Mask diplomacy: China tries to rewrite virus narrative

This virus as well as Ebola is caused by a lack of hygiene. Markets in China and Africa often mix exotic animals in together with "normal" edible animals, which ruins the hygiene. Some speculations about the virus' origin have arisen, but it's needless to say that the source is likely bats, which many of the already existing coronaviruses have come from. Bad hygiene around bats and exotic animals is a NO NO!

Bush people in Congo ate infected bats, which gave rise to the Ebola virus. If only parts of China and some parts of Africa had good hygiene when coming to food, none of this would've probably ever happened. Just proves how essential good hygiene is for human survival!

@Hello Kitty 321

China does something good and people still complain.

So if I set a house on fire will you praise me for bringing a bucket of water?

Oops! I meant to post - Yeah, and there's a bridge in Brooklyn that I will sell you for a cheap price.

Speed" The "What it is is" and "How we got actually here of little" concern to them. That can be made to go away, distorted and manipulated with spin.

Its how it appears that matters the most to the CCP. The glory of the party must be the filter that everything feeds through, no matter how absurd. If the Western media buys and propagates their garbage and propaganda, then we all deserve exactly what we get.

How generous. I'm sure the thousands of innocent people in China and around the world who have lost their lives due to the negligence and cover-ups by the PRC will be thankful.

Unfortunately, this will likely work. Due to the political infighting in the west and their own laughable 'leadership', no one will soon pay any attention to China's responsibility for this global tragedy.

Thanks for the masks, though.

No doubt the Chinese communist supporters and sympathizers are out there in full force on this website, but the fact remains, the Chinese government is the one responsible for the spread of this pandemic.

Call it 'racist' and downvote this post all you want, but hurt feelings does not change this fact. The Chinese government without a doubt hid the enormity of the virus and mishandled just about everything to contain and minimize the impact of the coronavirus within Wuhan. This is precisely why the world did not take the virus seriously at first, it always starts at the source.

Sure, other countries had their own issues with taking it seriously and containment, but as mentioned it always starts at the top.

Some of you may incessantly criticize other countries for engaging in historical revision and whitewashing, but this is exactly what the Chinese government is now doing.

A front-page commentary by the state-run People's Daily on Thursday emphasised China's role as a "responsible major country" that willingly cooperates with other nations

Yes, they are a "responsible" country.

Responsible for the coronavirus and SARS that has killed hundreds.

"Mask help" is not a charity. Most are string-attached to Beijing.

Name-fare ("Chinese virus" "Kung flu") or the origin debate are futile. I only criticize the authorities' negligence and cover-ups at the very early stage. CCP has finally said that those responsible are to be punished. But things are not about local Wuhan long rank-and-files. President Xi and top leaders had been centralizing power; all orders have come from Beijing.

BTW, censorship in China has been further tightened. The number of people "going missing" are allegedly on the rise.

These "wet markets" should have been banned by China after the SARS outbreak in 2002/2003. Their failure to do anything despite having determined them to be the cause is what the entire world is now suffering from both in terms of life, death, health as well as economy. The damage that China has done to the world, is really quite immeasurable. But China has been too busy building trying to steal the Senkakus and building artificial islands and militarizing the South China Sea, and persecuting Uighurs and those who speak out against the CCP to spend any effort on something so important and predictable as putting an end to these novel coronavirus incubators. If this COVID19 pandemic pulls China off it's economic high horse it will have been self earned.

China should try to go on the "charm offensive" since they and their filthy live animal markets were the cause of this Wuhan virus outbreak. (Which they've also managed to change the name of.)

They've been responsible for so many epidemics they should be going over and beyond to help.

deflecting criticism over its initial missteps in handling the coronavirus.

Deflecting criticism over initial 'missteps' must also be contagious.

The disease started in Wuhan, China.

It started in the disgusting live meat markets.

The markets exist because”ordinary Chinese people” buy and consume animals not fit or bred for human consumption (and often endangered).

The CCP knew the danger they represented.

The CCP did nothing to stop these markets.

The CCP suppressed and vilified the Doctor who warned them of the outbreak.

The CCP suppressed and downplayed the outbreak once forced to admit it.

The CCP local officials allowed 5million people to spread out from Wuhan before stopping them, spreading the virus across China and the world.

No, no, the Chinese government and people are not responsible for this outbreak!

China does something good and people still complain.

So if I set a house on fire will you praise me for bringing a bucket of water?

China deserves credit for the gesture.

Now, the world has to spell it out to the CCP that their incompetence, lack of transparency, pig-headedness and corruption ( corrupt local officials turn a blind eye to all kinds of corner cutting and rule bending ) has to stop.

