Chinese Communist Party’S Coverup Led to a Pandemic That Now Threatens the Lives of People Around the Globe

Special April 2020 TRUTH and TRadITIOn

eGON999/ShUtteRStOCk tIZIANA FABI/AFP vIA Getty ImAGeS NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP vIA Getty ImAGeS

excluSive ccp viruS coverage How the Chinese Communist How Beijing’s Coverup 21 Million Fewer Led to a Global Cellphone Users in China Pandemic May Suggest Higher Party STORY ON 2 Death Toll STORY ON 3 Endangered ALBeRtO PIZZOLI/AFP vIA Getty ImAGeS the CANADIAN PReSS/ADRIAN WyLD the World The Chinese Communist Party’s coverup led to a pandemic that now threatens the lives of people around the globe. Where Ties With Comm– Timeline of Beijing’s What really happened, and what lessons can we learn? unist China Are Close, Coverup and Canada, the CCP Virus Follows Taiwan Actions read more inside STORY ON 6 STORY ON 4 LeON NeAL/AFP/Getty ImAGeS SAmIRA BOUAOU/the ePOCh tImeS

Beijing Using 10,000 US Lawmaker Calls for Fake Twitter Accounts International Court Trial to Spread Propaganda Against China for Failing About Pandemic to Contain Outbreak STORY ON 2 STORY ON 6

Editorial Why The Coronavirus Should Be Called the CCP Virus

ChUNG SUNG-JUN/Getty ImAGeS Epoch TimEs In any case, as questions about the origin EdiTorial Board of the virus have gone unanswered, the CCP has begun throwing out wild charges There has been controversy recently about that the United States is responsible for the what to call the virus that has unleashed virus. This will be met around the world a worldwide pandemic. The Chinese with perplexity, if not ridicule. President Communist Party (CCP) prefers “novel Donald Trump has pushed back by coronavirus.” Others have referred to it referring to the “Chinese virus.” as “Wuhan virus” after its place of origin, But the Party likely intends these charges as is common in naming diseases. of U.S. responsibility for its domestic audi- The Epoch Times suggests a more accurate ence. The CCP has victimized the Chinese name is the “CCP virus,” and we call upon people in its first denial of the virus and others to join us in adopting this name. now seeks to victimize them again by shift- The name holds the CCP accountable ing responsibility for its actions to others. for its wanton disregard of human life and And this points out why the name “CCP consequent spawning of a pandemic that virus” is needed, to distinguish the victims puts untold numbers in countries around from the victimizer. The people of Wuhan the world at risk, while creating widespread and of China are the victims of the Party’s fear and devastating the economies of medical staff move a patient infected with the CCP virus from an ambulance to a hospital in Seoul, arrogance and incompetence, expressed nations trying to cope with this disease. South korea, on march 9, 2020. in this viral pandemic. After all, Communist Party officials knew The name CCP virus also sounds a in early December that the CCP virus had to deal with the crush of dead bodies. doesn’t fit the script. In the case of SARS, warning: those nations and individuals appeared in Wuhan, but they sat on the Meanwhile, the measures taken to quar- the first response was also denial. close to the Chinese communist regime information for six weeks. They arrested antine and treat the population of Wuhan But in dealing with this virus, denial is are the ones suffering the worst effects from those who tried to warn of the danger, were grotesquely inhumane. Apartment not acceptable. The world needs to know the virus, as is seen in the raging infections accusing them of spreading “rumours,” and buildings were welded shut. Temporary its origin, and the CCP has refused to in the CCP’s close ally Iran and in Italy, the employed the regime’s vigorous censorship “hospitals” were created that actually served cooperate. Outside experts have not been only G7 nation to sign on to the One Belt, to prevent media coverage and to delete as jails for those believed to be sick with allowed into Wuhan. One Road (formerly known as Belt and any mention of it from social media. the virus. Locked into these places with no And there is understandable concern Road) initiative. Taiwan and Hong Kong, What might have been contained was medical treatment and little food, the unfor- about the activities of the Wuhan Institute which are highly skeptical of the CCP, have allowed silently to spread, showing up in tunates were trapped there until they died. of Virology, China’s only P4 lab, one meant had relatively few infections. all of China. Individuals who might have In lying about the danger facing China, for working with easily transmitted Finally, the CCP virus reminds the people protected themselves became victims, the CCP was acting according to its usual pathogens that can cause fatal illness. of the world that the source of the virus is in numbers far greater than the CCP has script. The regime’s dominant narrative is As the official narratives offered for the itself evil. This is a communist virus, and admitted. By late January there were that the Party is “great, glorious, and cor- source of the virus have been disproven, with the name CCP virus, The Epoch Times reports of all of the crematoria in Wuhan rect.” The presence of the deadly CCP virus questions have been raised about whether reminds the world of the cure: ending the operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week in Wuhan, or, in 2003, of the SARS virus, the CCP virus leaked from the institute. Chinese Communist Party.

