the global economy ground to a near halt .
• None “ There are more than 857,000 novel coronavirus cases around the world , according to Johns Hopkins University.
” • None “ The US has the most confirmed cases globally at more than 185,200 .
More than 3,800 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ None “ The US will reach “ peak resource use ” on April 15 , according to one statistical model.
” • None “ A new World Bank report warns Covid-19 could bring recession to countries in East Asia and the Pacific and push 11 million people into poverty.
” The same day ( March 31 , 2020 ) , after much speculation , China admitted that it had been omitting asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 from its official daily numbers reported to the World Health Organization .
[ 273 ] China conceded – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ begin reporting these cases .
[ 274 ] According to the latest information from the Center for Evidence-based Medicine ( CEBM ) , “ between 5 % and 80 % of people testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 may be asymptomatic.
” [ 275 ] Like the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak , when local and provincial officials feared the repercussions of passing along any negative news to top officials in Beijing , “ [ u ] nder Xi , China ’ s most authoritarian leader in decades , increasing political repression has made officials more hesitant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ light from the top.
” [ 276 ] On April 1 , 2020 , “ U.S .
intelligence services report [ ed ] that the Chinese government ‘ intentionally ’ under-represented its outbreak totals and that its reported numbers are “ fake.
” [ 277 ] “ China has concealed the extent of the coronavirus outbreak in its country , under-reporting both total cases and deaths it ’ s suffered from the disease.
” [ 278 ] Surprisingly , “ On Wednesday April 1 , ” announced by Reporters Without Borders ( RSF @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was appointed… to represent the Asia-Pacific region in the Consultative Group of the Human Rights Council ( HRC ) , a 5-member body of the United Nations ( UN ) whose role is to evaluate candidates for the posts of special rapporteurs , independent experts and members of working groups charged with investigating human rights violations.
” [ 279 ] “ Unfortunately , this is not an April fool , ” RSF added .
[ 280 ] On April 3 , 2020 , China ’ s People ’ s Liberation Army ( PLA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ water of the South China Sea , because “ the outbreak of COVID-19 has significantly lowered the US Navy ’ s warship deployment capability in the Asia-Pacific region.
” [ 281 ] On April 6 , 2020 , an Australian whistle-blower interviewed by 60 Minutes said that employees at China-owned real estate company in Sydney , Australia , Poly Developments and Holdings , received e-mailed instructions for the purpose of assisting the company hoard medical supplies for China .
[ 282 ] The e-mail , obtained by 60 Minutes , said “ If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local pharmacy to check if there are any 3MN95 or 8210 masks for sale.
” [ 283 ] A second whistle-blower , employed at China-owned real estate company , Greenland Group , told 60 Minutes “ he saw tonnes of gloves , masks , gowns , sanitiser and other vital medical supplies being packaged in his Sydney office to be shipped out of Australia to China.
” [ 284 ] He continued : “ Meeting rooms , lunch rooms and the boardroom , starting to be filled with different types of items getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rose my suspicion .
The concern to me is if all these medical items leave the country , what ’ s left for us ?
“ It is very unsettling that essential equipment can just leave our borders in massive commercial quantities.
” [ 285 ] At the time of the report , Australian health care workers treating COVID-19 patients were experiencing shortages of personal protective equipment ( PPE ) .
[ 286 ] On April 8 , 2020 , The 76-days-long lockdown of Wuhan was lifted .
[ 287 ] Later that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Beijing officials released a statement informing the public that Ren Zhiqiang – the Chinese businessman who criticized President Xi ’ s handling of the coronavirus outbreak and had subsequently gone missing on March 14th – was being held by authorities and investigated for “ serious violations ” of Communist Party regulations .
[ 288 ] On April 9 , 2020 , CCP officials imposed “ restrictions on the publication of academic research on the origins of the novel coronavirus , according to a central government directive and online notices published by two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removed from the web.
” [ 289 ] “ The increased scrutiny appears to be the latest effort by the Chinese government to control the narrative on the origins of the coronavirus pandemic , which has claimed more than 100,000 lives and sickened 1.7 million people worldwide since it first broke out in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December.
” [ 290 ] On April 11 , 2020 , after a number of disturbing incidents of overt discrimination surfaced , the United States an advisory warning African Americans not to travel to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
[ 291 ] Foreign Policy reported : “ Over the past week , hundreds of African migrant workers , traders , and students in the southern city of Guangzhou , home to Asia ’ s largest African diaspora , were tossed out onto the street—some by their landlords , some by hotel managers , and some by local officials .
Those evicted , mostly Igbo Nigerians , insisted that they had paid their rent , had valid visas and the right paperwork , and had no contact with anybody infected with COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into a 14-day quarantine and random testing without getting their test results .
Tony Mathias , an Ugandan exchange student , told Agence France-Presse : ‘ I ’ ve been sleeping under the bridge for four days with no food to eat .
… I can not buy food anywhere .
No shops or restaurants will serve me.
’ “ The events… are part of the response to growing Chinese fear of a reemergence of coronavirus infection but also build on long-standing hostility toward Africans in southern China .
Anti-African feelings in China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Africans in 1988-1989 in Nanjing .
In Chinese media , Africans are often characterized as backward or primitive and blackness as unattractive .
Virulent racism common on social media is largely unchecked by censors , including claims that Africans are rapists , drug dealers , or AIDS carriers .
“ Those prejudices have led to a string of incidents amid coronavirus-induced paranoia .
On April 4 , reports of an infected Nigerian man attacking a Chinese nurse went viral , unleashing a slew of online trolls demanding the cleansing of a city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Three days later , four Nigerians tested positive for the virus after having been seen eating together at a local restaurant .
These reports sparked widespread fear that Africans were the primary cause of recent upticks in coronavirus cases .
“ African expats were left at the mercy of xenophobic attitudes and heavy-handed enforcement.
” [ 292 ] On April 13 , 2020 , the World Health Organization summarized , “ We know that COVID-19 spreads fast , and we know that it is deadly – 10 times deadlier than the 2009 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries , cases are doubling every 3 to 4 days.
” [ 293 ] On April 14 , 2020 , “ President Trump said the U.S. will stop funding to the World Health Organization while his administration reviews [ the WHO ’ s ] role in ‘ mismanaging ” the coronavirus . '
” [ 294 ] Annually , the United States “ contributes up to $ 400 million while superpowers like China , where the outbreak began , contribute closer to $ 40 million.
” [ 295 ] The freeze on finding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days .
[ 296 ] “ The United States has a duty to insist on full accountability , ” the President added .
[ 297 ] Like the 2004 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ( SARS ) outbreak , which was caused by two separate laboratory leaks of the SARS-CoV coronavirus from a Beijing ’ s Institute of Virology , could the 2019 outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus outbreak been caused by an accidental laboratory leak ?
On April 14 , 2020 , the Washington Post reported that “ [ t ] wo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world , U.S. Embassy officials visited a Chinese research facility in the city of Wuhan several times and sent two official warnings back to Washington about inadequate safety at the lab , which was conducting risky studies on coronaviruses from bats.
” [ 298 ] There are two research laboratories in Wuhan ; each is located not far from the wet market that Chinese officials have insisted spawned the COVID-19 outbreak .
[ 299 ] The Wuhan Institute of Virology laboratory and the Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention laboratory are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Virology ( WIV ) .
[ 300 ] The April 14th Washington Post article explained : “ In January 2018 , the U.S. Embassy in Beijing took the unusual step of repeatedly sending U.S. science diplomats to the Wuhan Institute of Virology ( WIV ) , which had in 2015 become China ’ s first laboratory to achieve the highest level of international bioresearch safety ( known as BSL-4 ) … “ What the U.S. officials learned during their visits concerned them so much that they dispatched two diplomatic cables… back to Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ management weaknesses at the WIV lab… .
The first cable… warn [ ed ] that the lab ’ s work on bat coronaviruses and their potential human transmission represented a risk of a new SARS-like pandemic .
“ During interactions with scientists at the WIV laboratory , they noted the new lab has a serious shortage of appropriately trained technicians and investigators needed to safely operate this high-containment laboratory… “ The cable tells us that there have long been concerns about the possibility of the threat to public health that came from this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not being adequately conducted and protected… “ There are similar concerns about the nearby Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention lab , which operates at biosecurity level 2 , a level significantly less secure than the level-4 standard claimed by the Wuhan Institute of Virology lab… That ’ s important because the Chinese government still refuses to answer basic questions about the origin of the novel coronavirus while suppressing any attempts to examine whether either lab was involved.
” [ 301 ] The same day that the Washington Post article was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ H. Ebright , Board of Governors Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Rutgers University , noted that “ [ a ] t the same time the coronavirus outbreak was starting last November-December in Wuhan , a separate lab accident in Lanzhou infected hundreds of persons , in two provinces , with the bacterium Brucella.
” [ 302 ] Ebright provided a link to an article in Nature News .
[ 303 ] On April 17 , 2020 , it was confirmed that the United States is “ conducting a full-scale investigation into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on to morph into a global pandemic that has brought the global economy to its knees , escaped from a lab in Wuhan , China…Intelligence operatives are said to be gathering information about the laboratory and the initial outbreak of the virus .
Intelligence analysts are piecing together a timeline of what the government knew and ‘ creating an accurate picture of what happened . '
” [ 304 ] On April 20 , 2020 , a Wuhan lab official responded to the speculation that the novel coronavirus pandemic may have been caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is absolutely no way that the virus originated from our institute , ” said Yuan Zhiming , director of the Wuhan National Biosafety Laboratory .
[ 305 ] On April 22 , 2020 , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lamented , “ The CCP still has not shared the virus sample from inside of China with the outside world , making it impossible to track the disease ’ s evolution.
” [ 306 ] Throughout the pandemic , China has steadfastly refused to share samples with the United States scientists .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , India announced that it was recalling faulty SARS-Cov-2 test kits that it had received from China .
Shortly thereafter , India announced that it was recalling all testing materials from Chinese companies , and that all orders for such items from China would be cancelled .
[ 307 ] “ We can not afford to have faulty test kits in the time of crisis , ” said Dr Rajni Kant Srivastava , head of research management of ICMR .
[ 308 ] Then , on April 22 , 2020 , missing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had last been seen on February 26th , reappeared on Chinese social media .
[ 309 ] Li said he had been forcibly quarantined .
“ Throughout the whole time , the police acted civilly and legally , making sure I had rest and food .
They really cared about me , ” he said , adding “ May God bless China and the people of the world unite.
” [ 310 ] As The Guardian observed : “ Li ’ s tone and comments , neutral and patriotic , were markedly different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who had worked for the state-broadcaster CCTV , travelled to Wuhan to report on the crisis after another citizen journalist and activist Chen Qiushi disappeared.
” [ 311 ] On April 23 , 2020 , “ ‘ to boost its superficial credentials ” in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic , ” China announced that it was donating an additional $ 30 million to the World Health Organization “ in support of global efforts to fight COVID-19 and the construction of public health systems in developing countries.
” [ 312 ] Experts contend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WHO were not goodwill gestures but rather a series of political power moves to boost its global image.
” [ 313 , For example , the China director at Human Rights Watch , Sophie Richardson , has noted that “ China was trying to craft an image for itself as a global leader in the coronavirus fight rather than the country from which the virus originated.
” [ 314 ] Richardson explained : “ Chinese officials and their propaganda machinery are in high gear worldwide trying to paint the Chinese government as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the sources of it.
” [ 315 ] Alex Wang , who is a professor with the UCLA School of Law and “ a leading expert on the law and politics of China , ” elaborated : “ China has been actively promoting its own competence in handling COVID-19 and highlighting US failures… This Trump funding withdrawal may play well to the political base at home , but it also gives China an opportunity to reinforce its own narrative in an effective way.
” [ 316 ] John Lee – a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Julie Bishop ( 2016 to 2018 ) , and who is currently a senior fellow at the United States Studies Center in Sydney , as well as at the Hudson Institute in Washington , DC .
– stated that while the World Health Organization does “ wonderful work on the ground in all parts of the world , ” the organization ’ s leadership had become “ captured by countries such as China , ” at the risk of its own reputation .
[ 317 ] Lee elaborated : “ When [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decisions of global health concern such as with the current pandemic , such decisions tend to be overly influenced by political rather than health priorities… In this context , Dr. Tedros [ WHO head ] is deeply compromised and his credibility is heavily damaged.
” [ 318 ] On April 23 , 2020 , Canadian Prime Minister , Justin Trudeau , announced that 1 million face masks that it had purchased from China did not meet safety standards and thus could not be distributed to health care workers .
[ 319 ] On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requests for an independent , international investigation into the origin of COVID-19 , and claimed that such requests were a politically motivated distraction .
[ 320 ] That same day ( April 24 , 2020 ) , a Reuters report revealed that “ China sought to block a European Union report alleging that Beijing was spreading disinformation about the coronavirus outbreak.
” [ 321 ] According to EU diplomatic correspondence , “ a senior Chinese official contacted European officials in Beijing… to tell them that , ‘ if the report is as described @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be very bad for cooperation . '
” [ 322 ] Reuters reported that the “ correspondence quoted senior Chinese foreign ministry official Yang Xiaoguang as saying that publishing the report would make Beijing ‘ very angry ’ and accused European officials of trying to please ‘ someone else ’ – something the EU diplomats understood to be a reference to Washington.
” [ 323 ] As a result , the release of the EU report was delayed , and a “ comparison of the internal version of the report obtained by Reuters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showed several differences.
” [ 324 ] The EU apparently acquiesced to China .
Reuters noted several examples , including the following : “ …on the first page of the internal report shared with EU governments on April 20 , the EU ’ s foreign policy arm said : “ China has continued to run a global disinformation campaign to deflect blame for the outbreak of the pandemic and improve its international image .
Both overt and covert tactics have been observed .
“ The public summary posted Friday to the bloc ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attributed the disinformation to ‘ state-backed sources from various governments , including Russia and – to a lesser extent – China .
[ 325 ] A second interesting report came on April 25 , 2020 , entitled “ ‘ They are trying to steal everything.
’ US coronavirus response hit by foreign hackers.
” [ 326 ] Officials , pointing directly at China , warned that “ they have seen a growing wave of cyberattacks on US government agencies and medical institutions leading the pandemic response.
” [ 327 ] CNN reported : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care providers and pharmaceutical companies have all been hit , officials say , and the Department of Health and Human Services – which oversees the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — has been struck by a surge of daily strikes.
” [ 328 ] Meanwhile , back in the United States , the pandemic ’ s death toll has continued to rise .
For example , contained in the April 26 , 2020 , issue of the Boston Globe were 21 pages of death notices .
[ 329 ] On April 26 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for all members of the World Health Organization ( WHO ) to support an independent review into the origins and spread of the coronavirus ” and began to lobby world leaders [ 330 ] – China ’ s Beijing ambassador , Cheng Jingye , threatened Australia with economic punishments .
[ 331 ] “ Cheng Jingye denounced Prime Minister Scott Morrison ’ s push for an inquiry , ” and insisted , “ Resorting to suspicion , recrimination or division at such a critical time could only undermine global efforts to fight against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then issued the following veiled threats : • None “ Maybe the ordinary people will say ‘ Why should we drink Australian wine ?
Eat Australian beef ?
” • None “ Maybe the ordinary people will say ‘ Why should we drink Australian wine ?