This isn’t the bug that you see prefacing some sci-fi films bit the next one might be.

Get your house in order now.

China is hands down, 100% responsible for this virus. Their lack of hygiene in their open air rats nests that pass for “markets” and their indulgence in eating animals not fit for human consumption (see, bats), is the cause of the current problems in the world today.

Live animal markets need to be banned full-stop, forever. They represent an existential threat to human life. When this over, the USA, EU, Japan, Australia - all need to band together and put economic pressure on China (and whatever other country thinks it's still a good idea to sell wild live animals) to make this happen.

People don't like the CCP because of the way it runs its Country - suppresses the freedoms we have elsewhere, blocks the internet, and has separate rules for its internal Elite from the rest of those within the Nation, and blatant Corruption is ingrained into the whole fabric of its Government.

I feel sorry for the Chinese Peoples having to live within this environment. China is a great Country, the CCP is trash and needs to be thrown out.

@savethegaijin,

Best comments ever.

Where is the toilet paper in Tokyo? Heck with the useless masks.

China saves the world from itself. Roll out the red carpet. It's even stranger to think that this dirty little virus just may benefit China the most after this awful pandemic is over when the dust has settled. Then we can all thank China for saving us all from the mess it made.

@Akie

Close the wet markets and the consumption of animals which should not be eaten. The CCP owes it to the planet.

This has caused terrible suffering in China and around the globe.

Stop it now.

Incorrect. The outbreak was first reported in China, Wuhan. It doesn't necessarily mean it happened in China, in Wuhan. It could happened somewhere, without being reported.

This is unhelpful. Very unhelpful. It is possibly the most unhelpful comment I’ve ever come across.

Speaking of mask and availability, where are Japan's masks? Many masks disappeared from Japan and ended up in China. Now the availability for masks in Japan is extremely minimal to none for the last 1.5 months. Happy Drugs, 0, Asahi Drugs 0, Universe 0, Life 0, Youkido 0, Lawsons, 1 if your lucky, Family Mart 1 if your lucky per day. Where are the promised masks?

Personally speaking, and it's wishful thinking I am sure, it would be great to see this not being politicized and just one country looking to help others, particularly at this time.

There is a huge opportunity for the world to work together here, but I (sadly) doubt it will happen without it becoming a political hot potato!

Beijing has showered struggling European nations with aid as part of a diplomatic charm offensive.

Like Italy, Poland, Greece, Portugal, Austria, Luxembourg and Switzerland which are in China's Belt and Road Initiative? How nice of China to help in its 'repair' of their damage to their business chain.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belt_and_Road_Initiative

It is amazing how goodness of human nature from the very beginning of the outbreak are under reported, deliberately by the media, to gave false impression of what happened in the real world. Almost all nations on this planet showed their supports to Chinese communist party, and Chinese people.

Yeah, Chinese Communist Party is a party before country political organization. You so easiliy prove my point of CCP propagandists and the HYPOCRISY of the CCPs actions. The same CCP attempted to COVER UP and CONTROL the flow of FACTUAL information and allowed citizens of China and tourists from Wuhan TRAVEL across the country and across the WORLD with NO warning or precautions! The support is for China is for the people, NONE for the CCP.

@Akie, PocketAce, in many countries if a firefighter starts a fire then helps put it out they are still prosecuted by the law for arson. The CCP(Chinese GOVERNMENT) is the firefighter that commited arson. NO matter how much you try to pull the entirety of China (the average every day citizen) into your narrative propaganda, it is the fault of the Chinese GOVERNMENT. I've yet to see either of you mention the Chinese GOVERNMENT as a seperate entity. Until you can acknowledge criticism where it's due against the Chinese GOVERNMENT, you'll always be seen as paid (or worse unpaid) propagandists for the CCP, not the average citizen of China.

France helped China to build the hospitals for this crisis providing air filtering parts. China is paying back with masks.

What's the problem ?

With China's economy slumping badly due to tariffs and ongoing shifting of the supply chain to other countries, does anyone rally put it past the CCP to sacrifice a few hundred thousand of their virtually enslaved population in order to collapse the rest of the worlds' economies to improve their own situation? Coincidence that this happened a few months leading up to US elections?

China is a long ways away from being an influential country on global scale. And the answer lies in its attitude towards other countries. Virtually all democracies (i.e. Europe, Americas, Japan, Australia) despise the CCP because the CCP stands for values that are antithetical to democracy. Authoritarian countries don't mind China since (a) China can (and has) bribed MANY a foreign politician and (b) the bribed head of states can control the media narrative about China.