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Published in 35 countries How Beijing’s Coverup Led to a Global Pandemic HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES and 23 languages. NICOLE HAO THE EPOCH TIMES EDITOR’S NOTE The global pandemic now ravaging We trust this finds you and the world—disrupting everyday life, your loved ones well. We live in overwhelming hospital systems, challenging times right now, and this special edition is intended to and killing thousands—began as a explain the reasons behind why we small outbreak in the central Chi- find ourselves in such a situation. nese city of Wuhan. If the Chinese Communist Party When 27 people were hospital- (CCP) had shown compassion ized with a mysterious pneumonia for the Chinese people and acted in early December 2019, eight doc- honestly and openly, much of China, tors tried to warn their colleagues and the world, could have been on social media. spared this COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the regime is waging a When the online posts went viral, propaganda campaign claiming it they were deleted by censors. Then, has been a model in fighting the local police summoned the doctors disease. for a verbal warning, requiring that This special edition sets the record they sign a statement promising not straight. If the world understands to engage in any more “rumour- why the virus has wreaked such mongering.” havoc, then it will understand the Thus began the coverup by the need to reject the CCP and its contagion of lies, selfishness, and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) An official in a protective suit checks on an elderly man who collapsed on a street near a hospital in Wuhan on Jan. 30, 2020. lust for power. of one of the most deadly outbreaks in recent history. railway stations, intercity coach Days later, on Jan. 20, the Chinese thousands of miles away from the We hope you enjoy this special edition and share it with others. Revelations from recent medical stations, and maritime passenger regime finally admitted that the vi- virus epicentre—authorities in- studies, media investigations, and terminals until Jan. 14. rus was contagious. But authori- structed their city governments to Chinese government officials them- The city also allowed large-scale ties knew of the virus’s potential to destroy documents and data related ABOUT US selves illustrate how the CCP’s de- gatherings to go on. The Baibuting spread much earlier. to the outbreak. The Epoch Times is a media ceit and mismanagement allowed residential compound in Jiang’an In December, a woman who had Officials were also required to sign organization dedicated to seeking the disease to spread, first across the district organized a large-scale din- never visited the Wuhan food mar- letters promising that they would the truth through insightful and country, then outside its borders to ner in advance of the Lunar New ket—which authorities initially delete relevant documents from independent journalism. more than 185 countries and ter- Year on Jan. 18, with more than linked to the outbreak—was diag- their personal devices and pledge to Standing outside of political ritories. 40,000 families participating. nosed with the disease after her hus- not share the contents of the docu- interests and the pursuit of profit, A recent study published in Sci- band, who worked at the market, ments with any party. our starting point and our goal is to ence magazine examined data from contracted the virus. The husband, Most recently, The Epoch Times create a media for the public benefit, 375 Chinese cities and estimated The Wuhan Health who died on Jan. 9, was China’s first obtained internal data from the to be truly responsible to society. that 86 percent of all infections in Commission didn’t confirmed death related to the virus. Wuhan Health Commission show- We endeavour to educate readers Wuhan were left undocumented Garrett said that such a “coverup ing that on March 14, the city found about today’s most important prior to travel restrictions and lock- reveal the outbreak to has put the people of China at risk 91 new samples that tested positive topics, seeking to broaden and uplift minds. We believe that down measures enacted by local au- the public until Dec. 31. and put the whole world at risk.” during nucleic acid testing. In Wu- rational, balanced debate is key for thorities on Jan. 23. This contributed han, samples are only taken from a fostering a healthy democracy and to the virus’s quick global spread, the Meanwhile, authorities Coverup throat swab. Thus, these 91 samples a compassionate society. scientists concluded. downplayed the threat From the beginning of the outbreak, can be understood as 91 new pa- As an independent media outlet, we of the virus. the regime under-reported infection tients. use our freedom to investigate issues Initial Response and death toll figures. That day, Chinese authorities re- overlooked—or avoided—by other In its initial report confirming the In mid-January, Wuhan authori- ported just four new cases in Wu- media outlets. We seek to highlight presence of a new virus outbreak, Baibuting residents later told The ties reported just 41 cases as Thai- han. solutions and what’s good in society rather than what divides us. the Wuhan Health Commission Epoch Times that scores of people land and Japan reported their first Some officials also publicly re- originally stated that the first pa- contracted COVID-19, the disease cases of infections—of people who vealed how Party politics stymied We report respectfully, compas- tient exhibited symptoms on Dec. caused by the virus, after attending had travelled to Wuhan. their initial responses to the out- sionately, and rigorously. 12, 2019. The commission later the banquet. The number of infections in Wu- break. We stand against the destruction revised the date to Dec. 8, without In preparation for Lunar New Year han, meanwhile, stayed unchanged During a Jan. 28 press conference, wrought by communism, including explanation. But a study based on festivities, many Chinese, unaware between Jan. 12 and 16. the Party boss of Wuhan, Ma Guo- the harm done to cultures around data from Wuhan hospitals pub- of the virus’s contagiousness, trav- Researchers analyzed that given qiang, said the central government the world. lished in The Lancet medical journal elled across the country or abroad the number of foreign cases at the didn’t allow the Hubei CDC to diag- We are inspired in this by our own revealed that the first patient pre- to spend time with their families. time, Wuhan infections would be nose the disease until Jan. 16; previ- experience. The Epoch Times was sented symptoms on Dec. 1. Wuhan’s mayor revealed that in the substantially higher than officially ously, patients’ samples had to be founded in 2000 to bring honest and uncensored news to people The Wuhan Health Commission period before the Jan. 23 lockdown, reported. sent to Beijing for testing. Even then, oppressed by the lies and violence didn’t reveal the outbreak to the 5 million residents had left the city. The Epoch Times also obtained the Hubei CDC only had enough in communist China. public until Dec. 31. Laurie Garrett, an expert on epi- internal documents from different capacity to run about 300 tests per We still believe journalism is a noble Meanwhile, authorities down- demics and former Pulitzer Prize- local governments in China, reveal- day, he said. vocation, but only when it genuinely played the threat of the virus. winning journalist known for her ing how they covered up data. Similarly, Wuhan Mayor Zhou seeks to serve its communities and In a Jan. 10 interview with the coverage of the 1995 Ebola outbreak, In Shandong Province, the local Xianwang blamed his superiors for help them to flourish. In all that we CCP’s mouthpiece newspaper believes Chinese authorities had the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) mismanaging the crisis. do, we will hold ourselves to the People’s Daily, Wang Guangfa, one chance to contain the spread in the kept an internal tally of the number During a news program that aired highest standards of integrity. of China’s top respiratory special- first week of January. of samples that tested positive for on state broadcaster CCTV on Jan. This is our promise to you. ists within China’s National Health the virus during nucleic acid test- 27, Zhou said the central govern- Commission, assured the public Human Transmission ing. In February, the daily number ment made the decision to withhold that the disease could be contained. Chinese authorities initially denied of samples that tested positive was information about the outbreak. EDITIONS that the disease could be transmit- consistently lower than the officially “Disclosures about the outbreak Toronto Lack of Precautions ted between humans. The World reported number of cases published were not timely. ... As the leader of a 344 Consumers Road The Wuhan government went on Health Organization (WHO), citing by China’s National Health Com- local government, I could only pub- Toronto, ON M2J 1P8 with business as usual. The city Chinese research, stated on Jan. 14 mission. lish information after I received per- Tel: 416.298.1933 didn’t screen passengers and check that there was “no clear evidence” In Liaoning Province—in the mission from the authorities [central Vancouver body temperatures at airports, of human-to-human transmission. country’s northeastern region, government],” Zhou said. 530 E Kent Ave S Vancouver, BC V5X 4V6 Tel: 604.438.8183 Ottawa Beijing Using 10,000 Fake or Hijacked Twitter Accounts 60-A Larkspur Drive Ottawa, ON K2H 6L1 Tel: 613.820.2580 to Spread Propaganda About Pandemic: Study