Eat Australian beef ?
” • None “ The parents of the students would also think … whether this is the best place to send their kids.
” “ It ’ s a kind of pandering to the assertions that are made by some forces in Washington… @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some guys are attempting to blame China for their problems and deflect the attention .
“ So what is being done by the Australia side ?
The proposition is a kind of teaming up with those forces in Washington and to launch a kind of political campaign against China.
” [ 336 ] On April 27 , 2020 , Australia ’ s Foreign Minister , Marise Payne , issued a statement “ that Australia had made a ‘ principled call ’ for an independent review of the COVID-19 outbreak which started in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] Further , Payne boldly declared : “ We reject any suggestion that economic coercion is an appropriate response to a call for such an assessment , when what we need is global cooperation.
” [ 338 ] China ’ s diplomats have become markedly aggressive and vitriolic in the months since the COVID-19 outbreak began , as an April 25th report in The Diplomat documented : “ From Asia to Africa , London to Berlin , Chinese envoys have set off diplomatic firestorms with a combative defense whenever their country is accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spread of the coronavirus pandemic .
“ They belong to a new generation of “ Wolf Warrior ” diplomats , named after patriotic blockbuster films starring a muscle-bound Chinese commando killing American bad guys in Africa and Southeast Asia with his bare hands .
“ The tougher approach has been building for several years under President Xi Jinping , who has effectively jettisoned former leader Deng Xiaoping ’ s approach of hiding China ’ s ambitions and biding its time .
His government has urged its diplomats to pursue ‘ major-country diplomacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] On April 27 , 2020 , it was revealed that China ’ s Communist Party police had detained several Chinese citizens “ who contributed to an online archive of censored articles about the coronavirus outbreak .
[ 340 ] The citizen are just the latest casualties of the CCP ’ s war on free speech and the free exchange of information .
[ 341 ] As Reuters reported : “ The two – Chen Mei and Cai Wei – have been out of contact since April 19 , when police detained them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mei ’ s brother , told Reuters .
“ Cai was held on charges of “ picking quarrels and stirring up trouble ” , on a notice from Chaoyang district police in Beijing , Chen Kun said , an accusation often used against political activists in China .
“ Chen Kun said he did not know what charges , if any , his brother was held on .
“ A third person , Cai ’ s girlfriend , surnamed Tang , was held on similar charges , Chen Kun said , although it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directly involved in the archive project… “ The archive was among those that kept in circulation a profile report on a Wuhan doctor and whistleblower , Ai Fen , which went viral as people translated it in various forms including into Braille , Morse code and even Klingon in a defiance of the censors .
“ Ai was reprimanded in January for sharing information about the outbreak.
” [ 342 ] With more and more information coming to light , perhaps in the months that follow – like those that followed the 2002-2003 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the true extent of China ’ s vile deception and deadly secrecy during the novel coronavirus pandemic .
China ’ s CCP has continued to insist , “ China is the first country to report a COVID case , but it doesn ’ t mean the virus originated in China.
” [ 343 ] Some will try to deflect blame away from China .
Unarguably , governments in several countries have made missteps along the way .
However , no amount of missteps or miscalculations can void the Chinese Communist regime of responsibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record in 2003 is as true now as it was then : “ For the time being , it appears the mainland ’ s initial denial and slow response to the SARS outbreak characterizes a political environment where individual initiative is discouraged and social stability is protected above other interests , to the detriment of social safety.
” [ 344 ] China now has the blood of hundreds of thousands of human beings on its hands .
One thing is abundantly clear : The People ’ s Republic of China ’ s ruling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have deceived the world about the coronavirus since its appearance in late 2019.
” [ 345 ] “ The evidence of China ’ s deliberate cover-up of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan is a matter of public record .
In suppressing information about the virus , doing little to contain it , and allowing it to spread unchecked in the crucial early days and weeks , the regime imperiled not only its own country and its own citizens but also the [ 185 ] nations now facing their own potentially devastating outbreaks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and detained those brave doctors and whistleblowers who attempted to sound the alarm and warn their fellow citizens when they understood the gravity of what was to come.
” [ 346 ] Again we are forced to wait… and to wonder : the question isn ’ t “ whether this disease will make or break China , but if [ it ] will make or break the world as we know it.
” [ 347 ] • None Freedom of the Press and the 2002-2003 SARS Outbreak .
( 2003 ) .
Congressional-Executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 , from • None Information Control and Self-Censorship in the PRC and the Spread of SARS .
( 2003 , May 7 ) .
Congressional-Executive Commission on China .
Retrieved April 11 , 2020 , from • None Information Control and Self-Censorship in the PRC and the Spread of SARS .
( 2003 , May 7 ) .
Congressional-Executive Commission on China .
Retrieved April 11 , 2020 , from • None Freedom of the Press and the 2002-2003 SARS Outbreak .
( 2003 ) .
Congressional-Executive Commission on China .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ • None Freedom of the Press and the 2002-2003 SARS Outbreak .
( 2003 ) .
Congressional-Executive Commission on China .
Retrieved April 11 , 2020 , from • None Yu , V. ( 2020 , February 9 ) .
Doctor who exposed Sars cover-up is under house arrest in China , family confirms .
Retrieved April 12 , 2020 , from • None Ma , J .
( 2020 , March 13 ) .
China ’ s first confirmed Covid-19 case traced back to November 17 .
Retrieved March 17 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ E. R. ( 2020 , February 1 ) .
Early missteps and state secrecy in China probably allowed the coronavirus to spread farther and faster .
Retrieved April 5 , 2020 , from • None Jiaxing , W. ( 2020 , January 28 ) .
Before Zhong Nanshan spoke , the doctor in Wuhan issued an outbreak alert to nearby schools .
Retrieved April 4 , 2020 , from • None Gerry Shih , E. R. ( 2020 , February 1 ) .
Early missteps and state secrecy in China probably allowed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Retrieved April 5 , 2020 , from • None Hermesauto .
( 2020 , February 28 ) .
How early signs of the coronavirus were spotted , spread and throttled in China .
Retrieved April 3 , 2020 , from • None Gerry Shih , E. R. ( 2020 , February 1 ) .
Early missteps and state secrecy in China probably allowed the coronavirus to spread farther and faster .
Retrieved April 5 , 2020 , from • None Huang , K. ( 2020 , March 11 ) .
Wuhan doctor says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Retrieved April 12 , 2020 , from • None Zhou , C. ( 2020 , February 14 ) .
After chaos , Dr Li Wenliang , coronavirus whistle-blower , confirmed dead at 34 .
Retrieved February 20 , 2020 , from • None Gerry Shih , E. R. ( 2020 , February 1 ) .
Early missteps and state secrecy in China probably allowed the coronavirus to spread farther and faster .
Retrieved April 5 , 2020 , from • None Gerry Shih , E. R. ( 2020 , February 1 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China probably allowed the coronavirus to spread farther and faster .
Retrieved April 5 , 2020 , from • None Zhou , C. ( 2020 , February 14 ) .
After chaos , Dr Li Wenliang , coronavirus whistle-blower , confirmed dead at 34 .
Retrieved February 20 , 2020 , from • None Gerry Shih , E. R. ( 2020 , February 1 ) .
Early missteps and state secrecy in China probably allowed the coronavirus to spread farther and faster .
Retrieved April 5 , 2020 , from • None Gerry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ February 1 ) .
Early missteps and state secrecy in China probably allowed the coronavirus to spread farther and faster .
Retrieved April 5 , 2020 , from • None The Associated Press .
( 2020 , April 15 ) .
China didn ’ t warn public of likely pandemic for 6 key days .
Retrieved April 15 , 2020 , from • None Hermesauto .
( 2020 , February 28 ) .
How early signs of the coronavirus were spotted , spread and throttled in China .
Retrieved April 3 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 2020 , April 7 ) .
Tracking down the origin of the Wuhan virus .
Retrieved April 27 , 2020 , from • None Hermesauto .
( 2020 , February 28 ) .
How early signs of the coronavirus were spotted , spread and throttled in China .
Retrieved April 3 , 2020 , from • None Gerry Shih , E. R. ( 2020 , February 1 ) .
Early missteps and state secrecy in China probably allowed the coronavirus to spread farther and faster .
Retrieved April 5 , 2020 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 2020 , April 15 ) .
China didn ’ t warn public of likely pandemic for 6 key days .
Retrieved April 15 , 2020 , from • None The Associated Press .
( 2020 , April 15 ) .
China didn ’ t warn public of likely pandemic for 6 key days .
Retrieved April 15 , 2020 , from • None Yang , D. L. ( 2020 , March 10 ) .
Analysis | Wuhan officials tried to cover up covid-19 – and sent it careening outward .
Retrieved March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sala , I. M. ( 2016 , May 19 ) .
How Zhang Dejiang helped create Hong Kong ’ s fatal SARS epidemic .
Retrieved April 1 , 2020 , from • None Hermesauto .
( 2020 , February 28 ) .
How early signs of the coronavirus were spotted , spread and throttled in China .
Retrieved April 3 , 2020 , from • None World Health Organization .
( 2020 , January 9 ) .
WHO Statement Regarding Cluster of Pneumonia Cases in Wuhan , China .
Retrieved April 16 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ C. ( 2020 , February 14 ) .
After chaos , Dr Li Wenliang , coronavirus whistle-blower , confirmed dead at 34 .
Retrieved February 20 , 2020 , from • None The Associated Press .
( 2020 , April 15 ) .
China didn ’ t warn public of likely pandemic for 6 key days .
Retrieved April 15 , 2020 , from • None The Associated Press .
( 2020 , April 15 ) .
China didn ’ t warn public of likely pandemic for 6 key days .
Retrieved April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Associated Press .
( 2020 , April 15 ) .
China didn ’ t warn public of likely pandemic for 6 key days .
Retrieved April 15 , 2020 , from • None Bowden , Ebony , and Bruce Golding .
“ Trump Administration Weighs Legal Action over Alleged Chinese Hoarding of PPE.
” New York Post .
New York Post , April 6 , 2020 .
• None Bowden , E. ( 2020 , April 5 ) .
Trump administration weighs legal action over alleged Chinese hoarding of PPE .
Retrieved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ None Hains , T. ( 2020 , April 19 ) .
Peter Navarro : China Used WHO To Hide Virus While They Hoarded World Supply Of PPE .
Retrieved April 24 , 2020 , from • None Gerry Shih , E. R. ( 2020 , February 1 ) .
Early missteps and state secrecy in China probably allowed the coronavirus to spread farther and faster .
Retrieved April 5 , 2020 , from • None Wuhan Municipal Health Commission on Pneumonia Infected by New Coronavirus .
( 2020 , January 17 ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ • None Gerry Shih , E. R. ( 2020 , February 1 ) .
Early missteps and state secrecy in China probably allowed the coronavirus to spread farther and faster .
Retrieved April 5 , 2020 , from • None New coronavirus ‘ preventable and controllable ’ , China says .
( 2020 , January 19 ) .
Retrieved April 19 , 2020 , from • None Bloomberg , Bloomberg News | .
“ Analysis | China Will Rack Up Three Billion Trips During World ’ s Biggest Human Migration.
” The Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 .
• None Nakazawa , Katsuji .
“ China ’ s Inaction for 3 Days in January at Root of Pandemic.
” Nikkei Asian Review .
Nikkei Asian Review , March 18 , 2020 .
• None Pattidomm .
“ New China Virus Spooks Global Markets but Analysts Say It May Not Be as Bad as SARS.
” CNBC .
CNBC , January 21 , 2020 .
• None “ WHO Director-General ’ s Statement on IHR Emergency Committee on Novel Coronavirus.
” World Health Organization .
World Health Organization , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Statement on the Meeting of the International Health Regulations ( 2005 ) Emergency Committee Regarding the Outbreak of Novel Coronavirus 2019 ( n-CoV ) on 23 January 2020.
” World Health Organization .
World Health Organization , January 23 , 2020 .
• None Qin , Amy , and Vivian Wang .
“ Wuhan , Center of Coronavirus Outbreak , Is Being Cut Off by Chinese Authorities.
” The New York Times .
The New York Times , January 24 , 2020 .
• None Nakazawa , Katsuji .
“ China ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Root of Pandemic.
” Nikkei Asian Review .
Nikkei Asian Review , March 18 , 2020 .
• None Nakazawa , Katsuji .
“ China ’ s Inaction for 3 Days in January at Root of Pandemic.
” Nikkei Asian Review .
Nikkei Asian Review , March 18 , 2020 .
• None Bowden , Ebony , and Bruce Golding .
“ Trump Administration Weighs Legal Action over Alleged Chinese Hoarding of PPE.
” New York Post .
New York Post , April 6 , 2020 .
• None Wee , Sui-lee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ C. Hernández .
“ W.H.O .
Declares Global Emergency as Wuhan Coronavirus Spreads.
” The New York Times .
The New York Times , January 30 , 2020 .
• None Talmazan , Y .
( 2020 , February 1 ) .
China criticizes U.S. border closure as coronavirus death toll rises .
Retrieved March 8 , 2020 , from • None Epoch Times .
( 2020 , April 7 ) .
Tracking down the origin of the Wuhan virus .
Retrieved April 27 , 2020 , from • None Epoch Times .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tracking down the origin of the Wuhan virus .
Retrieved April 27 , 2020 , from • None Coronavirus : Why have two reporters in Wuhan disappeared ?
( 2020 , February 14 ) .
Retrieved April 5 , 2020 , from • None Epoch Times .
( 2020 , April 7 ) .
Tracking down the origin of the Wuhan virus .
Retrieved April 27 , 2020 , from • None Zhou , C. ( 2020 , February 14 ) .
After chaos , Dr Li Wenliang , coronavirus whistle-blower , confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 , from • None Jianhang , Q. , & Shen , T. ( 2020 , February 6 ) .
Whistleblower Li Wenliang : There Should Be More Than One Voice In A Healthy Society .
Retrieved February 12 , 2020 , from • None Coronavirus : Why have two reporters in Wuhan disappeared ?
( 2020 , February 14 ) .
Retrieved April 5 , 2020 , from • None World Health Organization .
( 2020 , February 11 ) .
Key considerations for repatriation and quarantine of travellers in relation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Retrieved April 25 , 2020 , from • None Thuburn , D. ( 2020 , February 12 ) .
WHO Has Finally Named The New Coronavirus .
Retrieved March 26 , 2020 , from • None Perper , R. ( 2020 , April 24 ) .
China is injecting millions into WHO as the US cuts funds .
Experts say Beijing is trying to boost its influence over the agency and its ‘ deeply compromised ’ chief .
Retrieved April 24 , 2020 , from • None Epoch Times .
( 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the origin of the Wuhan virus .
Retrieved April 27 , 2020 , from • None Jiangtao , S. ( 2020 , February 17 ) .
Hubei residents banned from leaving homes under tough new virus curbs .
Retrieved February 20 , 2020 , from • None Bostock , B .
( 2020 , February 19 ) .
China kicked out 3 Wall Street Journal reporters after it published an op-ed using a term that invokes the biggest humiliation in Chinese history .
Retrieved April 11 , 2020 , from • None Pasley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24 ) .
Pro-China trolls are doing their best to stoke tensions for Taiwan by amplifying racist claims and spreading misinformation about California leaving the US .
Retrieved April 24 , 2020 , from • None Davidson , H. , & Beaumont , P. ( 2020 , April 23 ) .