So, when China throws its usually hissy fit about being criticized (see Australia, America, Brazil), the CCP seems to think that because they cannot be criticized by Chinese citizens, they cannot be criticized by other countries within its 'web of influence.' Newsflash to ethnocentric Chinese: the rest of the world (especially 'the West' which is code for Democracies) does NOT think like you and NO you cannot 'buy' the suppression of a nation's voices.

We have a saying here in America 'if you want respect, you give it.' China's CCP doesn't seem to grasp that concept...and, guess what, in democratically elected countries, the CCP's image is awful.

This CCP Wuhan virus 19 causes much suffering to many nations. The world body must investigate the origin, cause, and any cover up thereof. A Chinese whistle blower was reprimanded and death, many spoke out also disappeared, and it has been reported the early virus samples were destroyed, and CCP blocked professional from other nations entering Wuhan at later date. "WHO" also should be investigated in becoming a mouthpiece of CCP for quoting no person to person transmission in January. It is not about reprisal, but rather preventing this suffering from reoccur again. C'mon CCP, shows up your real face to the world! Regardless how complicated it may be, lawsuits are coming your way comrade CCP. ACCOUNTABILITY ANYONE!

Where is the toilet paper in Tokyo? Heck with the useless masks.

There is expert opinion which says masks can help prevent the spread of this virus.

That does not fit the definition of useless. Your visceral dislike of masks will not change this.

It's covid 19. And whilst it may have originated in China, the ordinary people of the country are not responsible.

The CCP must bear the brunt responsibility for this, but there are ordinary Chinese people who recognize the problem with these markets and food safety problems in China. All of us need to look honestly at aspects of our cultures which need to change. While it’s idiotic and dangerous to call this the ‘Chinese virus’ or ‘Kung flu’, we can still be honest when dealing with problems.

Some of you may incessantly criticize other countries for engaging in historical revision and whitewashing, but this is exactly what the Chinese government is now doing.

Every country which engages in historical revision and whitewashing should be called out. No exceptions.

Nobody here is claiming the CCP have been transparent. I don’t know who you are arguing with.

People need to look at the good as well as the bad. Yes, what the Chinese authorities did (or didn't do) had awful global consequences. They made the same mistakes after SARS - secrecy at first, slow to respond, shutting up whistle-blowers and not permanently banning wet markets with wild animals. So, no, I'm not a fan of the CCP either. However, would you not like to see China helping out with masks, ventilators and other much-needed goods? It seems like, damned if you do, damned if you don't. What's done is done. The biggest issue now is what each country, including China, can do to resolve the problem and help the needy. If you feel that Italy should reject all those medical equipment, then tell them to their faces.

There also seems to be a strong sense of Sinophobia and xenophobia towards people with absolutely nothing to do with the problem. Not all of those Asian-looking people beaten up in the streets were Chinese, and not all Chinese like eating wild animals. Some are disgusted by that habit. As a vegan of many many years, I am also absolutely disgusted at how pigs, chickens and cows are treated in factory farms. Many are diseased!!! Americans may say chlorinated chicken is safe, but why the heck are chlorine dioxide and other chemicals used in the first place? There are a lot of hypocrites here. Should BSE be called the British disease? H1N1 the American virus? How about swine flu? Is criticism only directed at non-western countries.

There's a video doing the rounds on the internet. It shows a market where workers are cutting up snakes, and all sorts of animals are in cages. Oh, those disgusting Chinese, as the comments go. Any non-racist idiot can look at the faces and see that they didn't really look Chinese. It turns out the video was taken in Indonesia, but that didn't really matter. And there are videos showing bushmeat in an African market. The point is, deadly viruses and diseases can appear anywhere. And they have. This just gives an excuse for people like ossan to spew their racism.

Have some of you heard about the book The Eyes of Darkness by Dean Koontz? The book was published in 1981 and predicted a virus outbreak from an infectious studies laboratory near the Chinese city of Wuhan. In the book the virus is called WUHAN-400. Published in 1981. I guess the book's selling better now than it did nearly 40 years ago.

Mask diplomacy: China tries to rewrite virus narrative

China is desperately trying to repair their damaged reputation.

With millions of face masks, low interest loans and teams of medical experts, China is trying to paint itself as a Good Samaritan while deflecting criticism over its initial missteps in handling the coronavirus.

Trying to help others is admirable. Hiding how China failed to properly contain SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, the cause of the COVID-19 disease, or trying to blame other nations, only serves to remind people worldwide that information from China can not be trusted.

with domestic cases dwindling to zero Thursday.