Edmonton SHUTTERSTOCK #205, 10123-157 Street FRANK FANG Edmonton, AB T5P 2T9 network, presumably to try to make to boost the Twitter following of THE EPOCH TIMES Tel: 780.428.8657 them trend on Twitter,” ProPublica state-owned news agency China added. News Service. According to the Calgary #3, 1916 30 Ave NE Beijing is using thousands of fake Some of the accounts reviewed Jamestown Foundation, the agency Calgary AB T2E 7B2 and hijacked Twitter accounts to by ProPublica have since been sus- also “covertly runs overseas media Tel: 403.250.5942 carry out its disinformation cam- pended by Twitter. organizations.” Montréal paign surrounding the CCP vi- This agency is the international Époque Times rus, according to a recent study. Links to the Chinese Regime media arm of the Overseas Chinese Montreal, QC H2Z 1K3 New York-based nonprofit ProPublica showed that Beijing Affairs Bureau, an office in charge of media ProPublica tracked more ProPublica says the true scale of the had influence over many of these influencing overseas Chinese. This Tel: 514.931.0151 influence campaign using Twitter is Saskatoon than 10,000 suspected fake and likely much bigger. accounts. office in turn is run by the United 115B 115-2nd Ave North hacked Twitter accounts and For example, it pointed out that Front Work Department, a Party or- Saskatoon, SK S7K 2B1 found that the accounts have the influence network “suddenly gan dedicated to spreading Beijing’s Tel: 306.250.8569 been “involved in a coordinated accounts we identified comprise shifted its focus to the coronavirus agenda inside and outside China. influence campaign with ties” to only a portion of the operation.” epidemic” on Jan. 29, six days after “Our examination of an interlock- SUBSCRIPTIONS the Chinese regime since August authorities imposed a lockdown in ing group of accounts within our 2019. Tactics Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus data linked the effort to OneSight,” Call: 1.800.766.0157 Many of the accounts, which The fake accounts sought to build outbreak. ProPublica added. Or visit: ReadEpoch.ca previously targeted political dis- “momentum for particular sto- That same day, OneSight, a Many of the posts expressing ap- sidents and Hong Kong protests, rylines,” ProPublica explained. Beijing-based internet marketing proval for Beijing were made by : Publisher Cindy Gu have now begun posting “propa- First, central accounts, those with company with connections to the fake accounts using the same text ganda and disinformation about “more legitimate-looking histories,” Chinese regime, announced the published by Chinese state-run EDITORS the coronavirus outbreak,” said would make eye-catching posts. launch of a new app that would media. Matthew Little, Cindy Chan, the study, released March 26. Then, other more obviously fake track virus-related information and “Comment texts were often lifted Joan Delaney, Omid Ghoreishi, These 10,000 accounts did not accounts would interact with the help “transmit the correct voice of word-for-word from state editorials, Rahul Vaidyanath, Justina Reichel, act independently. Using com- posts, such as reposting or leaving China” to the world. which have long served as political Chrisy Trudeau, and Sandra Shields. puter programs, ProPublica positive comments. The company’s CEO previously lodestars for government agencies found that the fake accounts were Whether it was about the Hong worked at the Beijing city foreign and party officials,” ProPublica said. Letters to the editor: [email protected] part of an interrelated network of Kong protests or the current virus propaganda department. Its clients ProPublica also said that in some more than 2,000 accounts. outbreak, these posts used hashtags include state media outlets and instances, suspected Chinese op- Comments or tips: However, ProPublica noted: to “gain visibility for an account that regime-friendly firms like Huawei eratives would offer influential Chi- [email protected] “The true scale of the influence had few followers.” and Alibaba. nese-speaking Twitter users cash campaign is likely much bigger; Sometimes, “posts would use Last year, ProPublica obtained a in exchange for posting messages www.TheEpochTimes.com our tracking suggests that the hashtags unique to the influence copy of a contract won by OneSight favourable to Beijing. SPECIAL EDITION APRIL 2020 3 21 Million Fewer Cellphone Users in China May Suggest a High CCP Virus Death Toll

NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES NICOLE HAO THE EPOCH TIMES

The number of Chinese cellphone users dropped by 21 million in the past three months, Beijing authorities announced in late March. Deaths due to the CCP virus may have contributed to the high number of account closings. Cellphones are an indispensable part of life in China. “The digitization level is very high in China. People can’t survive without a cellphone,” Tang Jingyuan, a U.S.-based China affairs commentator, told The Ep- och Times on March 21. “Dealing with the government for pensions and social security, buying train tickets, shopping ... no matter what people want to do, they are required to use cellphones. “The Chinese regime requires all Chi- nese to use their cellphones to generate a health code. Only with a green health code are Chinese allowed to move in China now. It’s impossible for a person to cancel his cellphone.” On Dec. 1, 2019, China introduced mandatory facial scans to confirm the identity of anyone who registers a phone. As early as Sept. 1, 2010, all cellphone users were required to register phones with their real identification, enabling the state to monitor people’s speech via its large-scale monitoring system. Furthermore, people’s bank accounts and social security accounts In 2019, it gained 4.26 million in January reported death toll in China. The seven are bundled with their cellphone plans; and 2.96 million in February. A security guard reads his cellphone while funeral homes in the city of Wuhan were apps on Chinese phones check SIM cards China Unicom, which hasn’t yet pub- guarding the entrance of a nearly empty reported to be burning bodies 24 hours against the state’s database to make sure lished the data for February, shares the shopping mall in Beijing on Feb. 27, 2020. a day, seven days a week in late January. the number belongs to the user. same experience as the other two tele- Since Feb. 16, Hubei has used 40 mobile Beijing first launched cellphone-based coms in January 2020 and in early 2019. cremators, each capable of burning five health codes on March 10. All people in The company lost 1.186 million users in tons of medical waste and bodies a day. China must now install a cellphone app January 2020, but gained 1.962 million The digitization level is very high in China. Lacking data, the true death toll in and register their personal health infor- users in February 2019 and 2.763 million People can’t survive without a cellphone. China is a mystery. The cancellation of mation. Then the app can generate a QR users in January 2019. 21 million cellphones provides a data code, which appears in three colours to China allows each adult to apply for at TANG JINGYUAN point that suggests the actual num- classify the user’s health level. Red means most five cellphone numbers. Since Feb. U.S.-based China affairs commentator ber may be far higher than the official the person has an infectious disease, yel- 10, the majority of Chinese students have number. low means the person might have one, and taken online classes with a cellphone green means the person doesn’t. number due to their schools being or- Beijing claimed the health codes are in- dered to stay closed. These students’ ac- tended to prevent the spread of the CCP counts are under their parents’ names, (Chinese Communist Party) virus, com- which means some parents needed to monly known as the novel coronavirus. open a new cellphone account in Febru- ary. What People Are Saying 21 Million Cellphone Users On March 19, China’s Ministry of Analyzing the Numbers Industry and Information Technol- The big question is whether the dramatic About The Epoch Times ogy (MIIT) announced the number drop in cellphone accounts reflects the of phone users in each province in account closings of those who have died February. Compared with the previ- due to the CCP virus. ous announcement, which was re- “It’s possible that some migrant workers leased on Dec. 18, 2019, for November had two cellphone numbers before. One I first learned about damage by the new, aggressive Wuhan virus 2019 data, both cellphone and landline is from their hometown, and the other from The Epoch Times. Kudos to ET for doing what we pay users dropped dramatically. In the same is from the city they work in. In Febru- the departments of health billions of dollars to do. period the year before, the number of us- ary, they might close the number in the ers increased. city they work in because they couldn’t DR. SHAWN WHATLEY The number of cellphone users de- go there,” Tang said. Typically, migrant PAST PRESIDENT OF THE ONTARIO MEDICAL ASSOCIATION creased from 1.600957 billion to 1.579927 workers would have gone to their home billion, a drop of 21.03 million. The number city for the Chinese New Year in January, of landline users decreased from 190.83 and then travel restrictions would have million to 189.99 million, a drop of 840,000. prevented them from returning to the city In the previous February, the number where they held a job. Over the years, I have watched with growing admiration, amazement, increased. According to MIIT, the number However, because there is a basic and awe as The Epoch Times has gone from being a modest niche of cellphone users increased in February monthly fee to hold a cellphone account voice at its beginnings, growing in consequence until it is now Canada’s 2019 from 1.5591 billion to 1.5835 billion, in China, the majority of migrant work- most important newspaper. That’s not a statement I make lightly. which is 24.37 million more. The number ers—the lowest income group—are likely Legacy media are dying, but readership and an increasingly impressive of landline users increased from 183.477 to only have one cellphone account. stable of writers are flocking to your standard. And no wonder: week million to 190.118 million, which is 6.641 China had 288.36 million migrant work- after week, other media repeat the washed-out establishment view, million more. ers as of April 2019, according to the Chi- According to China’s National Bureau of nese National Bureau of Statistics. while you present a fresh take, full of the urgency and integrity of those Statistics, the country’s population at the On March 17, Meng Wei, spokesman of who, having escaped repression, treasure the freedom to speak truth. end of 2019 was 4.67 million larger than in China’s National Development and Re- Because of that commitment, you constantly scoop legacy media and 2018, reaching 1.40005 billion. form Commission, said at a monthly press get the story. I’m proud to have been a reader from the beginning. The 2020 decrease in landline users may conference in Beijing that except for Hubei, Keep it up and stay true to your mission! be due to the nationwide quarantine in all provinces reported that more than 90 February, during which small businesses percent of their businesses resumed op- OTTAWA READER were shut down. But the decrease in cell- erations. In Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, phone users can’t be explained in this way. Shandong, Guangxi, and Chongqing, al- According to the operation data of all most all businesses resumed production. three Chinese cellphone carriers, phone If both the number of migrant workers accounts increased in December 2019 but and the level of employment are accurate, I love this paper. It’s the only civil news in the world today. dropped steeply in 2020. more than 90 percent of migrant workers Your paper is the only honest paper in North America. I feel badly China Mobile is the largest carrier, hold- have gone back to work. if I miss the paper. Your people have the smarts. ing about 60 