China coronavirus cases may have been four times official figure , says study .
Retrieved April 23 , 2020 , from • None Orecchio-Egresit , H. ( 2020 , April 23 ) .
Russia , China , Iran disinformation narratives echo each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 , from • None Uighurtimes .
( 2020 , February 26 ) .
In a dangerous move , China forces 30,000 Uighur workers to return to work in Hotan .
Retrieved March 13 , 2020 , from • None Rogin , J .
( 2020 , February 26 ) .
Opinion | The coronavirus brings new and awful repression for Uighurs in China .
Retrieved February 28 , 2020 , from • None McGowan , M. ( 2020 , February 24 ) .
Q & A : Chinese diplomat grilled over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25 , 2020 , from • None Justified and strong , the world should thank China .
( 2020 , March 3 ) .
Retrieved April 25 , 2020 , from • None Ruan , L. , Knockel , J. , & Crete-Nishihata , M. ( 2020 , March 4 ) .
Censored Contagion : How Information on the Coronavirus is Managed on Chinese Social Media .
Retrieved April 27 , 2020 , from • None Ruan , L. , Knockel , J. , & Crete-Nishihata , M. ( 2020 , March 4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Coronavirus is Managed on Chinese Social Media .
Retrieved April 27 , 2020 , from • None Huang , K. ( 2020 , March 11 ) .
Wuhan doctor says officials muzzled her for sharing coronavirus report .
Retrieved April 12 , 2020 , from • None Staff , R. F. A .
( 2020 , March 10 ) .
“ Sentinel ” calls for adherence to “ independent thinking ” The Central Propaganda Department urgently deletes the article “ Characters ” .
Retrieved March 15 , 2020 , from • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , March 11 ) .
WHO thanks China for donation and impressive anti-virus effort .
Retrieved April 26 , 2020 , from • None Hernández , J. C. ( 2020 , March 14 ) .
Chinese Tycoon Who Criticized Xi ’ s Response to Coronavirus Has Vanished .
Retrieved March 15 , 2020 , from • None Wong , E. , Rosenberg , M. , & Barnes , J. E. ( 2020 , April 22 ) .
Chinese Agents Helped Spread Messages That Sowed Virus Panic in U.S. , Officials Say .
Retrieved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ None Kuo , L. ( 2020 , March 17 ) .
Trump sparks anger by calling coronavirus the ‘ Chinese virus ’ .
Retrieved March 25 , 2020 , from • None Dotson , J .
( 2020 , March 16 ) .
China ’ s Other Viral Crisis : African Swine Fever and the State Effort to Stabilize Pork Prices .
Retrieved April 26 , 2020 , from • None Balmer , C. ( 2020 , March 18 ) .
Italy Reports 475 New Coronavirus Deaths , Lifting Total Death Toll to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , from • None Italy donated PPE to China ; now China wants Italy to buy back the same PPE .
( 2020 , April 5 ) .
Retrieved April 7 , 2020 , from • None Xi says China to send more medical experts to Italy .
( 2020 , March 18 ) .
Retrieved April 21 , 2020 , from • None Italy gave China PPE to help with coronavirus – then China made them buy it back .
( 2020 , April 4 ) .
Retrieved April 8 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 2020 , March 26 ) .
80 % of Rapid COVID-19 Tests the Czech Republic Bought From China are Wrong .
Retrieved April 26 , 2020 , from • None Rettner , R. ( 2020 , March 26 ) .
US is new epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic .
Retrieved March 26 , 2020 , from • None Adam Payne , S. B .
( 2020 , March 29 ) .
The Netherlands has recalled 600,000 coronavirus face masks it imported from China after discovering they were faulty .
Retrieved April 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , N. ( 2020 , April 6 ) .
Here Are the 9 States Resisting a Shutdown .
Retrieved April 6 , 2020 , from • None Ho , M. ( 2020 , March 31 ) .
China to include symptom-free coronavirus carriers in national figures .
Retrieved April 2 , 2020 , from • None Heneghan , Carl , Jon Brassey , and Tom Jefferson .
“ COVID-19 : What Proportion Are Asymptomatic ?
” CEBM , April 6 , 2020 .
• None The Associated Press .
( 2020 , April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warn public of likely pandemic for 6 key days .
Retrieved April 15 , 2020 , from • None Wadhams , Nick , and Jennifer Jacobs .
“ China Concealed Extent of Virus Outbreak , U.S. Intelligence Says.
” Bloomberg.com .
Bloomberg , April 1 , 2020 .
• None Reporters Without Borders .
( 2020 , April 10 ) .
RSF concerned about China ’ s entry into UN Human Rights Council Consultative Group : Reporters without borders .
Retrieved April 17 , 2020 , from • None Gan , N. ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifts lockdown on Wuhan as city reemerges from coronavirus crisis .
Retrieved April 27 , 2020 , from • None Jiang , S. , Gan , N. , & Westcott , B .
( 2020 , April 8 ) .
Chinese billionaire who criticized Xi Jinping over coronavirus under investigation .
Retrieved April 8 , 2020 , from • None Gan , Nectar , Caitlin Hu , and Ivan Watson .
“ China Imposes Restrictions on Research into Origins of Coronavirus.
” CNN .
Cable News Network , April 16 , 2020 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , April 11 ) .
US warns African-Americans to avoid Guangzhou due to discrimination fears .
Retrieved April 11 , 2020 , from • None Sui , C. ( 2020 , April 15 ) .
China ’ s Racism Is Wrecking Its Success in Africa .
Retrieved April 15 , 2020 , from • None World Health Organization .
( 2020 , April 13 ) .
WHO Director-General ’ s opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 – 13 April 2020 .
Retrieved April 19 , 2020 , from • None Jr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14 ) .
Trump cuts off U.S. funding to WHO , pending review .
Retrieved April 15 , 2020 , from • None Rogin , J .
( 2020 , April 14 ) .
Opinion | State Department cables warned of safety issues at Wuhan lab studying bat coronaviruses .
Retrieved April 14 , 2020 , from • None Rogin , J .
( 2020 , April 14 ) .
Opinion | State Department cables warned of safety issues at Wuhan lab studying bat coronaviruses .
Retrieved April 14 , 2020 , from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Turner , and Adam Shaw .
“ US Officials Confirm Full-Scale Investigation of Whether Coronavirus Escaped from Wuhan Lab.
” Fox News .
FOX News Network , April 17 , 2020 .
• None Bloomberg News .
( 2020 , April 20 ) .
Wuhan Lab Denies Any Link to First Coronavirus Outbreak .
Retrieved April 20 , 2020 , from • None Moore , Mark .
“ Pompeo Rips China , WHO for Allegedly Withholding Coronavirus Information.
” New York Post .
New York Post , April 22 , 2020 .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Days after Firstpost Investigation into Faulty Test Kits , Centre Orders Recall of COVID-19 Kits from Chinese Companies.
” Firstpost .
Firstpost , April 22 , 2020 .
• None Kuo , Lily .
“ Missing Wuhan Citizen Journalist Reappears after Two Months.
” The Guardian .
Guardian News and Media , April 22 , 2020 .
• None Perper , Rosie .
“ China Is Injecting Millions into WHO as the US Cuts Funds .
Experts Say Beijing Is Trying to Boost Its Influence over the Agency and Its ‘ Deeply Compromised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Insider , April 24 , 2020 .
• None Chase , Steven , and Nathan VanderKlippe .
“ Canada Says One Million Face Masks from China Failed to Meet Proper Standards , Won ’ t Be Sent to Provinces.
” The Globe and Mail , April 24 , 2020 .
• None “ Coronavirus : China Rejects Call for Probe into Origins of Disease.
” BBC News .
BBC , April 24 , 2020 .
• None Cohen , Zachary , and Alex Marquardt .
“ ’ They Are Trying to Steal Everything.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hackers.
” CNN .
Cable News Network , April 25 , 2020 .
• None Reiss , Jaclyn .
“ Sunday ’ s Boston Globe Runs 21 Pages of Death Notices as Coronavirus Continues to Claim Lives – The Boston Globe.
” BostonGlobe.com .
The Boston Globe , April 26 , 2020 .
• None Associated Press .
( 2020 , April 25 ) .
China ’ s Diplomats Show Teeth in Defending Virus Response .
Retrieved April 25 , 2020 , from • None Wu , H. ( 2020 , April 27 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to censored coronavirus archive .
Retrieved April 27 , 2020 , from • None Thorp , H. H. ( 2020 , February 28 ) .
The costs of secrecy .
Retrieved April 28 , 2020 , from • None Wu , H. ( 2020 , April 27 ) .
China police detain three linked to censored coronavirus archive .
Retrieved April 27 , 2020 , from • None Wu , H. ( 2020 , April 27 ) .
China police detain three linked to censored coronavirus archive .
Retrieved April 27 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Press and the 2002-2003 SARS Outbreak .
( 2003 ) .
Congressional-Executive Commission on China .
Retrieved April 11 , 2020 , from • None Hamid , S. ( 2020 , March 19 ) .
China Is Avoiding Blame by Trolling the World .
Retrieved March 19 , 2020 , from • Taylor , C. ( 2003 , July ) .
The Chinese Plague .
World Press Review ( VOL .
50 , No .
7 ) .
Retrieved April 2 , 2020 , from https : //www.worldpress.org/Asia/1148.cfm Check out the NEW NOQ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we form a grassroots movement to advance the cause of conservatism .
The coronavirus crisis has prompted many , even some conservatives , to promote authoritarianism .
It ’ s understandable to some extent now , but it must not be allowed to embed itself in American life .
We currently have 8000+ patriots with us in a very short time .
If you are interested , please join us to receive updates .

Discern Report is the fastest growing America First news aggregator in the nation.
“For the time being, it appears the mainland’s initial denial and slow response to the SARS outbreak characterizes a political environment where individual initiative is discouraged and social stability is protected above other interests, to the detriment of social safety.” – Congressional-Executive Commission on China Roundtable, Dangerous Secret: SARS and China’s Health Care System, Testimony and written statement of Bates Gill (September 2, 2003)
Seventeen years ago this month (April of 2003), The Economist ran an article on the Chinese SARS epidemic entitled, “Please lie less,” which noted that “China’s response to the SARS epidemic [was] being hobbled by a culture of secrecy.” [1] In the months following the publication of this article, the world would learn the true extent of China’s lies.
Now, in 2020, it has become increasingly clear that China’s lies and mistakes appear to be occurring on a continual loop as history repeats itself yet again right before our eyes.
What follows is an in-depth chronology of the COVID-19 pandemic, detailing China’s deadly lies, malfeasance, incompetence, and cover-up. To demonstrate the repetition of history, the chronology first begins with a brief synopsis of the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak.
Flashback to the 2002-2003 SARS Outbreak
On November 16, 2002, a businessman checked into a Foshan hospital (Guangdong Province, China) with a mysterious case of pneumonia. [2] Two weeks later and 124 miles from Foshan, in the industrial city of Heyuan (Guangdong Province, China), Municipal Hospital staff began to fall sick and die from pneumonia. [3] In early January, Chinese state media ran a story entitled “The Appearance of an Unknown Virus in Heyuan is a Rumor,” which claimed that the increased number of ill citizens was “the result of changes in the weather leading to a decline in people’s immune systems.” [4]
“Concerned that news of the disease might cause panic and affect foreign investment and the tourism industry, government leaders declared a news blackout.” [5]
On February 1, 2003, in the city of Guangzhou (Guangdong Province, China), a seafood salesman was admitted to the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital with a high fever and unable to breathe. [6] “His coughs were like biological bombs, and the infection they spread was unlike any flu virus” the doctors had ever seen. [7]
The world would later learn that the pneumonia – severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) – epidemic had been caused by a coronavirus (SARS-CoV).
Meanwhile, the Chinese “New Year celebrations had just begun, and most of China’s 1.36 billion people were either en route to their hometowns or already with their families enjoying the longest and most anticipated holiday season of the year.” [8]
On February 11, “the official People’s Daily website published an article stating that five people in Guangzhou had died of what it termed ‘atypical pneumonia.’ The article’s headline proclaimed ‘Guangzhou Atypical Pneumonia Already Effectively Controlled.’” [9]
Back at the hospital in Guangzhou, 45 other people had fallen ill from the mysterious pneumonia brought to the hospital by the sick seafood salesman whom doctors were now calling “Du Wang” (meaning “Poison King”). [10] Doctor Liu Jianlun “worried that he was witnessing the birth of a new epidemic, and that the authorities were turning a blind eye to it.” [11]
Massive Sale on beef. Freeze dried Ribeye, NY Strip, and Premium beef cubes. Promo code “jdr” at checkout for 15% off! WholeCows.com
His worries proved true – deadly true.
“The Chinese media were already aware of the emerging epidemic, but journalists could do nothing but watch until Feb. 11, when Guangdong provincial health officials held a belated news conference. A disease called ‘atypical pneumonia’ had sickened 305 people and killed five but was now under control, they said. Among the brief flurry of articles that appeared in the provincial press was an interview with a local academic who accused the government of incompetence.” [12]
This resulted in “a second media blackout that lasted until March.” [13]
While doctors, the media, government officials, and even some ordinary citizens in Guangdong Province were aware of a potential threat posed by an unknown infection, they “kept quiet because they were also aware of the fate of the last person who spoke out about a health crises in the PRC: Dr. Wan Yanhai, who was detained in late August 2002 for disclosing a government report documenting the spread of AIDS in Henan province through contaminated blood. Authorities released Dr. Wan almost a month later after an enormous international outcry, but only after Dr. Wan signed a confession admitting he was guilty of revealing state secrets.” [14]
On February 21, 2003, Dr. Liu Jianlun (of the Guangzhou hospital) traveled to Hong Kong to attend a family wedding. By “the next morning he was too sick to attend the wedding. He left the hotel and walked five minutes down Waterloo Road to the Kwong Wah Hospital.” [15]
“Lock me up. Don’t touch me. I have contracted a very virulent disease,” warned Dr. Lui. [16]
It was too late.