Yeah, and there

"So if I set a house on fire will you praise me for bringing a bucket of water?"

Well said.

Alternatively like the one comparing the CCP to someone who walks their dog and it defecates massively on your lawn. While you are cleaning it up they offer to help a bit...if you will award them the Nobel Prize.

I wonder if the knowledge of the early January person-to-person outbreak was known by Presient" Xi himself and he that he just put the blame of "fall guys" under him (Wuhan officials). We may never know.

Let us never forget that the Chinese government willfully engaged in a deliberate cover up of the true nature of the coronavirus that originated in Wuhan.

Despite several weeks of the virus infecting citizens in Wuhan, it wasn't until December 27 when Wuhan officials are told there is a new mystery virus spreading. Several doctors were reprimanded and intimidated when they tried to sound the warnings about this new virus.

Even as late as January 14, and unbelievably, Chinese officials via WHO announced that there was 'no clear evidence' of human to human transmission of this coronavirus. On January 20 a Chinese doctor finally admits that it IS possible for human to human transmission.

One study shows that had China conducted even a three week intervention early on when the virus was first noted to be spreading, it would have reduced cases by 95%.

https://www.southampton.ac.uk/news/2020/03/covid-19-china.page

So if I set a house on fire will you praise me for bringing a bucket of water?

No, I wouldn’t Confucius.

"Bio-weapons not bats."

So do agree that there is a possibility that some of these infected test animals and lab rats may have been sold on the local Wuhan live exotic food market?

This is my point. There are more than 28,000 published papers on the coronavirus, a US patent on the coronavirus, and 2112 published academic papers on covid19 downloadable from WHO Database.

versus

They prolly took them animals and sold them and ate them

Pandemics are a thing of nature, and it will always be. iIt is not intentional nor created by man. Let’s not cast blame just because you have a dim view of the Chinese people or the CCP.

@Pocket Ace, You just proved my point. In my above posts, not ONCE did I blame the Chinese PEOPLE. I was CRITICISING the hypocritical behaviour of the Chinese GOVERNMENT. And once again you tried to bind the criticism of the CCP with "bashing" the Chinese PEOPLE and attempting to twist it as if I was bashing China as a whole instead of just the Chinese government...

Also pandemics are not "a thing of nature" if human society is capable of reducing the effects or even preventing a disease from spreading in the first place. The CCP had ample opportunity to take decisive and more effective action since LAST YEAR, and didn't. They had warnings well ahead of time, and went on their merry little authoritarian antics as usual.

West good, China baaad much mate?

CCP very bad, Democratic government good is more like it. But hey, don't let that CCP propagandist narrative get in the way of letting people who aren't from the CCPs pathetic attempts of influence get in the way of other peoples perception of them.

"They are known by their actions..." The CCP has had literally decades worth of actions up to this day that shows them for who they are. No credibility, no honesty = no trust from other nations who pay attention to what they've done.

Have some of you heard about the book The Eyes of Darkness by Dean Koontz? The book was published in 1981 and predicted a virus outbreak from an infectious studies laboratory near the Chinese city of Wuhan. In the book the virus is called WUHAN-400. Published in 1981. I guess the book's selling better now than it did nearly 40 years ago.

Where do think Koontz got this from? This is not a prophecy but the author’s access to information of military labs that exists in both the US and China. Bio-weapons not bats.

"Bio-weapons not bats."

So do agree that there is a possibility that some of these infected test animals and lab rats may have been sold on the local Wuhan live exotic food market?

HOW MANY ANGRY TRUMP CALLS THIS VIRUS "THE CHINESE VIRUS"

How many of these viruses and Flu's came from China ?

think time China cleaned up farming and how they handle food and animals to prevent this and be glad it's not worse. Next time may be more deadly

But they ran with it and beat it. And now they are helping other countries with the problem.

That's bad?

Certainly not. The authorities have a lot to answer for with the initial disgraceful response, though.

Now is the time to pool resources and take help from wherever it emanates from.

Let's tackle the spread of bigotry as well.

Well said, Toasted Heretic!

Trump's actions mirror China's initial reaction - sweep it under the carpet! But they ran with it and beat it. And now they are helping other countries with the problem.

That's bad?

[China’s] lack of hygiene in their open air rats nests that pass for “markets” and their indulgence in eating animals not fit for human consumption (see, bats), is the cause of the current problems in the world today.

Sorry but I think this narrative is naive. You guys seriously think it’s just caused by a lack of hygiene or eating exotic food?