percent of the Chinese cell- The economic dislocation caused by You’re reporting truth. Your paper has writers that get it right. phone market. It reported that it gained shutdowns in China may have also led 3.732 million more accounts in December some people who have an extra cell- JOHN MCBURNAY 2019, but lost 0.862 million in January 2020 phone to cancel it. With business poor or RETIRED MANUFACTURING MANAGER, KANATA, ON and 7.254 million in February 2020. stopped, they may not want to carry the China Mobile’s performance in the same extra expense. months in 2019 was markedly different; “At present, we don’t know the details it gained 2.411 million more accounts in of the data. If only 10 percent of the cell- Join The Epoch Times Community January 2019 and 1.091 million more in phone accounts were closed because the Visit ReadEpoch.ca or call 1-800-766-0157 February 2019. users died because of the CCP virus, the China Telecom is the second-largest death toll would be 2 million,” Tang said. carrier, holding about 21 percent of the The official death toll doesn’t line up market. It gained 1.18 million users in with what can otherwise be determined December 2019, but lost 0.43 million us- about the situation there. TRUTH AND TRADITION ers in January 2020 and 5.6 million users Activities in the outbreak epicentre of in February 2020. Hubei Province seem to contradict the 4 APRIL 2020 SPECIAL EDITION SPECIAL EDITION APRIL 2020 5 Timeline of CCP Coverup and Canada, Taiwan Actions THE CANADIAN PRESS/GRAHAM HUGHES When Health Minister Patty Hajdu was asked by a hasn’t been forthright about the outbreak, costing the taken by Taiwan and Canada. Canada refused to impose any travel restrictions on whether this country in the future will ever share reporter during a press conference if the number of world precious time in combating the spread of the Despite being next door to China and having a notably China—which drew praise from Beijing—and until anything transparently with others. China posted the COVID-19 cases and deaths coming out of China can virus early on, and commentaries criticizing WHO for higher population density than Canada, Taiwan has had recently there were no restrictions at the Canadian virus genome very quickly. What are they getting out be trusted, she replied that Ottawa has no reason to its praise of Beijing and repeating positions favourable significantly fewer cases compared to Canada. border. Canadian authorities also shipped 16 tonnes of it? I think the idea is to support China.” believe China’s numbers are falsified. to the regime. As of April 3, Canada, with a population of 38 million, of personal protective equipment to China in early In the early days of the outbreak, WHO advised The question was raised on April 2 in light of a Bloomb- British media recently reported that Prime Minister had about 12,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and over February, while health professionals are now report- against imposing travel restrictions on China, with erg report saying U.S. intelligence officials have advised Boris Johnson has been advised by scientists that the 150 deaths. Taiwan, with a population of 24 million, had ing a shortage of protective equipment. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus ex- the White House that Beijing covered up the extent of number of cases of infection may have been downplayed about 350 cases of infection and 5 deaths. Asked why Canada wasn’t imposing restrictions on pressing “respect and gratitude to China for what it’s the CCP virus outbreak in China. by a factor of 15 to 40 times. The actions Taiwan took to control the spread of the travel from China, Ottawa cited advice from Canadian doing,” and saying WHO “opposes any restrictions Hajdu said that Ottawa relies on the World Health Or- And U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said virus include stopping all travel from China in the early health officials and WHO. for travel and trade or other measures against China.” ganization (WHO) for coordinating the collection of data that Beijing wasted “valuable days at the front end” days of the outbreak, enforcing a mandatory two-week Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Wu Se-chih, adjunct assistant professor at the Tai- from other countries. When the reporter asked whether of the outbreak, noting that a similar situation could quarantine for all those who recently entered Taiwan, Tam, who has served as an adviser for WHO, also pei College of Maritime Technology, told The Epoch Police talk to a driver near the U.S. border in Saint-Bernard- WHO’s numbers can be trusted if China’s can’t, Hajdu unfold again “if we don’t get to the bottom of this.” and using big-data analysis to track potential carriers cited the organization’s advice as justification for not Times that WHO “has been taking China’s side” and de-Lacolle, Que., on March 28, 2020. accused the reporter of fuelling conspiracy theories. The timeline below chronicles the early stages of the virus. Authorities also banned the export of face imposing travel restrictions on China, saying: “Having that this has had dangerous consequences. Hajdu’s response comes at a time when an increasing of the CCP virus outbreak in China and the re- masks and took early action to ensure a steady supply measures that very negatively affect a certain coun- “The reality is that the pandemic has become serious number of news reports show that the Chinese regime gime’s coverup, and contrasts some of the measures of personal protective equipment. try that’s trying very hard to do its best can impede all over the world,” Wu said. ‘We Missed 2019 NOV. 17 DEC. 1 MID-DECEMBER DEC. 30 DEC. 30 DEC. 31 SHUTTERSTOCK; THE EPOCH TIMES EPOCH THE SHUTTERSTOCK; SHUTTERSTOCK; THE EPOCH TIMES EPOCH THE SHUTTERSTOCK; SAM YEH/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES GETTY VIA YEH/AFP SAM the Boat’ on The earliest Wuhan Health documented patient, Commission confirms a man in his 70s who 27 cases of an unknown was bedridden from a pneumonia disease, but Containing stroke, falls ill. He has said it was “preventable no connection with and controllable.” It also the Wuhan seafood says that there have been COVID-19, market. This case is no infections of health The first person is First evidence appears Dr. Ai Fen, a director of the Dr. Li Wenliang of Wuhan Wuhan Central Hospital Wuhan Health one week earlier than workers, and no apparent Taiwan Centres for infected—a 55-year-old of human-to-human emergency department at Wuhan shares the report with his transmits a notice from the Commission issues an the official account, evidence that the disease Disease Control from Hubei Province— transmission among close Central Hospital, shares a report of former medical school Wuhan Health Commission urgent notice, asking which says the first can spread between people. (CDC) start monitoring Senator Says according to the South contacts, according to a contagious, SARS-like virus in her classmates on WeChat, that warns health workers not hospitals to report any patient appeared Chinese authorities passengers arriving from China Morning Post, citing a study published in department group chat on WeChat, warning them to take to spread information about “pneumonia patients with on Dec. 8. notify the World Health Wuhan. government documents. The New England Journal of a Chinese social media platform. precautionary measures. the “unknown pneumonia,” unknown causes.” Organization (WHO) Medicine on Jan. 29. She is later reprimanded by her or face potential penalties. about the outbreak. hospital for “spreading rumours.” MICHAEL WING THE EPOCH TIMES