Dr. Liu had already infected 7 other occupants at the hotel, who then “traveled to Canada, Singapore, and Vietnam. Two of them were dead within three weeks.” [17] Thanks to the government-imposed silence, the Kwong Wah medical staff in Hong Kong attempting to treat Dr. Liu knew nothing of the deadly virus spreading in mainland China. Within a month of Dr. Liu’s arrival at the Hong Kong hospital, 70 medical staff and 17 medical students at the hospital were struck down.” [18]
“Nations, states, and central banks are quietly but rapidly shifting their money to precious metals. With bank runs, recession, CBDCs, and worse on the horizon, it’s easy to see why. NOW is the time to learn more about moving portions of your retirement or wealth to a self-directed gold and silver IRA through an America-First, Christian precious metals company.” – JD Rucker (not a financial advisor, just a guy who’s paying attention)
Dr. Liu Jianlun succumbed to the disease on March 4, 2003. [19]
The “Poison King,” whose name is Zhou Zuofeng, survived his bout with SARS. [20]
It was only after SARS began killing people in Hong Kong that the Chinese government allowed reporting on the epidemic. “Even then, the government-controlled Chinese media continued to insist that everything was under control for several weeks.” [21]
On April 3, 2003, Chinese state media in Beijing aired a statement by China’s health minister, Zhang Wenkang, who “announced that China’s capital had just 12 cases of SARS.” [22] The statement was seen by Jiang Yanyong, a surgeon who, knowing the statement to be false, sent an e-mail to state-run television station CCTV-4 objecting to the facts aired in the health minister’s statement to the public. In reality, there were 50 SARS cases in Dr. Jiang’s Beijing hospital alone. [23]
Par for the course, the TV station’s response to Dr. Jiang’s e-mail was silence… That is, until his e-mail landed in the hands of international media. [24]
The World Health Organization (WHO), “which had bought the government’s line that the epidemic was under control, demanded access to Beijing’s military hospitals. Within a fortnight, the government upped its Beijing SARS statistics tenfold; three days later, the numbers were doubled again.” [25]
Although the Communist state eventually admitted to some degree of mishandling of the SARS outbreak, firing a few officials and enacting “regulations to discourage provincial and local officials from concealing information from the central government… criticism [in the press] was limited to local officials and ‘the media,’ while the central government was portrayed as coming to the rescue of the people.” [26] In reality, the regulations were enacted with a goal to “increase the flow of information to central authorities in Beijing, control how the press reported on the matter, and prevent private citizens from publishing opinions regarding the government’s handling of the crisis. For example, in the same month the Ministry of Health issued a notice requiring government departments to conscientiously report incidents of unknown infectious diseases to the Ministry, several provincial and municipal governments issued a notice threatening internet users who ‘distorted facts’ or ‘spread rumors’ regarding SARS with criminal prosecution.” [27]
All discussion/mention of censorship and restrictions on speech, as well as the central government’s and the Communist Party’s roles in the unchecked spread of SARS-CoV remained forbidden. [28]
As promised, the Chinese government strictly enforced this ban on what the regime considered to be “politically sensitive information.” [29] Consider the following examples:
“In April 2003 , authorities in Beijing arrested a person for sending messages saying that an ‘undiagnosed contagious disease was spreading in Beijing,’ on the grounds that he was spreading rumors and that ‘Beijing had never had the spread of any `mysterious illness.'” [30]
“In April 2003 , two editors at Xinhua were fired for publishing a document about SARS.” [31]
“In April 2003 , Chinese authorities removed the editor-in-chief of Southern Weekend, a publication known for addressing politically sensitive topics, and replaced him with Zhang Dongming, a former Director of News Media at the Propaganda Department in Guangdong, who some observers in China consider partly responsible for the initial SARS cover-up.” [32]
“In May 2003 , China blacked out a CNN interview that was critical of the government’s handling of the SARS crisis.” [33]
“In June 2003 , Chinese authorities blocked distribution of an issue of Caijing magazine that discussed the government’s handling of the SARS crisis. Although it was reported that Caijing editors claimed that the failure to distribute the issue was the result of logistical problems, censors repeatedly blocked attempts by Commission staff to post questions such as ‘Has Caijing been censored?’ on government-controlled Internet bulletin boards.” [34]
“In July 2003, the Propaganda Department issued a notice to at least one television station prohibiting it from inviting academics to discuss the government’s handling of the SARS crisis.” [35]
In February of 2020, it was revealed that Dr. Jiang – the Beijing doctor whose e-mail revealed the SARS cover-up in 2003 – has been held in confinement since April of 2019, “after he wrote to the top leadership asking for a reassessment of the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy movement.” [36]
In 2004, a new outbreak of SARS-CoV occurred in Beijing after the SARS virus “escaped” from the Institute of Virology’s lab at the Center for Disease Control – not once, but twice. [37] According to WHO spokesman Bob Dietz, “We suspect two people, a 26-year-old female postgraduate student and a 31-year-old male postdoc, were both infected, apparently in two separate incidents.” [38] Eight people were infected and one person died. “Director Li Liming of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) resigned” as a result of the incidents. [39]
“[D]etails about the incident and the lab’s operating procedures remain hidden.” [40]
A prescient 2003 article in World Press Review portently concluded with a foreboding message: the issue of China’s lies and mishandling of SARS is not “whether this disease will make or break China, but if [it] will make or break the world as we know it.” [41]
2019 SARS-CoV-2 Outbreak
Like the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak, which originated in the month of November, the novel coronavirus likely emerged in November (2019), according to the Hudson Institute. [42]
A report published March 13, 2020, states that back-testing of patients’ specimens had revealed that “a 55 year-old from Hubei province could have been the first person to have contracted Covid-19 on November 17 [2019].” [43] “From that date onwards,” the report continues, “one to five new cases were reported each day. By December 15, the total number of infections stood at 27 – the first double-digit daily rise was reported on December 17 – and by December 20, the total number of confirmed cases had reached 60.” [44] (As of this writing, the World Health Organization lists the first case as occurring on December 1, 2019.)
Like the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak, China’s lies, secrecy, restrictions on speech and the sharing of information, and governmental culture of intimidation allowed the 2019 novel coronavirus to spread unabated both within China and beyond the country’s borders.
Dr. Joseph Mercola said, “Synthetic meat is the epitome of ultraprocessed food, and it seems naïve to think it won’t have health effects similar to other ultraprocessed junk foods.” For All-American REAL beef raised in pastures, sous vide, then freeze-dried for long-term storage, visit Whole Cows and use promo code “no junk” at checkout.
Unlike the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak of the SARS-CoV coronavirus – which spread to 26 countries and infected 8,098 people, killing 774 [45] – the spread of the 2019 SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has become a global pandemic; the virus has spread to 185 countries/regions around the globe and, infected nearly 3.2 million people, killing nearly 210,000 (at the time of this writing). [46]
In December of 2019, health care workers in the city of Wuhan (Hubei Province, China) had noticed an uptick in the number of cases of an unknown pneumonia. [47] Though the illness looked a lot like viral pneumonia, “doctors in Wuhan, a city of 11 million in central China, could not pinpoint the cause. Rumors of a mysterious virus started to swirl on Chinese social media, particularly among medical professionals.” [48]
By December 25, doctors and nurses had become alarmed by the human-to-transmission occurring within Wuhan hospitals, as more and more health care workers contracted their patients’ infection. [49]
“As early as the morning of Dec. 26,” [50] a genomics company based in Guangzhou “had sequenced most of the virus from fluid samples… The results showed an alarming similarity to the deadly Sars coronavirus that killed nearly 800 people between 2002 and 2003.” [51]
On December 27, that Wuhan health authorities were informed that a new coronavirus was circulating in the community, causing the unknown pneumonia. [52]
On December 30, 2019, Ai Fen, the director of the emergency department at Wuhan Central Hospital, “posted an image of a diagnostic report on social network WeChat… showing that the patient had a pneumonia infection caused by a Sars-like coronavirus.” [53] Ai immediately reported the diagnosis to her hospital superiors, including “the hospital’s community health service centre and infectious disease control.” [54] “I even grabbed our hospital respiratory department director, who happened to be passing my office, and told him that one of his patients was confirmed to have been infected with a Sars-like virus,” she later recalled. [55]
Dr. Ai Fen “was told by superiors the day she sounded the alarm that Wuhan’s health commission had issued a directive that medical workers were not to disclose anything about the virus, or the disease it caused, to avoid sparking a panic. Soon after, the hospital reminded all staff that public disclosure related to the illness was forbidden.” [56]
Later that evening, a Wuhan ophthalmologist named Li Wenliang “warned his medical school classmates in an online chat group that a Sars-like illness had stricken several patients in a Wuhan hospital and that all of them were quarantined in the emergency department.” [57] The 34 year old doctor “posted a snippet of an RNA analysis finding “SARS coronavirus” and extensive bacteria colonies in a patient’s airways.” [58]
The next day, the Wuhan Health Commission informed local hospitals that it was investigating 27 cases of “pneumonia of unclear cause.” [59] The notice omitted any mention of SARS or a coronavirus. [60]
A few days later, “an official in charge of” Wuhan Central Hospital’s “supervision department gave Ai [Fen] a dressing down for ‘spreading rumours’ – a reference to the photograph she had posted online.” [61]
It wasn’t until December 31, 2019, that China “informed the World Health Organization’s China office of the mysterious pneumonia cases in Wuhan. WHO officials sent Beijing a list of questions about the outbreak and offered assistance.” [62] The Wuhan Municipal Health Commission declared that it “had no evidence of human-to-human transmission.” [63]
It would later become known that, on December 31, 2019, Taiwanese public health officials had warned the World Health Organization (WHO) that a virus was spreading between humans in China. The WHO, however, never publicized nor responded to the warning. [64]
That same day, Chinese social media censors introduced “a list of coronavirus-related terms, including ‘Wuhan unknown pneumonia’ and ‘unknown SARS,’ to block from online discussions.” [65] As the Washington Post later observed, “[w]hile scientists and public health experts scrambled to collect more information, China’s security services tried to smother it.” [66]
Just as authorities had targeted whistle-blowers during the 2002 AIDS outbreak in China, in January of 2020, authorities too began targeting whistle-blowers, most of whom were doctors.
On January 1, 2020, the Wuhan Public Security Bureau summoned eight doctors “to its headquarters, including [Wuhan ophthalmologist] Dr. Li Wenliang, who initially warned the public about the virus, accusing them of spreading ‘hoaxes.'” [67] China’s state broadcaster, CCTV, “accused the eight people in Wuhan of spreading what the government called rumours.” [68]
“Spreading rumors”… Sound familiar?
Massive Sale on beef. Freeze dried Ribeye, NY Strip, and Premium beef cubes. Promo code “jdr” at checkout for 15% off! WholeCows.com
Police issued a “chilling warning” in the Xinhua News Agency: “The police call on all netizens to not fabricate rumors, not spread rumors, not believe rumors.” [69] Authorities added that “they encouraged Web users to ‘jointly build a harmonious, clear and bright cyberspace.'” [70]
Dr. Li complied with authorities, “signing a statement confessing to his ‘misdemeanor.'” [71]
“The fate of the other seven [doctors] is unknown.” [72]
Just as the targeting of whistle-blowers during the 2002 AIDS outbreak in China had brought about increased self-censorship by doctors and others during the following 2002-2003 SARS outbreak, so too have the state-publicized arrests of the eight doctors who had tried to warn others of the dangers posed by the novel coronavirus.
Chinese surgeon, Wang Guangbao, noted, “The eight posters getting seized made all of us doctors feel we were at risk.” [73] Dali Yang, a professor of Chinese politics at the University of Chicago, observed, “Doctors in Wuhan were afraid… It was truly intimidation of an entire profession.” [74]
As an American jurist once remarked, “the value of a sword of Damocles is that it hangs – not that it drops. For every [person who tests] the limits of the statute, many more will choose the cautious path and not speak at all.” [75]
With swift force, China put a choke hold upon information exchange – and even research into – the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus.
On January 1, 2020, the Hubei Provincial Health Commission ordered a genomics company to “stop testing samples from Wuhan related to the new disease and destroy all existing samples.” [76]
Genesis is a faith-based precious metals company which is one of the reasons why they do NOT pretend to give away “free” silver. No, it’s not really free no matter what the other companies claim. Protect your life’s savings with a self-directed IRA backed by physical precious metals. Call us, 800-279-4653, and leave the gimmicks to the other guys. which is one of the reasons why they. No, it’s not really free no matter what the other companies claim. Protect your life’s savings with a self-directed IRA backed by physical precious metals. Call us, 800-279-4653, and leave the gimmicks to the other guys.
On January 2, 2020, the Director-general of the Wuhan Institute of Virology sent an internal e-mail to all staff. The subject of the e-mail: “Notice regarding the strict prohibition of disclosure of any information related to the Wuhan unknown pneumonia.” [77 (31:15)]
The next day, authorities ordered all genomics lab’s to “’transfer any samples they had to designated testing institutions or to destroy them.’ The order did not specify any testing institutions.” [78] That same day (January 3, 2020), “China’s National Health Commission (NHC), the nation’s top health authority, ordered institutions not to publish any information related to the unknown disease.” [79]
“Key state media omitted mention of the outbreak for weeks. Cadres focused on maintaining stability — and praising party leader Xi Jinping — as the crisis worsened.” [80]
For almost 2 weeks, from January 5-17, China’s “national Center for Disease Control did not register any [new] cases [of the coronavirus]… Yet during that time, from Jan. 5 to Jan. 17, hundreds of patients were appearing in hospitals not just in Wuhan but across the country.” [81]
Tastes like FREEDOM. Order Founders Blend Organic Coffee from Freedom First Coffee. Use "NOQ" as the promo code for 10% off!
On January 5, 2020, “six days after its China County office was ‘informed of cases of pneumonia with unknown etiology’ in Wuhan,” and after Wuhan officials again insisted that there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission, the World Health Organization advised the nations of the world “against the application of any travel or trade restrictions on China.” [82]
That same day, a Shanghai genomics lab fully sequenced the novel coronavirus genome. [83] China withheld this information for 7 days.
“China has many years of disease control, there’s absolutely no chance that this will spread widely because of Spring Festival travel,” declared the head of an expert team sent from Beijing to Wuhan, on Jan. 6. [84]
From January 6-17, the city of Wuhan – the epicenter of the SARS-CoV-2 Outbreak – hosted Hubei’s annual provincial meetings. Local and provincial officials gathered “to discuss the state of affairs at the local/provincial levels” – a time when “authorities mobilize stability maintenance systems to get rid of troublemakers.” [85] It is also a time when local authorities are “motivated by the desire to hide undesirable developments from Beijing.” [86] As the Washington Post reported, Wuhan officials thus employed a “multipronged approach to control information about the outbreak” as the provincial meetings commenced. [87]
This America First, veteran-owned company is ready to help you eat well today and eat well tomorrow. Use promo code “big15” for 15% off at checkout. Don’t wait for beef to become more scarce. Stock up on freeze-dried cubes made from Ribeyes, NY Strips, and Premium Cuts.is ready to help you eat well today and eat well tomorrow. Use promo code “big15” for 15% off at checkout.
According to the Washington Post, this “multipronged approach” to information control enacted by the Wuhan Health Commission included (1) concealing any indication of human-to-human transmission, (2) silencing whistle-blowers, (3) keeping expert groups in the dark, and (4) restricting diagnosis/testing criterion to only those who had visited the Huanan market, which was closed on January 1st after Wuhan officials singled out the wet market as a likely source of transmission. [88] One doctor lamented the narrowed diagnostic parameters as being “so strict, not a single patient met [them].” [89]
One Wuhan doctor daringly “overrode the stringent criteria” and submitted probable cases for lab diagnosis. Consequently, the doctor “received ‘stern criticism’ from hospital leadership. Barricaded behind the restrictive criteria and with doctors too afraid to speak up, the WHC [Wuhan Health Commission] effectively made the coronavirus outbreak disappear while Hubei provincial leaders” were in Wuhan for the provincial meetings. [90]
History appears to have repeated itself once again…
Back in March of 2003, in the throws of the SARS outbreak in China, a concern for the health of the Chinese was overridden by the Communist Party’s emphasis on social stability and the desire of Zhang Dejiang, the Communist Party Secretary of Guangdong, that the annual People’s Congress political meetings should commence uninterrupted. [91]
On January 7, 2020, China disclosed that a new coronavirus was the causative agent behind the cases of unknown viral pneumonia. [92] Yet, there was no mention of the genomic sequence of the novel coronavirus (which had been completed on January 5th).