There are some 28,000 academic papers per Google Scholar written on the coronavirus. As of March 19, 2020, there are 2,112 research papers published on COVID19 per WHO. (I downloaded the Excel file from the WHO database zip 2.28 mb and skimmed the titles and abstracts.)

We hacks here at JapanToday can just discuss coronavirus testing or the lack of testing ad nauseam. The professionals around the world research the DNA genome, RNA genome, virus mutation, influenza viruses, tree and branch strains of COVID19 to hypothesize the source.

There is no consensus that this is noctilionine influenza/ bat flu or from bats because there is no hard evidence. The best you’ll get is “thought to have begun in the markets.” Then you have a dozen papers differentiating coronavirus from SARS and SWINE flu. There are theses on the human engineered coronavirus in a lab. There is more.

@honestdictator

I call things out as I see it. You and many others here are always perceived to be illogical western apologists with which the west is never held accountable for any of their wrong doing. I am disillusioned by the supposedly superior first world reasoning and mentality. Pandemics are a thing of nature, and it will always be. iIt is not intentional nor created by man. Let’s not cast blame just because you have a dim view of the Chinese people or the CCP.

West good, China baaad much mate?

It's covid 19. And whilst it may have originated in China, the ordinary people of the country are not responsible.

Let's tackle the spread of bigotry as well.

China will never be a global leader for two simple reasons:

1 - They don't want to. For the same reason Japan, which was the second major country after US for close to 40 years was never a global leader, because leadership and initiative are not part of east Asian cultures.

2 - They don't have international media. In the 21st century, it's the media, not military, that gives a country power. Notice who writes all these articles every day? It's always only 3 news agencies - AFT, AP and Reuters. They are written by Americans, English or French, and guess whose narratives and agenda they propagate? Have they ever interviewed or asked any Chinese people for anything related to China? Notice how Chinese people never seem to be interviewed or asked for their opinion in these China-related articles. You never get to hear the Chinese side of the story, only the American and their two lapdogs - England and France.

You cannot be a global leader if you don't have global media to shape people's view of your country and to push your agenda and narrative worldwide. America has that. China doesn't. Notice how nobody blames America for causing the European refugee crisis. That's not even talked about. Can you guess why?

It is amazing how goodness of human nature from the very beginning of the outbreak are under reported, deliberately by the media, to gave false impression of what happened in the real world. Almost all nations on this planet showed their supports to Chinese communist party, and Chinese people. From moral support to material support. LDP leadership were in China and firmly confirmed to support China 100%. Presidents from both Koreas stated that Chinese difficulties are Korean difficulties. Germany, France and UK send in valuable materials to Wuhan. Pakistan exhausted their masks supply for Chinese people. Microsoft, Dell, Apple, L’Oreal and Cargill all donated to Chinese people to fight the virus.

Anything wrong with that ? If not, why is it wrong for China to do the same thing ?

quercetum, if you made a mistake and you corrected your mistake, yes, you should be praised. No nation is perfect, China isn't exceptional.

englisc aspyrgend said "The disease started in Wuhan, China."

Incorrect. The outbreak was first reported in China, Wuhan. It doesn't necessarily mean it happened in China, in Wuhan. It could happened somewhere, without being reported.

It is important to identify the source of the outbreak, not for the purpose to blame someone, but to learn, and accumulate knowledge. By nature, outbreak is natural disaster, we don't blame mother nature, do we ?

China does something good and people still complain.

As for China's initial missteps, the West is no better, it had plenty of time to prepare, but they did nothing. Two months ago, the so-called 'leader of the free world' stated, “We have it totally under control, it’s one person coming in from China.” Instead of patting himself on the back he should have started making preparations.

"With millions of face masks, low interest loans and teams of medical experts, China is trying to paint itself as a Good Samaritan while deflecting criticism over its initial missteps in handling the coronavirus."

OMG, unbelievable nasty. What do you want China do when so many people are fighting for survive and ask China for help ? If all China does is bad thing then perhaps China should stop doing that. Then who will help those who are struggling ?

On the other hand, when China need help, those countries were the first to help, from Japan, to Korea, to Mongolia, to Pakistan, to Germany, to France, to UK, to Italy, to US, to almost all people around the world, they offered support and sympathy. Should China return the favor, or not ?

As for initial missteps, who give you the authority to judge ? What is your govt initial response ? Is it better ? Japan is a good example to get the virus under control, but China is 15 time larger than Japan, and get it under control in 3 months. Chinese knowledge is shared around the global, there are good lessons, there are bad lessons, it is all human, there is nothing to deflect, let alone criticism. China is the most self-criticize nation, that is a virtue, a basis for self respect.