2020 JAN. 1 JAN. 2 JAN. 3 JAN. 5 JAN. 7 JAN. 9 JAN. 9 JAN. 11 JAN. 13 JAN. 14 longtime Conservative senator says Canada is suffering the consequences of being

AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES GETTY VIA AFP slow to close the border and failing to SAM YEH/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES GETTY VIA YEH/AFP SAM SCREENSHOT A Xu Jianguo, a lead Chinese health implement strict screening procedures amidst the expert in the authorities COVID-19 pandemic—moves he recommended in response team, tells share the genome early January. Chinese state media sequence “I thought at the time—and now history has proven that researchers with WHO. that I was on the right side—that we should have mapped the full created a bubble for Canada back in January and virus sequence two days earlier, and protected our borders from the importation of this Taiwan CDC starts monitoring Li contracts the virus while Thailand confirms WHO says that Chinese A Hubei Provincial Government-run Local police in China WHO “advises against the believe it’s a new virus,” Leo Housakos told The Epoch Times. all individuals who had treating an infected patient. application of any travel or its first infection—a Chinese authorities had found no clear Health Commission Wuhan virology call in Dr. Li Wenliang coronavirus. “I mean, it’s only logical if you’re trying to contain official tells a genomics lab obtains the full and reprimand him for travelled to Wuhan over the He later dies on Feb. 7. trade restrictions on China.” tourist who travelled from evidence of human-to-human a virus … When it’s all said and done, we missed the company to stop virus genome. This “rumour mongering.” last 14 days in case they have Chinese leader Xi Jinping Wuhan—in the first known transmission. It also notes boat on that.” testing virus samples information is not illness symptoms. gets involved in response by case outside China. “limited human-to-human In January and February, Housakos adds, he was issuing the first containment transmission, potentially and to destroy all made public until also among the many parliamentarians who called existing samples. seven days later. order. This isn’t made public among families” is possible. until February. for a ban on flights between Canada and China— where the outbreak began—as well as flights from Iran and Italy, both of which have been hit hard by JAN. 21 JAN. 22 JAN. 23 JAN. 25 JAN. 27 JAN. 27 JAN. 28 the pandemic. But those calls were ignored by the government, he THE CANADIAN PRESS SAM YEH/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES GETTY VIA YEH/AFP SAM SAM YEH/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES GETTY VIA YEH/AFP SAM THE CANADIAN PRESS THE CANADIAN PRESS