Furthermore, “the transmissibility of the virus was downplayed, leaving the public unaware of the imminent danger.” [93]
Just as it had during the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak, the World Health Organization continued to swallow whole – and even propagate – China’s lies and propaganda regarding COVID-19.
On January 9, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) praised China: “Preliminary identification of a novel virus in a short period of time is a notable achievement and demonstrates China’s increased capacity to manage new outbreaks.” [94] The WHO insisted that “the virus does not spread readily between people,” and again advised the nations of the world against travel or trade restrictions on China. [95]
On January 11, 2020, the Wuhan City Health Commission issued a blatantly deceitful “update” on the outbreak which declared, “All 739 close contacts, including 419 medical staff, have undergone medical observation and no related cases have been found . . . No new cases have been detected since January 3, 2020. At present, no medical staff infections have been found, and no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission has been found.” [96] The health commission also issued a fallacious Q&A sheet later that day, that reemphasized “that ‘most of the unexplained viral pneumonia cases in Wuhan this time have a history of exposure to the South China seafood market. No clear evidence of human-to-human transmission has been found.’” [97]
After watching as authorities took “no obvious action to warn the public about the coronavirus,” on January 11th the Shanghai genomics lab (which had sequenced the virus genome on January 5th) made their findings public. [98] The lab “shared the data on virological.org, an online forum for discussing viruses, and GenBank, an open-access data repository, inviting researchers to download and analyze the data.” [99]
The next day, the Chinese authorities shuttered the lab for “rectification.” [100]
That same day, January 12th, Wuhan ophthalmologist, Li Wenliang, was hospitalized. The young doctor who had been arrested for “spreading rumors” after he warned others about the danger posed by the contagious virus, had himself contacted it from one of his patients. [101]
On January 12, 2020, hundreds of miles away from Wuhan, in the city of Shenzhen (Guangdong province, China), “a team led by microbiologist Yuen Kwok-yung used their own test kits to confirm that six members of a family of seven had the virus.” [103] In a later interview with the Chinese finance magazine, Caixin, Yuen explained that “he informed CDC branches ‘of all levels,’ including Beijing.” [103]
“But internal [Chinese] CDC numbers did not reflect Yuen’s report.” [104] In fact, Shenzhen’s first case of COVID-19 would not be recorded until January 19, 2020.
Like the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak, only after the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus spread beyond China didn’t Chinese Communist Party (CCP) authorities begin to take the outbreak seriously.
On January 13, 2020, Thailand reported the first case of the novel coronavirus outside of China. [105]
We’re LIVE and everything is on sale for a limited time! Whole Cows has launched offering freeze-dried beef for long-term storage. Don’t wait for food shortages to get worse. Stock up today. Use promo code “launch15” at checkout for 15% off!
In an internal government fax obtained by the Associated Press, China’s National Health Commission organized a January 14th teleconference “because of the case reported in Thailand and the possibility of the virus spreading during [Chinese] New Year travel.” [106] The fax “added that China had published information on the outbreak in an ‘open, transparent, responsible and timely manner,’ in accordance with ‘important instructions’ repeatedly issued by President Xi.” [107]
According to an internal memo obtained by the Associated Press, during the January 14th teleconference, “the head of China’s National Health Commission, Ma Xiaowei, laid out a grim assessment of the situation,” stating, “The epidemic situation is still severe and complex, the most severe challenge since SARS in 2003, and is likely to develop into a major public health event.” [108]
“Clustered cases suggest that human-to-human transmission is possible,” the memo notes. [109] Citing the case in Thailand, the memo goes on to stress that “the situation had ‘changed significantly’ because of the possible spread of the virus abroad.” [110] “With the coming of the Spring Festival,” (the name for the Chinese lunar New Year), “many people will be traveling, and the risk of transmission and spread is high… All localities must prepare for and respond to a pandemic.” [111]
According to the internal memo, “Ma demanded officials unite around Xi and made clear that political considerations and social stability were key priorities during the long lead-up to China’s two biggest political meetings of the year in March.” [112]
Déjà vu.
That very same day (January 14, 2020) – the World Health Organization (WHO) tweeted, “Preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the novel #coronavirus (2019-nCoV) identified in #Wuhan, #China??.” [113]
In reality, Chinese Communist Party (CCP) authorities had been aware of human-to-human transmission for at least 4 weeks.
On January 15, 2020, the head of the China CDC’s emergency center, Li Qun, announced on state television that China’s CDC had “reached the latest understanding that the risk of sustained human-to-human transmission is low.” [114] As noted by the Associated Press, “That was the same day Li was appointed leader of a group preparing emergency plans for the level one response, a CDC notice shows.” [115]
According to Chinese government documents given to the Associated Press by a medical professional in China (whose identity is being withheld for fear of retribution from CCP officials), “In response to the teleconference, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Beijing initiated the highest-level emergency response internally, level one, on Jan. 15. It assigned top CDC leaders to 14 working groups tasked with getting funds, training health workers, collecting data, doing field investigations and supervising laboratories, an internal CDC notice shows.” [116]
A 63-page set of instructions which was distributed to provincial health care officials by China’s National Health Commission “ordered health officials nationwide to identify suspected cases [of infections due to the novel coronavirus], hospitals to open fever clinics, and doctors and nurses to don protective gear.” [117] The instructions were marked “internal” — “not to be spread on the internet,” “not to be publicly disclosed.” [118]
Health care officials began “distributing CDC-sanctioned test kits, easing the criteria for confirming cases and ordering health officials to screen patients… [and] instructed officials in Hubei province, where Wuhan is located, to begin temperature checks at transportation hubs and cut down on large public gatherings.” [119]
All of this was done without informing the public. [120]
According to Daniel Mattingly, a scholar of Chinese politics at Yale, “The imperatives for social stability, for not rocking the boat before these important Party congresses is pretty strong… My guess is, they wanted to let it play out a little more and see what happened.” [121]
At this same time, in mid-January – while China was actively concealing information about the COVID-19 outbreak and about the virus itself, including its rapid transmission between humans – China began preparing for the impending world-wide pandemic by secretly snatching up the global supply of personal protective equipment (PPE), along with other medical and sanitary products. [122] The purchasing and importation of epidemic prevention and control materials was accomplished by the utilization of China-owned companies located across the world. [123] For example, real estate companies – including Greenland Group, Poly Development and Holdings, and Risland – locally purchased thousands of pounds of vital pandemic protection products and sanitary products such as hand sanitary, and exported those items to China. [124]
Additionally, China blocked PPE equipment companies – whose products are manufactured in China, but are headquartered elsewhere, including in the United States – from exporting their products from China. [125]
Effectually, China’s hoarding of vital medical and sanitary supplies allowed the Communist regime to corner the world market, all the while foreknowing that the world was about to be laden with a pandemic from a new coronavirus – that China had failed to control.
Peter Navarro – an American economist who currently serves in the Trump administration as the Assistant to the President, Director of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, and the national Defense Production Act policy coordinator – later lamented:
“During that period of time, that six-week interval when they were hiding this virus from the world, China went from a net exporter of personal protective equipment — they are the largest producer of that in the world — to a large net importer.
“They basically went around and vacuumed up virtually all of the PPE around the world…
“And what that did was leave people in New York, Milan, and everywhere in between defenseless when it came time to have that PPE.” [126]
Meanwhile, Wuhan officials continued to organize “holiday shopping fairs” and other festivities. [127] They continued to distribute “hundreds of thousands of tickets to local attractions.” [128]
On January 17, 2020, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission issued an update on infections, which declared, “A total of 763 close contacts have been tracked, 665 medical observations have been lifted, and 98 people are still receiving medical observations. Among the close contacts, no related cases were found.” [129]
Later that day, the United States CDC, along with the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection began screening travelers arriving in the US from Wuhan, China, for symptoms of COVID-19 at 3 airports in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. [130]
On January 18, 2020, despite knowing that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was contagious, Wuhan city officials allowed “40,000 families to gather and share home-cooked food in a Lunar New Year banquet.” [131] Then, late that same evening, “[a]t 10 minutes after midnight… the [health] commission announced the existence of four new infections. Still, officials downplayed the risk of human-to-human transmission.” [132]
On January 19, 2020, five days after the pandemic preparation teleconference, China’s National Health Commission issued its first public statement since the outbreak began. [133] After reassuring the world that the coronavirus outbreak was “still preventable and controllable,” the National Health Commission issued a disarming lie; the commission stated that there had been “no cases of the virus spreading from one person to another,” as the virus had simply “crossed the species barrier and come from infected animals at a seafood and wildlife market in Wuhan.” [134] The commission “promised to step up monitoring during the Lunar new year,” a time when “[m]illions of Chinese travel to their families for the holiday.” [135]
Despite the fact that the novel coronavirus had by that time spread to Thailand and Japan, the world seemed to tentatively breathe a collective sigh of relief, swallowing the Chinese Communist Party’s line – hook, line, and sinker.
There was at least one country, however, which wasn’t buying China’s bull.
According to a report in Reuters, a Vietnamese government-backed hacking group known as APT32 had begun attempting “to compromise the personal and professional email accounts of staff at China’s Ministry of Emergency Management and the government of Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the global coronavirus pandemic,” since at least one week prior to the first known international infection of the novel coronavirus. [136] As the report noted, “Vietnam was quick to react to first reports of the new coronavirus, sealing off its border with neighbouring China.” [137] “These [cyber] attacks speak to the virus being an intelligence priority – everyone is throwing everything they’ve got at it, and APT32 is what Vietnam has,” said Ben Read of the cybersecurity firm, FireEye. [138] Adam Segal, a cybersecurity expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, said the hacking activity “shows both a distrust about Chinese government announcements and a sense that when China sneezes, it is its neighbours that get the flu – in this case literally.” [139]
Finally, on January 20, 2020, Dr. Zhong Nanshan – a leading authority on respiratory health – confirmed on Chinese state television that the COVID-19 disease does in fact spread from person-to-person. [140] “The late-night announcement capped a day in which authorities announced a sharp uptick in the number of confirmed cases to more than 200.” [141] We now know this number to be, in reality, far higher. The head of China’s National Health Commission’s investigatory team, Nanshan confirmed “cases of human-to-human transmission in Guangdong province, indicating spread between provinces.” [142] President Xi also made a public statement that day, but he failed to include any mention of human-to-human transmission. [143]
This admission came almost a month after Chinese officials had determined human-to-human transmission was taking place in Wuhan.
Like the 2002-2003 SARS-Cov outbreak, during which China’s 1.36 billion people traveled around the country, and abroad, for the Lunar New Year [144], on January 20, 2020, China’s 1.4 billion citizens were preparing for or had already begun what has been referred to as “the world’s biggest human migration.” [145] “Spring Festival” travel “typically begins 15 days before the start of Lunar New Year.” [146] This year’s festival travel window was January 10 through February 18, 2020. [147]
On January 21, 2020, The America’s CDC announced the first US case of a the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in a resident of Washington state who had returned to the US six days earlier (January 15, 2020) after visiting China. [148] Tragically, by this point in time, as many as 5 million people had already left Wuhan, carrying the virus with them to destinations in China and around the world. [149]
Stock prices fell that afternoon, following the CDC announcement of the first US case of COVID-19. [150]
On January 22, 2020, the World Health Organization convened what would become a two-day Emergency Committee meeting to determine whether or not the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus outbreak constituted a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director-general, continued to praise China’s handling of the outbreak:
“I was very impressed by the detail and depth of China’s presentation. I also appreciate the cooperation of China’s Minister of Health, who I have spoken with directly during the last few days and weeks. His leadership and the intervention of President Xi and Premier Li have been invaluable, and all the measures they have taken to respond to the outbreak.” [151]
On January 23, 2020, the WHO Emergency Committee concluded that the virus outbreak did not constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). [152]
The same day (January 23rd) that the WHO declined to declare the 2019-nCoV outbreak a PHEIC, Singapore and Vietnam reported their first cases of COVID-19. [153] The virus had already spread to Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, South Korea and the United States. [154]
The same day (January 23rd) that the WHO declined to declare the 2019-nCoV outbreak a PHEIC – after millions have already visited the Wuhan, and left it, during the Lunar New Year celebrations and after a significant number of Chinese residents had “traveled abroad as asymptomatic, oblivious carriers” of the coronavirus [155] – authorities in China announced the first steps for a city-wide lockdown of Wuhan, “halting all public transportation going in and out of the city.” [156]
However, in a fateful blow to the rest of the world, internal flights in and out of Wuhan continued unabated. [157]
The next day, on January 24, 2020, person-to-person transmission was reported in Vietnam. [158] The US reported its second case, this time in the city of Chicago, Illinois. [159] Within the next two days, new cases were reported in California and Arizona, as “the odds of preventing an outbreak” in the United States began “dwindling to zero.” [160]
Also on January 24th, it was confirmed that the virus had spread to Europe, as France recorded the continent’s first and second cases. [161] The next day, the first cases of COVID-19 were recorded in Australia and Canada. [162]
For three crucial days, from January 24-27, 2020:
“The weeklong Lunar New Year string of holidays began on Jan. 24, with the outbound traffic peak lasting through Jan. 27.
“The Chinese government let the massive exodus of group travelers [from Wuhan] continue [international travel] despite the public health crisis. No explanation has been given.
“Furthermore, while suspending group travel [on January 27, 2020], China did nothing to limit individuals traveling overseas.
“Groups account for less than half of all Chinese tourists heading abroad.
“Chinese travelers journeyed to Japan, South Korea, Italy, Spain, France, the U.K., Australia, North America and South America, one planeload after another.” [163]
Between January 24 and February 29, 2020, China “imported 2.46 billion pieces of ‘epidemic prevention and control materials.'” [164] “The gear, valued at nearly $1.2 billion, included more than 2 billion masks and more than 25 million “protective clothing” items,” came from countries across the globe, including from those “in the European Union, as well as Australia, Brazil and Cambodia.” [165]
According to a White House official, “Data from China’s own customs agency points to an attempt to corner the world market in PPE like gloves, goggles, and masks through massive increased purchases — even as China, the world’s largest PPE manufacturer, was restricting exports.” [166]
Finally, on January 30, 2020 – while still praising “China’s capacity to control the outbreak” [167] – the World Health Organization reversed course and declared that the 2019-nCoV outbreak to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). [168] Again, however, the organization recommended “against border closures, visa restrictions, and quarantining of healthy visitors from affected regions.” [169]
On January 31, 2020, the United States suspended entry of foreign nationals who had visited China to protect against the further spread of the dangerous SARS-CoV-2 pathogen. [170] The following day, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying, criticized the travel restrictions as “neither based on facts, nor helpful at this particular time,” [171] She added that the action was “certainly not a gesture of goodwill.” [172]
On February 3, 2020, Dr. Wu Xiaohua claimed that the haphazard laboratory management at the Wuhan Institute of Virology by bat virologist, She Zhengli, may have led to a laboratory leak of the novel coronavirus. [173 (32:12)]
On February 4, 2020, Chairman of Duoyi, Xu Bo, made the public charge that the Wuhan Institute of Virology was “suspected of manufacturing and leaking the Wuhan virus.” [174 (32:28)]
On February 5, 2020, XinhuaNet announced that 21 countries, as well as the United Nations Children’s Fund had donated epidemic prevention and control supplies to China. [175] Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying, added that “China welcomes and thanks the understanding, support and help from the international community.” [176]
On February 6, 2020, Chinese citizen journalist, Chen Quishi, went missing. [177] “In late January [Chen] decided to travel to Wuhan to report on the worsening situation.” [178] “Then, on 7 February, a video was shared on his Twitter account – which is currently managed by a friend – featuring his mother, who said he had gone missing the day before. His friend Xu Xiaodong later alleged… that [Chen] had been forcibly quarantined.” [179]
That same day (February 7th), Chen Wei, a top biomedical weapon expert with China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), officially assumed control over the laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). [180 (32:44)]
Tragically, also on February 7, 2020, Doctor Li Wenliang – the young doctor who had been arrested for “spreading rumors” after he warned others about the danger posed by the contagious virus – succumbed to the disease. [181] He was 34 years old. Hours after initially denying reports of his death, Wuhan Central Hospital confirmed Li had in fact died early Friday morning. [182] The hospital issued a statement through social media:
“In the fight against the pneumonia epidemic of the new coronavirus infection, our hospital’s ophthalmologist, Li Wenliang, was unfortunately infected. He passed away after all the efforts we’ve taken to resuscitate him. We deeply mourn his passing.” [183]
In an interview (on January 30, 2020) before his death, Li stated, “I think there should be more than one voice in a healthy society.” [184]
His death galvanized the Chinese public.
On the day of Li’s death, (February 7th), the hashtag “#wewantfreedomofspeech” began trending on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform. [185] “The same day, along with other related topics,” it is was deleted by China’s censors.” [186]
After a discussion between China’s president, Xi Jinping, and President Trump on February 7, 2020, Trump pledged assistance to China. [187]
On February 9, 2020, Chinese citizen journalist, Fang Bin, went missing. [188] Fang had been “posting videos about the outbreak to ‘report on the actual situation” in Wuhan, “promising to ‘do his best'” In reporting on the outbreak. [189] On February 9th, “he posted a 13-second video with the words ‘all people revolt – hand the power of the government back to the people.’ After that, the account went silent.” [190]
On February 11, 2020, the World Health Organization issued updated guidance regarding travel restrictions, stating that any “travel measures that significantly interfere with international traffic” undertaken during the COVID-19 outbreak “need[ed] to be short in duration, proportionate to the public health risks, and be reconsidered regularly.” [191]
Curiously, on February 11th, the World Health Organization also released the official name for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus disease, “COVID-19,” noting that the location of origin – China – was specifically omitted from the name to avoid “stigmatisation.” [192]
Coincidence?
Contagions have long been named for the location of origin, including Zika, West Nile Virus, Ebola, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Spanish Flu, Asian Flu, and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome.
Japan’s deputy prime minister and finance minister, Taro Aso, would later refer to the World Health Organization as the “Chinese Health Organization,” referencing the WHO’s close ties to Beijing. [193]
On February 14, 2020, President Xi “called for the inclusion of biosecurity into China’s national security framework and to accelerate the introduction of a biosecurity law.” [194 (32:57)]
Intriguingly, beginning on February 15, 2020, China’s daily reports of new infections dropped dramatically, and continued to drop each day thereafter, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. [195]
On February 16, 2020, China ordered the lockdown of Hubei Province, home to the city of Wuhan. [196]
On February 19, 2020, China expelled 3 reporters from the Wall Street Journal, because of a negative headline. [197] At this time, a “network of bloggers in China” began attacking Wesyern news outlets, including The Wall Street Journal and the BBC, “trying to increase international political tensions for Taiwan” – a “campaign” which would later pick up steam around the middle of March 2020. [198]
By February 20, 2020, China had reported approximately 50,000 cases of SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus infections. [199] However, “according to research by academics at Hong Kong University’s school of public health, published in the Lancet, the true number… would have been 232,000.” [200] The authors of the study have “point[ed] in particular to the very narrow scope of the first diagnostic guidelines” used at the onset of the crises. [201] The researchers noted that “[t]he initial diagnostic criteria for identifying the disease… was very narrow, and was revisited seven times between 15 January and 3 March by China’s national health commission.” [202] “The Hong Kong study analysed data up to 20 February taken from the World Health Organization’s mission to Wuhan.” [203]
In mid-to-late February of 2020, China, Iran, and Russia began to synchronize their propaganda campaigns, “using the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to spread disinformation related to the United States.” [204] The propaganda includes “the baseless narratives that the coronavirus is an American bioweapon and is being spread by US troops, that the US is scoring political points from the crisis, and that all three governments — unlike the US — are managing the crisis well.” [205] Some of the anti-American propaganda was and is being produced by state-run media outlets, and some of it was and is being produced by the foreign governments. [206] “A core message shared between [the propaganda from the 3 nations] is that China is a strong global health leader and the United States is a weak ally.” [207]
Lea Gabrielle, of the State Department’s Global Engagement Center, explained:
“What we saw as the health crisis started to come under control in China is that the CCP really started pushing a concerted effort to try to reshape that narrative.” [208]
On February 26, 2020, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) government announced plans to publish a book, entitled Great War, detailing “Xi Jinping’s ‘strategic vision and outstanding leadership’ in combatting the virus in China, alongside a demonstration of the ‘advantages’ of the ‘socialist system with Chinese characteristics’ in handling such a crisis.” [209]
That same day (February 26th), the Chinese government forced 30,000 Uighurs into factories – some of which are forced labor camps – in order to keep China’s economy moving, despite the risk of infection, effectively turning Uighurs into commodities of the Communist state. [210] Uighurs, who have been described as “dispensable labor,” are an ethnic and religious minority in China, a large number of which are held in Chinese concentration camps. [211] Back on January 31st, CCP authorities “order[ed] residents in Atush, in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, to confine themselves in their homes for three weeks. Residents say they were given no prior warning and Uighur watchdog groups report widespread starvation in the area.” [212] On February 24, 2020 – in front of a live audience – Wang Xining, China’s number two diplomat in Australia, responded to criticism of the way the Uighurs are being treated by re-labeling the forced labor camps as “training centers” that are “mostly voluntary,” where Uighurs receive “training for future jobs.” [213] The audience laughed at the absurdity.
It was also on February 26th, that Chinese citizen journalist, Li Zehua, disappeared. [214] Li had quit his job and found a way into Wuhan to report on the outbreak. [215] There, “Li started posting videos of his visits to infected locations such as college campuses and funeral homes. He interviewed residents, migrant workers, and employees at the funeral homes.” [216]
Acknowledging another missing citizen journalist, Li proclaimed in a video posted to YouTube:
“If one Chen Qiushi falls, 10 million more Chen Qiushis will stand up to take his place.” [217]
National Review reported on Li’s disappearance:
“On February 26, when Li was on his way back from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which many conspiracy theorists believe was responsible for creating and spreading the coronavirus, he posted a short video while he was being chased at high speed by a public-security vehicle. Viewers can hear him exclaim, ‘They’re chasing me. . . . I’m sure that they want to hold me in isolation. Please help me!’
“Li made it back to his apartment and started livestreaming again. He was visibly shaken by the chase and knew very well that something baleful was getting close to him. Then he heard a knock at the door. Through the peephole, he saw two big guys outside. It was to be his final hour of freedom. Before he opened the door, he made an impassioned speech.
“Li said: ‘Since I first arrived in Wuhan, everything I have done has been in accord with the constitution of the People’s Republic of China and with its laws.’ Knowing he would be taken away and even forcibly quarantined, just like Chen Qiushi, Li made sure to note in the video that he had protective gear and that he was healthy at the moment of his arrest. It was important for him to emphasize this on the record, because if the Chinese government later claimed that Li was sick and quarantined or even had died of the coronavirus, the rest of the world, especially Li’s family, would know it was a lie.” [218]
Throughout the coronavirus outbreak, “[a]uthorities never close Uighur detention camps” [219].
By the end of February, the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus had spread to six continents. [220]
On February 29, 2020, CNN reported:
“The latest numbers: The novel coronavirus has killed more than 2,900 people worldwide, the vast majority in mainland China. There have been more than 85,000 global cases, with infections on every continent except Antarctica.” [221]
“First US death reported: President Trump spoke to reporters about the latest coronavirus developments, including the death of a Washington state patient.” [222]
“‘Highest level of alert’: The World Health Organization says the outbreak has reached the “highest level” of risk for the world, with the director-general warning it can go in ‘any direction.'” [223]
“Markets plunge: Major stock indexes in the US recorded their worst week since the 2008 financial crisis.” [224]
On March 3, 2020, XinhuaNet “contend[ded] the ‘world should thank China’ for its early response to the virus and touts that, unlike the American government and Chinese citizens, it never imposed a travel ban on United States citizens.” [225] Xinhua added, “Obviously, the true… epidemic in the United States is seriously underestimated. The reason is that all the confirmed cases must be finally determined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has made the US data always suspicious worldwide.” [226]
A report published on March 3, 2020, by the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto’s Munk school of global affairs and public policy determined that “Chinese social media censors blocked neutral information about the coronavirus outbreak when they targeted references to the outbreak on WeChat and other platforms.” [227] [228] “Hundreds of keywords and keyword combinations… were censored in late December, as doctors sought to warn about the new virus,” including “Wuhan seafood market” and “Sars variation.” [229] The report detailed “troubling” findings:
“Our findings show that information on Covid-19 is being tightly controlled on Chinese social media… Censorship of Covid-19 content started at early stages of the outbreak and continued to expand blocking a wide range of speech, from criticism of the government to officially sanctioned facts and information.” [230]
The Guardian reported China’s censorship efforts to control the narrative of the outbreak:
“…between January and February, ‘a wide breadth of content’ was censored on WeChat and YY, a Chinese live-streaming platform, including criticisms of the Chinese government.
“Speculative and factual information, and neutral references to the government’s handling of the outbreak, were also blocked.” [231]
On March 8, China announced that it would donate $8 million to the World Health Organization. [232]
On March 9, 2020, China magazine People published an interview with Ai Fen, the doctor who tried to sound the alarm by sharing an image of a diagnostic report, back on December 30, 2019. [233] Ai had been inspired to come forward and speak out following the death of Wuhan ophthalmologist, Li Wenliang. [234] Ai suggested that “local health authorities in Wuhan, the centre of the epidemic, missed an opportunity to issue a warning about an imminent outbreak before the virus spread and infected more than 117,000 people globally and caused over 4,200 deaths,” numbers reported at the time of the interview. [235]
In her interview with People, Ai said that “Hu Ziwei, a nurse at the hospital, became infected about a week later. But while the hospital originally noted in her diagnostic report that she was suffering from ‘viral pneumonia’, it later changed the description of her ailment to ‘infections’.” [236]
“Infections.”
Within hours of its publication, the magazine was pulled from newsstands and deleted online by China’s censors. [237]
Ai Fen has sense gone missing.
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak a pandemic. [238] That same day, and without irony, the WHO praised China for its “impressive” performance in containing the virus:
“What we saw in terms of experience from China is really impressive. Now the outbreak in China is on the decline, and there is a significant decline. The virus is hammered, and on a retreat. We’re very glad that it’s reversing and the viruses retreating.” [239]
The next day (March 12th), China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Zhao Lijian, propagated Russian anti-American propaganda on Twitter, “insinuating COVID-19 originated in America and was spread to China by the United States military.” [240]
https://twitter.com/zlj517/status/1238111898828066823?s=19
Meanwhile, China continued its persecution of dissidents. On March 14, 2020, Chinese businessman, Ren Zhiqiang, was reported missing by his friends. [241] Ren had authored an essay blasting the CCP for its slow response to the outbreak, blaming its speech restrictions for exacerbating the crisis and calling President Xi a “power-hungry clown.” [242]
On March 16, 2020 – with a goal of inducing panic – Chinese operatives began to disseminate a false alarm to United States citizens through text messages, “a tactic that several [US] officials said they had not seen before.” [243] The text message, which was also spread through fake social media accounts, claimed that President Trump was about to lock down the entire country. [244]
On March 16, 2020, President Donald Trump referred to the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus as the “Chinese Virus.” [245] After a morning briefing warning of a possible economic recession due to the pandemic, the President tweeted:
“The United States will be powerfully supporting those industries, like Airlines and others, that are particularly affected by the Chinese Virus. We will be stronger than ever before!” [246]
Geng Shuang, a China foreign ministry spokesman, said of the tweet: “Some US politicians have tried to stigmatise China … which China strongly condemns… We urge the US to stop this despicable practice. We are very angry and strongly oppose it.” [247]
XinhuaNet complained, “Using racist and xenophobic names to cast blame for the outbreak on other countries can only reveal politicians’ irresponsibility and incompetence.” [248]
Since 2018, China has been battling another viral epidemic: “African Swine Fever.” [249]
By the middle of March, Italy was in the throws of a full blown epidemic. On March 17, deaths in Italy due to the novel coronavirus totaled 2,503; there were 31,506 Italians infected with the dangerous pathogen. [250] In a matter of days, Italy would replace China as the world’s epicenter of the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus pandemic. “Before the virus hit Europe, Italy donated tons of personal protective equipment [PPE] to China” to protect the front line workers. [251] Now, with the virus ravaging it’s own health care workers, Italy was facing a dreadful shortage of PPE.
On March 17, 2020, in what appeared to be a much needed gesture of generosity and good will, China announced that it was donating medical supplies to Italy, as well as sending doctors to help Italy fight the China-born contagion. [252] In reality, however, “China forced Italy to buy back the PPE supply that it gave to China during the initial coronavirus outbreak.” [253] As The Spectator later reported:
“China taking advantage of Italy’s generosity is just the latest example of its disastrous diplomacy in the wake of the pandemic. Much of the supplies and testing kits China has sold to other countries have turned out to be defective. Spain had to return 50,000 quick-testing kits to China after discovering that they were faulty. In some cases, instead of apologizing or fixing the issue, China has blamed its defective equipment on others. China condescendingly told the Netherlands to ‘double-check the instructions’ on its masks, for example, after the Netherlands complained that half of the masks they were sent did not meet safety standards.” [254]
A senior US administration official lamented China’s deceptive “generosity,” aimed only at improving its own image rather than at actually helping other countries:
“It’s so disingenuous for Chinese officials now to say we are the ones who are helping the Italians or we are the ones who are helping the developing world when, in fact, they are the ones who infected all of us…
“Of course they should be helping. They have a special responsibility to help because they are the ones who began the spread of the coronavirus and did not give the information required to the rest of the world to plan accordingly.” [255]
On March 18, 2020, China revoked the press credentials from Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Washington Post reporters. [256]
On March 21, 2020 – as part of its “Health Silk Road” initiative – China sent 110,000 medical masks and 776 protective suits by train from Yiwu, China, to Madrid, Spain. [257] “The train from Yiwu to Madrid takes seventeen days (a flight takes less than one), and Chinese factories produced 110 million facemasks in February alone.” [258]
That same day, March 21, 2020, in a particularly cruel tweet, China state-run outlet, Global Times, misleadingly suggested that “an unexplained strain of pneumonia” may have originated in Italy late in 2019, a clear attempt to shift the origin COVID-19, and the blame, onto Italy. [259]
https://twitter.com/globaltimesnews/status/1241559268190343168?s=19
On March 23, 2020, “the Hubei Provincial government lifts restrictions on Hubei Province, with the exception of Wuhan.” [260]
On March 24, 2020, Spain [261] and the Czech Republic [262] report that medical supplies purchased from China are defective.