SAM YEH/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES GETTY VIA YEH/AFP SAM said. In early February, Ottawa drew praise from a Authorities in Hubei spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Province say they will for not following the Trump administration’s move free up 100,000 hospital to enact a travel ban. beds for patients. “[Some] Western governments, for whatever rea- Wuhan Mayor Zhou Xianwang concedes son, do not want to hurt the feelings of the Chinese that disclosures of the government,” Housakos said. outbreak were not On March 16, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau fi- First case of infection Canadian Health Minister Canada announces passengers Wuhan imposes a lockdown. Canada’s first case of timely, but attempts to Taiwan combines individuals’ Taiwan requires all those nally announced that Canada’s border would be reported in Taiwan. Patty Hajdu confirms there arriving at major airports will By then, around 5 million people infection is reported in a man shift blame to the central past 14-day travel history with travelling from China to go into closed to all foreign nationals except U.S. citizens, Border control procedures are no plans to impose travel undergo additional questioning had left the city without being in Toronto who had recently government, saying their health card, enabling the mandatory quarantine. with flights restricted to four major airports with ad- changed. People travelling from restrictions on travellers to find out if they have travelled screened for the virus. A study travelled to Wuhan. he needed permission tracking of individuals at high equate screening capacity. On March 28, flights were high-risk areas quarantined at from China. published in Science magazine on to Wuhan. from higher-ups before risk because of recent travel banned for anyone with symptoms of COVID-19. home for 14 days. March 16 estimates 86 percent of all People showing symptoms releasing information. to affected areas. “They made a full flip-flop … when they realized Government announces a ban are asked to voluntarily infections were undocumented prior Beijing extends the on the export of face masks. self-isolate for 14 days. to the Jan. 23 travel restrictions. that we were actually importing the virus through New Year holiday our airports and through flights not just from China, to Feb. 2 and closes schools indefinitely. and not just from Iran, not just from Italy, but from airport hubs around the world. Because viruses, of course, are very, very fluid and they’re very, very mobile, and they’re very transmissible,” Housakos said. JAN. 30 JAN. 31 FEB. 3 FEB. 5 FEB. 6 FEB. 9 FEB. 17 “There was a lax approach in January and February, and there was a lax approach up until mid-March, GETTY IMAGES GETTY GETTY IMAGES GETTY IMAGES GETTY GETTY IMAGES GETTY THE CANADIAN PRESS THE CANADIAN PRESS In response to questions from when everyone pressed the alarm button.” opposition MPs on travel restrictions, Beijing has been widely accused of covering up the Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer coronavirus outbreak, which appeared in Wuhan in Dr. Theresa Tam reiterates that early December but wasn’t publicly admitted to by “WHO advises against any kind of the regime until six weeks later—giving the virus travel and trade restrictions.” She ample time to spread across China and around the adds that “having measures that very world. Doctors who tried to warn of the danger were THE CANADIAN PRESS/ADRIAN WYLD negatively affect a certain country The WHO declares the outbreak The United States declares A spokesperson for Beijing’s Over 50 countries, including Taiwan, Foreign Affairs Minister Canada’s Health Minister Patty Hajdu silenced and charged with “spreading rumours.” a public health emergency, that’s trying very hard to do its best Australia, and the United States have The origin of the virus has so far gone unanswered. a global health emergency. foreign ministry praises can impede whether this country in François-Philippe says “China has been very open. Now imposes travel restrictions on for not imposing travel announced travel restrictions on China. Champagne’s department The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has floated WHO Director-General Tedros Canada the future will ever share anything some will say, ‘Were they open enough?’ those who have been in China in restrictions on China, while A Chinese spokesperson lashes out announces that Canada has Adhanom Ghebreyesus says transparently with others. China and ‘How fast were they open?’ But several different theories, the latest being that the the past 14 days. rebuking the United States for at countries restricting travel over deployed 16 tonnes of personal “WHO doesn’t recommend, and posted the virus genome very quickly. what we know is that within a week or U.S. military introduced the virus to China—widely actually opposes, any restrictions for its travel restrictions. the outbreak, saying “we deplore protective equipment such as so they were letting the World Health seen as an attempt to avoid blame. What are they getting out of it? and oppose those countries who masks and gloves to China. travel and trade or other measures I think the idea is to support China.” Organization and therefore all of the This prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to against China,”while also praising went against WHO’s professional partner countries know that they had push back by referring to it as the “Chinese virus.” recommendations.” China for its response to the outbreak. an outbreak on their hands.” The Epoch Times now refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Party’s coverup and mismanage- FEB. 29 MARCH 13 MARCH 16 MARCH 18 MARCH 22 APRIL 2 APRIL 7 ment allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. THE CANADIAN PRESS THE CANADIAN PRESS TIMES EPOCH THE GETTY IMAGES GETTY GETTY IMAGES GETTY THE EPOCH TIMES EPOCH THE “The name holds the CCP accountable for its wan- Ottawa announces that international flights will be