“Spanish microbiologists report[ed] that tests sent to Spain by the CCP detected positive COVID-19 cases only 30% of the time.” [263]
“Researchers from University Hospital Ostrava in the Czech Republic report[ed] that 80% of the coronavirus antibody test kits received from the Chinese government were defective.” [264]
On March 26, 2020, the United States of America became the world’s new epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. [265] With at least 82,174 cases of the new coronavirus disease, COVID-19, the US surpassed Italy (which had 80,589 cases) and China (which had 81,285 cases). [266]
On March 29, 2020, the Dutch Health Ministry reported that it had issued a recall of 600,000 defective masks received from the Chinese government. [267]
By the end of March, multiple countries across the globe, along with 41 of America’s 50 states, had issued lockdowns. [268] A large part of the global economy ground to a near halt.
On March 31, 2020, CNN reported:
“There are more than 857,000 novel coronavirus cases around the world, according to Johns Hopkins University.” [269]
“The US has the most confirmed cases globally at more than 185,200. More than 3,800 people have died in the US.” [270]
“The US will reach “peak resource use” on April 15, according to one statistical model.” [271]
“A new World Bank report warns Covid-19 could bring recession to countries in East Asia and the Pacific and push 11 million people into poverty.” [272]
The same day (March 31, 2020), after much speculation, China admitted that it had been omitting asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 from its official daily numbers reported to the World Health Organization. [273] China conceded – at least on the surface – to begin reporting these cases. [274] According to the latest information from the Center for Evidence-based Medicine (CEBM), “between 5% and 80% of people testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 may be asymptomatic.” [275]
Like the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak, when local and provincial officials feared the repercussions of passing along any negative news to top officials in Beijing, “[u]nder Xi, China’s most authoritarian leader in decades, increasing political repression has made officials more hesitant to report cases without a clear green light from the top.” [276]
On April 1, 2020, “U.S. intelligence services report[ed] that the Chinese government ‘intentionally’ under-represented its outbreak totals and that its reported numbers are “fake.” [277] “China has concealed the extent of the coronavirus outbreak in its country, under-reporting both total cases and deaths it’s suffered from the disease.” [278]
Surprisingly, “On Wednesday April 1,” announced by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), “Chinese diplomat Jiang Duan was appointed… to represent the Asia-Pacific region in the Consultative Group of the Human Rights Council (HRC), a 5-member body of the United Nations (UN) whose role is to evaluate candidates for the posts of special rapporteurs, independent experts and members of working groups charged with investigating human rights violations.” [279]
“Unfortunately, this is not an April fool,” RSF added. [280]
On April 3, 2020, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted war exercises in the disputed water of the South China Sea, because “the outbreak of COVID-19 has significantly lowered the US Navy’s warship deployment capability in the Asia-Pacific region.” [281]
On April 6, 2020, an Australian whistle-blower interviewed by 60 Minutes said that employees at China-owned real estate company in Sydney, Australia, Poly Developments and Holdings, received e-mailed instructions for the purpose of assisting the company hoard medical supplies for China. [282] The e-mail, obtained by 60 Minutes, said “If you have time please drop by your local pharmacy to check if there are any 3MN95 or 8210 masks for sale.” [283]
A second whistle-blower, employed at China-owned real estate company, Greenland Group, told 60 Minutes “he saw tonnes of gloves, masks, gowns, sanitiser and other vital medical supplies being packaged in his Sydney office to be shipped out of Australia to China.” [284] He continued:
“Meeting rooms, lunch rooms and the boardroom, starting to be filled with different types of items getting unpackaged and repackaged and labelled… It definitely rose my suspicion. The concern to me is if all these medical items leave the country, what’s left for us?
“It is very unsettling that essential equipment can just leave our borders in massive commercial quantities.” [285]
At the time of the report, Australian health care workers treating COVID-19 patients were experiencing shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE). [286]
On April 8, 2020, The 76-days-long lockdown of Wuhan was lifted. [287]
Later that day, on April 8, 2020, Beijing officials released a statement informing the public that Ren Zhiqiang – the Chinese businessman who criticized President Xi’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak and had subsequently gone missing on March 14th – was being held by authorities and investigated for “serious violations” of Communist Party regulations. [288]
On April 9, 2020, CCP officials imposed “restrictions on the publication of academic research on the origins of the novel coronavirus, according to a central government directive and online notices published by two Chinese universities, that have since been removed from the web.” [289] “The increased scrutiny appears to be the latest effort by the Chinese government to control the narrative on the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed more than 100,000 lives and sickened 1.7 million people worldwide since it first broke out in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December.” [290]
On April 11, 2020, after a number of disturbing incidents of overt discrimination surfaced, the United States an advisory warning African Americans not to travel to Guangzhou (Guangdong Province, China). [291] Foreign Policy reported:
“Over the past week, hundreds of African migrant workers, traders, and students in the southern city of Guangzhou, home to Asia’s largest African diaspora, were tossed out onto the street—some by their landlords, some by hotel managers, and some by local officials. Those evicted, mostly Igbo Nigerians, insisted that they had paid their rent, had valid visas and the right paperwork, and had no contact with anybody infected with COVID-19. Meanwhile, many others were forced into a 14-day quarantine and random testing without getting their test results. Tony Mathias, an Ugandan exchange student, told Agence France-Presse: ‘I’ve been sleeping under the bridge for four days with no food to eat. … I cannot buy food anywhere. No shops or restaurants will serve me.’
“The events… are part of the response to growing Chinese fear of a reemergence of coronavirus infection but also build on long-standing hostility toward Africans in southern China. Anti-African feelings in China go back decades, including riots aimed at Africans in 1988-1989 in Nanjing. In Chinese media, Africans are often characterized as backward or primitive and blackness as unattractive. Virulent racism common on social media is largely unchecked by censors, including claims that Africans are rapists, drug dealers, or AIDS carriers.
“Those prejudices have led to a string of incidents amid coronavirus-induced paranoia. On April 4, reports of an infected Nigerian man attacking a Chinese nurse went viral, unleashing a slew of online trolls demanding the cleansing of a city they claimed was “littered with blacks.” Three days later, four Nigerians tested positive for the virus after having been seen eating together at a local restaurant. These reports sparked widespread fear that Africans were the primary cause of recent upticks in coronavirus cases.
“African expats were left at the mercy of xenophobic attitudes and heavy-handed enforcement.” [292]
On April 13, 2020, the World Health Organization summarized, “We know that COVID-19 spreads fast, and we know that it is deadly – 10 times deadlier than the 2009 flu pandemic… We know that in some countries, cases are doubling every 3 to 4 days.” [293]
On April 14, 2020, “President Trump said the U.S. will stop funding to the World Health Organization while his administration reviews [the WHO’s] role in ‘mismanaging” the coronavirus.'” [294] Annually, the United States “contributes up to $400 million while superpowers like China, where the outbreak began, contribute closer to $40 million.” [295] The freeze on finding is expected to last 60 to 90 days. [296]
“The United States has a duty to insist on full accountability,” the President added. [297]
Like the 2004 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak, which was caused by two separate laboratory leaks of the SARS-CoV coronavirus from a Beijing’s Institute of Virology, could the 2019 outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus outbreak been caused by an accidental laboratory leak?
https://twitter.com/R_H_Ebright/status/1250063045528883201?s=20
On April 14, 2020, the Washington Post reported that “[t]wo years before the novel coronavirus pandemic upended the world, U.S. Embassy officials visited a Chinese research facility in the city of Wuhan several times and sent two official warnings back to Washington about inadequate safety at the lab, which was conducting risky studies on coronaviruses from bats.” [298] There are two research laboratories in Wuhan; each is located not far from the wet market that Chinese officials have insisted spawned the COVID-19 outbreak. [299] The Wuhan Institute of Virology laboratory and the Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention laboratory are both operated by the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). [300] The April 14th Washington Post article explained:
“In January 2018, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing took the unusual step of repeatedly sending U.S. science diplomats to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), which had in 2015 become China’s first laboratory to achieve the highest level of international bioresearch safety (known as BSL-4)…
“What the U.S. officials learned during their visits concerned them so much that they dispatched two diplomatic cables… back to Washington. The cables warned about safety and management weaknesses at the WIV lab…. The first cable… warn[ed] that the lab’s work on bat coronaviruses and their potential human transmission represented a risk of a new SARS-like pandemic.
“During interactions with scientists at the WIV laboratory, they noted the new lab has a serious shortage of appropriately trained technicians and investigators needed to safely operate this high-containment laboratory…
“The cable tells us that there have long been concerns about the possibility of the threat to public health that came from this lab’s research, if it was not being adequately conducted and protected…
“There are similar concerns about the nearby Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention lab, which operates at biosecurity level 2, a level significantly less secure than the level-4 standard claimed by the Wuhan Institute of Virology lab… That’s important because the Chinese government still refuses to answer basic questions about the origin of the novel coronavirus while suppressing any attempts to examine whether either lab was involved.” [301]
The same day that the Washington Post article was published (April 14th), Richard H. Ebright, Board of Governors Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Rutgers University, noted that “[a]t the same time the coronavirus outbreak was starting last November-December in Wuhan, a separate lab accident in Lanzhou infected hundreds of persons, in two provinces, with the bacterium Brucella.” [302] Ebright provided a link to an article in Nature News. [303]
https://twitter.com/R_H_Ebright/status/1250063272335769603?s=20
On April 17, 2020, it was confirmed that the United States is “conducting a full-scale investigation into whether the novel coronavirus, which went on to morph into a global pandemic that has brought the global economy to its knees, escaped from a lab in Wuhan, China…Intelligence operatives are said to be gathering information about the laboratory and the initial outbreak of the virus. Intelligence analysts are piecing together a timeline of what the government knew and ‘creating an accurate picture of what happened.'” [304]
On April 20, 2020, a Wuhan lab official responded to the speculation that the novel coronavirus pandemic may have been caused by an accidental laboratory leak. “There is absolutely no way that the virus originated from our institute,” said Yuan Zhiming, director of the Wuhan National Biosafety Laboratory. [305]
On April 22, 2020, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lamented, “The CCP still has not shared the virus sample from inside of China with the outside world, making it impossible to track the disease’s evolution.” [306] Throughout the pandemic, China has steadfastly refused to share samples with the United States scientists.
That same day (April 22, 2020), India announced that it was recalling faulty SARS-Cov-2 test kits that it had received from China. Shortly thereafter, India announced that it was recalling all testing materials from Chinese companies, and that all orders for such items from China would be cancelled. [307] “We cannot afford to have faulty test kits in the time of crisis,” said Dr Rajni Kant Srivastava, head of research management of ICMR. [308]
Then, on April 22, 2020, missing citizen journalist, Li Zehua, who had last been seen on February 26th, reappeared on Chinese social media. [309] Li said he had been forcibly quarantined. “Throughout the whole time, the police acted civilly and legally, making sure I had rest and food. They really cared about me,” he said, adding “May God bless China and the people of the world unite.” [310] As The Guardian observed:
“Li’s tone and comments, neutral and patriotic, were markedly different from his previous videos. Li, who had worked for the state-broadcaster CCTV, travelled to Wuhan to report on the crisis after another citizen journalist and activist Chen Qiushi disappeared.” [311]
On April 23, 2020, “‘to boost its superficial credentials” in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic,” China announced that it was donating an additional $30 million to the World Health Organization “in support of global efforts to fight COVID-19 and the construction of public health systems in developing countries.” [312] Experts contend that “China’s contributions to WHO were not goodwill gestures but rather a series of political power moves to boost its global image.” [313, For example, the China director at Human Rights Watch, Sophie Richardson, has noted that “China was trying to craft an image for itself as a global leader in the coronavirus fight rather than the country from which the virus originated.” [314] Richardson explained:
“Chinese officials and their propaganda machinery are in high gear worldwide trying to paint the Chinese government as the solution to the problem, rather than one of the sources of it.” [315]
Alex Wang, who is a professor with the UCLA School of Law and “a leading expert on the law and politics of China,” elaborated:
“China has been actively promoting its own competence in handling COVID-19 and highlighting US failures… This Trump funding withdrawal may play well to the political base at home, but it also gives China an opportunity to reinforce its own narrative in an effective way.” [316]
John Lee – a former national security adviser to Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop (2016 to 2018), and who is currently a senior fellow at the United States Studies Center in Sydney, as well as at the Hudson Institute in Washington, DC. – stated that while the World Health Organization does “wonderful work on the ground in all parts of the world,” the organization’s leadership had become “captured by countries such as China,” at the risk of its own reputation. [317] Lee elaborated:
“When [WHO] leadership is called to make decisions of global health concern such as with the current pandemic, such decisions tend to be overly influenced by political rather than health priorities… In this context, Dr. Tedros [WHO head] is deeply compromised and his credibility is heavily damaged.” [318]
On April 23, 2020, Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, announced that 1 million face masks that it had purchased from China did not meet safety standards and thus could not be distributed to health care workers. [319]
On April 24, 2020, China rejected requests for an independent, international investigation into the origin of COVID-19, and claimed that such requests were a politically motivated distraction. [320]
That same day (April 24, 2020), a Reuters report revealed that “China sought to block a European Union report alleging that Beijing was spreading disinformation about the coronavirus outbreak.” [321] According to EU diplomatic correspondence, “a senior Chinese official contacted European officials in Beijing… to tell them that, ‘if the report is as described and it is released today it will be very bad for cooperation.'” [322] Reuters reported that the “correspondence quoted senior Chinese foreign ministry official Yang Xiaoguang as saying that publishing the report would make Beijing ‘very angry’ and accused European officials of trying to please ‘someone else’ – something the EU diplomats understood to be a reference to Washington.” [323]
As a result, the release of the EU report was delayed, and a “comparison of the internal version of the report obtained by Reuters and the final version published late Friday showed several differences.” [324] The EU apparently acquiesced to China. Reuters noted several examples, including the following:
“…on the first page of the internal report shared with EU governments on April 20, the EU’s foreign policy arm said: “China has continued to run a global disinformation campaign to deflect blame for the outbreak of the pandemic and improve its international image. Both overt and covert tactics have been observed.
“The public summary posted Friday to the bloc’s disinformation portal, euvsdisinfo.eu www.euvsdisinfo.eu, attributed the disinformation to ‘state-backed sources from various governments, including Russia and – to a lesser extent – China. [325]
A second interesting report came on April 25, 2020, entitled “‘They are trying to steal everything.’ US coronavirus response hit by foreign hackers.” [326] Officials, pointing directly at China, warned that “they have seen a growing wave of cyberattacks on US government agencies and medical institutions leading the pandemic response.” [327] CNN reported:
“Hospitals, research laboratories, health care providers and pharmaceutical companies have all been hit, officials say, and the Department of Health and Human Services – which oversees the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — has been struck by a surge of daily strikes.” [328]
Meanwhile, back in the United States, the pandemic’s death toll has continued to rise. For example, contained in the April 26, 2020, issue of the Boston Globe were 21 pages of death notices. [329]
On April 26, 2020 – after Australia “called for all members of the World Health Organization (WHO) to support an independent review into the origins and spread of the coronavirus” and began to lobby world leaders [330] – China’s Beijing ambassador, Cheng Jingye, threatened Australia with economic punishments. [331] “Cheng Jingye denounced Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s push for an inquiry,” and insisted, “Resorting to suspicion, recrimination or division at such a critical time could only undermine global efforts to fight against this pandemic.” [332] Cheng then issued the following veiled threats:
“Maybe the ordinary people will say ‘Why should we drink Australian wine? Eat Australian beef?” [333]
“Maybe the ordinary people will say ‘Why should we drink Australian wine? Eat Australian beef?” [334]
“The parents of the students would also think … whether this is the best place to send their kids.” [335]
Ambassador Cheng mimicked the Chinese Communist Party’s current false narrative, adding:
“It’s a kind of pandering to the assertions that are made by some forces in Washington… Over a certain period of time, some guys are attempting to blame China for their problems and deflect the attention.
“So what is being done by the Australia side? The proposition is a kind of teaming up with those forces in Washington and to launch a kind of political campaign against China.” [336]
On April 27, 2020, Australia’s Foreign Minister, Marise Payne, issued a statement “that Australia had made a ‘principled call’ for an independent review of the COVID-19 outbreak which started in the Chinese city of Wuhan.” [337] Further, Payne boldly declared:
“We reject any suggestion that economic coercion is an appropriate response to a call for such an assessment, when what we need is global cooperation.” [338]
China’s diplomats have become markedly aggressive and vitriolic in the months since the COVID-19 outbreak began, as an April 25th report in The Diplomat documented:
“From Asia to Africa, London to Berlin, Chinese envoys have set off diplomatic firestorms with a combative defense whenever their country is accused of not acting quickly enough to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
“They belong to a new generation of “Wolf Warrior” diplomats, named after patriotic blockbuster films starring a muscle-bound Chinese commando killing American bad guys in Africa and Southeast Asia with his bare hands.
“The tougher approach has been building for several years under President Xi Jinping, who has effectively jettisoned former leader Deng Xiaoping’s approach of hiding China’s ambitions and biding its time. His government has urged its diplomats to pursue ‘major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics.’” [339]
On April 27, 2020, it was revealed that China’s Communist Party police had detained several Chinese citizens “who contributed to an online archive of censored articles about the coronavirus outbreak. [340] The citizen are just the latest casualties of the CCP’s war on free speech and the free exchange of information. [341] As Reuters reported:
“The two – Chen Mei and Cai Wei – have been out of contact since April 19, when police detained them in Beijing, Chen Kun, Chen Mei’s brother, told Reuters.
“Cai was held on charges of “picking quarrels and stirring up trouble”, on a notice from Chaoyang district police in Beijing, Chen Kun said, an accusation often used against political activists in China.
“Chen Kun said he did not know what charges, if any, his brother was held on.
“A third person, Cai’s girlfriend, surnamed Tang, was held on similar charges, Chen Kun said, although it was not immediately clear if she was directly involved in the archive project…
“The archive was among those that kept in circulation a profile report on a Wuhan doctor and whistleblower, Ai Fen, which went viral as people translated it in various forms including into Braille, Morse code and even Klingon in a defiance of the censors.
“Ai was reprimanded in January for sharing information about the outbreak.” [342]
What now?
With more and more information coming to light, perhaps in the months that follow – like those that followed the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak – the world will learn the true extent of China’s vile deception and deadly secrecy during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
China’s CCP has continued to insist, “China is the first country to report a COVID case, but it doesn’t mean the virus originated in China.” [343]
Some will try to deflect blame away from China. Unarguably, governments in several countries have made missteps along the way. However, no amount of missteps or miscalculations can void the Chinese Communist regime of responsibility.
What was written into the Congressional record in 2003 is as true now as it was then:
“For the time being, it appears the mainland’s initial denial and slow response to the SARS outbreak characterizes a political environment where individual initiative is discouraged and social stability is protected above other interests, to the detriment of social safety.” [344]
China now has the blood of hundreds of thousands of human beings on its hands.
One thing is abundantly clear: The People’s Republic of China’s ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) “have deceived the world about the coronavirus since its appearance in late 2019.” [345]
“The evidence of China’s deliberate cover-up of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan is a matter of public record. In suppressing information about the virus, doing little to contain it, and allowing it to spread unchecked in the crucial early days and weeks, the regime imperiled not only its own country and its own citizens but also the [185] nations now facing their own potentially devastating outbreaks. More perniciously, the Chinese government censored and detained those brave doctors and whistleblowers who attempted to sound the alarm and warn their fellow citizens when they understood the gravity of what was to come.” [346]
Again we are forced to wait… and to wonder: the question isn’t “whether this disease will make or break China, but if [it] will make or break the world as we know it.” [347]
Citations :
Please lie less. (2003, April 10). The Economist. Retrieved April 11, 2020, from https://www.economist.com/asia/2003/04/10/please-lie-less Taylor, C. (2003, July). The Chinese Plague. World Press Review (VOL. 50, No. 7). Retrieved April 2, 2020, from https://www.worldpress.org/Asia/1148.cfm Ibid. [2] Freedom of the Press and the 2002-2003 SARS Outbreak. (2003). Congressional-Executive Commission on China. Retrieved April 11, 2020, from https://www.cecc.gov/freedom-of-the-press-and-the-2002-2003-sars-outbreak#1a Taylor, C. (2003, July). The Chinese Plague. World Press Review (VOL. 50, No. 7). Retrieved April 2, 2020, from https://www.worldpress.org/Asia/1148.cfm Ibid. [5] Ibid. [5] Ibid. [5] Information Control and Self-Censorship in the PRC and the Spread of SARS. (2003, May 7). Congressional-Executive Commission on China. Retrieved April 11, 2020, from https://www.cecc.gov/publications/issue-papers/information-control-and-self-censorship-in-the-prc-and-the-spread-of-sars Taylor, C. (2003, July). The Chinese Plague. World Press Review (VOL. 50, No. 7). Retrieved April 2, 2020, from https://www.worldpress.org/Asia/1148.cfm Ibid. [10] Ibid. [10] Ibid. [10] Information Control and Self-Censorship in the PRC and the Spread of SARS. (2003, May 7). Congressional-Executive Commission on China. Retrieved April 11, 2020, from https://www.cecc.gov/publications/issue-papers/information-control-and-self-censorship-in-the-prc-and-the-spread-of-sars Taylor, C. (2003, July). The Chinese Plague. World Press Review (VOL. 50, No. 7). Retrieved April 2, 2020, from https://www.worldpress.org/Asia/1148.cfm Ibid. [15] Ibid. [15] Ibid. [15] Ibid. [15] Lupfer, J. (2015, April 15). SARS/MERS. Retrieved April 18, 2020, from https://prezi.com/iw-i24axqhao/sarsmers/ Freedom of the Press and the 2002-2003 SARS Outbreak. (2003). Congressional-Executive Commission on China. Retrieved April 11, 2020, from https://www.cecc.gov/freedom-of-the-press-and-the-2002-2003-sars-outbreak#1a Taylor, C. (2003, July). The Chinese Plague. World Press Review (VOL. 50, No. 7). Retrieved April 2, 2020, from https://www.worldpress.org/Asia/1148.cfm Ibid. [22] Ibid. [22] Ibid. [22] Freedom of the Press and the 2002-2003 SARS Outbreak. (2003). Congressional-Executive Commission on China. Retrieved April 11, 2020, from https://www.cecc.gov/freedom-of-the-press-and-the-2002-2003-sars-outbreak#1a Ibid. [26] Ibid. [26] Ibid. [26] Ibid. [26] Ibid. [26] Ibid. [26] Ibid. [26] Ibid. [26] Ibid. [26] Yu, V. (2020, February 9). Doctor who exposed Sars cover-up is under house arrest in China, family confirms. Retrieved April 12, 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/09/sars-whistleblower-doctor-under-house-arrest-in-china-family-confirms-jiang-yangyong Walgate, R. (2004, April 27). SARS escaped Beijing lab twice. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/gb-spotlight-20040427-03 Ibid. [37] Enserink, M. (2017, December 10). SARS Crisis Topples China Lab Chief. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2004/07/sars-crisis-topples-china-lab-chief# Ibid. [39] Taylor, C. (2003, July). The Chinese Plague. World Press Review (VOL. 50, No. 7). Retrieved April 2, 2020, from https://www.worldpress.org/Asia/1148.cfm Hudson Institute. “Coronavirus Timeline.” by Hudson Institute, 2020. https://www.hudson.org/research/15920-coronavirus-timeline . Ma, J. (2020, March 13). China’s first confirmed Covid-19 case traced back to November 17. Retrieved March 17, 2020, from https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3074991/coronavirus-chinas-first-confirmed-covid-19-case-traced-back Ibid. [43] Dutton, G. (2020, April 3). Compare: 2003 SARS Pandemic Versus 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic. Retrieved April 20, 2020, from https://www.biospace.com/article/comparison-2003-sars-pandemic-vs-2020-covid-19-pandemic/ Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. (2020). Retrieved April 23, 2020, from https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html Hudson Institute. “Coronavirus Timeline.” by Hudson Institute, 2020. https://www.hudson.org/research/15920-coronavirus-timeline . Gerry Shih, E. R. (2020, February 1). Early missteps and state secrecy in China probably allowed the coronavirus to spread farther and faster. Retrieved April 5, 2020, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/02/01/early-missteps-state-secrecy-china-likely-allowed-coronavirus-spread-farther-faster/ Jiaxing, W. (2020, January 28). Before Zhong Nanshan spoke, the doctor in Wuhan issued an outbreak alert to nearby schools. Retrieved April 4, 2020, from https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/IzzCnz4Yr2jEIYZePiu_ow Gerry Shih, E. R. (2020, February 1). Early missteps and state secrecy in China probably allowed the coronavirus to spread farther and faster. Retrieved April 5, 2020, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/02/01/early-missteps-state-secrecy-china-likely-allowed-coronavirus-spread-farther-faster/ Hermesauto. (2020, February 28). How early signs of the coronavirus were spotted, spread and throttled in China. Retrieved April 3, 2020, from https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/how-early-signs-of-the-coronavirus-were-spotted-spread-and-throttled-in-china Gerry Shih, E. R. (2020, February 1). Early missteps and state secrecy in China probably allowed the coronavirus to spread farther and faster. Retrieved April 5, 2020, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/02/01/early-missteps-state-secrecy-china-likely-allowed-coronavirus-spread-farther-faster/ Huang , K. (2020, March 11). Wuhan doctor says officials muzzled her for sharing coronavirus report. Retrieved April 12, 2020, from https://amp.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3074622/coronavirus-wuhan-doctor-says-officials-muzzled-her-sharing Ibid. [53] Ibid. [53] Ibid. [53] Zhou, C. (2020, February 14). After chaos, Dr Li Wenliang, coronavirus whistle-blower, confirmed dead at 34. Retrieved February 20, 2020, from https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3049411/coronavirus-li-wenliang-doctor-who-alerted-authorities-outbreak Gerry Shih, E. R. (2020, February 1). Early missteps and state secrecy in China probably allowed the coronavirus to spread farther and faster. Retrieved April 5, 2020, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/02/01/early-missteps-state-secrecy-china-likely-allowed-coronavirus-spread-farther-faster/ Ibid. [58] Ibid. [58] Ibid. [58] Ibid. [58] Hudson Institute. “Coronavirus Timeline.” by Hudson Institute, 2020. https://www.hudson.org/research/15920-coronavirus-timeline . Ibid. [63] Ibid. [63] Gerry Shih, E. R. (2020, February 1). Early missteps and state secrecy in China probably allowed the coronavirus to spread farther and faster. Retrieved April 5, 2020, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/02/01/early-missteps-state-secrecy-china-likely-allowed-coronavirus-spread-farther-faster/ Hudson Institute. “Coronavirus Timeline.” by Hudson Institute, 2020. https://www.hudson.org/research/15920-coronavirus-timeline . Zhou, C. (2020, February 14). After chaos, Dr Li Wenliang, coronavirus whistle-blower, confirmed dead at 34. Retrieved February 20, 2020, from https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3049411/coronavirus-li-wenliang-doctor-who-alerted-authorities-outbreak Gerry Shih, E. R. (2020, February 1). Early missteps and state secrecy in China probably allowed the coronavirus to spread farther and faster. Retrieved April 5, 2020, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/02/01/early-missteps-state-secrecy-china-likely-allowed-coronavirus-spread-farther-faster/ Ibid. [69] Hudson Institute. “Coronavirus Timeline.” by Hudson Institute, 2020. https://www.hudson.org/research/15920-coronavirus-timeline . Ibid. [71] Gerry Shih, E. R. (2020, February 1). Early missteps and state secrecy in China probably allowed the coronavirus to spread farther and faster. Retrieved April 5, 2020, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/02/01/early-missteps-state-secrecy-china-likely-allowed-coronavirus-spread-farther-faster/ The Associated Press. (2020, April 15). China didn’t warn public of likely pandemic for 6 key days. Retrieved April 15, 2020, from https://apnews.com/68a9e1b91de4ffc166acd6012d82c2f9 Arnette v. Kennedy, 416 U.S. 134 (1974) (Justice Marshall, dissenting). Hermesauto. (2020, February 28). How early signs of the coronavirus were spotted, spread and throttled in China. Retrieved April 3, 2020, from https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/how-early-signs-of-the-coronavirus-were-spotted-spread-and-throttled-in-china Epoch Times. (2020, April 7). Tracking down the origin of the Wuhan virus. Retrieved April 27, 2020, from https://youtu.be/3bXWGxhd7ic Hudson Institute. “Coronavirus Timeline.” by Hudson Institute, 2020. https://www.hudson.org/research/15920-coronavirus-timeline . Hermesauto. (2020, February 28). How early signs of the coronavirus were spotted, spread and throttled in China. Retrieved April 3, 2020, from https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/how-early-signs-of-the-coronavirus-were-spotted-spread-and-throttled-in-china Gerry Shih, E. R. (2020, February 1). Early missteps and state secrecy in China probably allowed the coronavirus to spread farther and faster. Retrieved April 5, 2020, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/02/01/early-missteps-state-secrecy-china-likely-allowed-coronavirus-spread-farther-faster/ The Associated Press. (2020, April 15). China didn’t warn public of likely pandemic for 6 key days. Retrieved April 15, 2020, from https://apnews.com/68a9e1b91de4ffc166acd6012d82c2f9 Hudson Institute. “Coronavirus Timeline.” by Hudson Institute, 2020. https://www.hudson.org/research/15920-coronavirus-timeline . Korean J Radiol. 2020 Mar; 21(3): 365–368. Published online 2020 Feb 11. doi: 10.3348/kjr.2020.0078. Retrieved April 14, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7039714/ The Associated Press. (2020, April 15). China didn’t warn public of likely pandemic for 6 key days. Retrieved April 15, 2020, from https://apnews.com/68a9e1b91de4ffc166acd6012d82c2f9 Yang, D. L. (2020, March 10). Analysis | Wuhan officials tried to cover up covid-19 – and sent it careening outward. Retrieved March 17, 2020, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/03/10/wuhan-officials-tried-cover-up-covid-19-sent-it-careening-outward/ Ibid. [85] Ibid. [85] Ibid. [85] Ibid. [85] Ibid. [85] Sala, I. M. (2016, May 19). How Zhang Dejiang helped create Hong Kong’s fatal SARS epidemic. Retrieved A