ALL IMAGES BY GETTY IMAGES & SHUTTERSTOCK EXCEPT WHERE NOTED WHERE EXCEPT & SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGES GETTY BY IMAGES ALL ton disregard of human life and consequent spawn- limited to specific airports. ing of a pandemic that has put untold numbers in Canadian Health Minister Patty Hajdu says, “Canadians think we can stop this at the border. But countries around the world at risk, while creating what we see is a global pandemic, which means that widespread fear and devastating the economies of border measures are highly ineffective and, in some nations trying to cope with this disease,” an Epoch cases, can create harm. Times editorial states. JUSTIN TANG/THE CANADIAN PRESS Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says, “A number “The truth of the matter is you can’t rely on infor- WHO reiterates that of weeks ago, in the beginnings, there was discussions Canada severely restricts U.S. Secretary of State Mike Ontario doctors and nurses Canada’s Health Minister Patty Hajdu says U.S. President Donald Trump says in mation that comes out of China,” said Housakos. it advises “against the report a shortage of personal on whether or not we should entirely close our borders international flights, refusing Pompeo says the Chinese Ottawa has no reason to believe Beijing’s a tweet: “The W.H.O. really blew it. For some application of travel or protective equipment for “There’s no doubt that if the Chinese were a reli- to China the way the United States did. We did not, entry to international visitors and Communist Party covered infection and death rates are falsified, and adds reason, funded largely by the United States, trade restrictions to health workers, calling it able ally and partner, I believe we would have been and we were able to manage it in a way that allowed allowing only Americans, diplomats, up details about the virus that Canada relies on WHO to coordinate the yet very China centric. We will be giving countries experiencing “an urgent priority.” better equipped in understanding the severity of for control and non-spread of the virus, that gives us and flight crews. Two days later, outbreak, warning that a similar collection of data from various countries. When that a good look. Fortunately I rejected their COVID-19 outbreaks.” Canada and the United States situation could unfold “if we a reporter asks whether WHO’s numbers can advice on keeping our borders open to the problem, and collectively the world [would have confidence that our public health officials are giving us been able to] take measures to protect people and the right recommendations for Canada.” announce the closure of the border don’t get to the bottom of this.” be trusted if China’s aren’t reliable, she accuses China early on. Why did they give us to non-essential traffic. the reporter of fuelling conspiracy theories. such a faulty recommendation?” resolve the problem.” 6 APRIL 2020 SPECIAL EDITION Editorial: Where Ties With Communist China Are Close, the CCP Virus Follows Severe COVID-19 outbreaks highlight various countries’ entanglements with Beijing

ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES EPOCH TIMES Taiwan has seen a relatively small EDITORIAL BOARD number of infections. On Jan. 26, Johns Hopkins University In the final weeks of 2019, a novel in Baltimore identified Taiwan as hav- coronavirus outbreak occurred in the ing the second-highest risk of epidemic city of Wuhan, in central China. As spread outside China. However, robust the world welcomed a new decade, prevention measures have proven the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) effective. opted to suppress information about Taiwan officials began to board planes the emerging crisis until it could no and assess passengers on Dec. 31, 2019, longer remain hidden. after Wuhan authorities first confirmed Now, a few months after mainland the outbreak. In early February, Taiwan Chinese authorities acknowledged banned entry to foreign nationals who the outbreak and the existence of the had travelled to the PRC. As of March 31, contagious virus, the crisis has spread there were just over 320 confirmed cases around the globe, assuming epidemic and five deaths in Taiwan. The self-ruled proportions in multiple regions. The island has been held as a model for epi- number of infected beyond China’s demic control, despite being repeatedly borders is now over a million, with tens denied participation in the CCP-friendly of thousands having succumbed to the World Health Organization. virus. The stock market has plunged as As China affairs commentator Heng experts warn of a possible economic He put it, Taiwan has a clear under- recession. standing of the communist regime A variety of factors have facilitated the and may be the only state that learned rapid spread of the CCP (Chinese Com- the lessons of the 2003 SARS outbreak, munist Party) virus, commonly known which also began in China. as the novel coronavirus. Globalization In Hong Kong, which has seen mil- has brought the peoples of the world The true nature of the CCP and In the Middle East, Iran experienced lions of residents stand up to Beijing’s into closer contact, increasing the risks A tourist wearing a communism has long been known to a surge in the number of infections, encroachment on the city’s freedoms of a worldwide pandemic. respiratory mask to readers of The Epoch Times. Fifteen particularly among government and rule of law since last year, the out- Yet the early heaviest-hit regions out- protect against the spread years ago, The Epoch Times published officials. break has been similarly subdued. of the CCP virus walks side China, which also contributed to past the closed Colosseum the editorial series “Nine Commentar- The Iranian regime has had a com- By contrast, Japan, albeit not geostra- the global spread of the pandemic, all monument in Rome, Italy, ies on the Communist Party,” ignit- prehensive strategic partnership tegically aligned with the PRC, placed share a common thread: close or lu- on March 10, 2020. ing a grassroots movement in China with the Chinese regime since 2016, profit over prudence. With millions of crative relations with the communist to reject communism. Since 2004, and its ties beginning years before Chinese travelling to Japan for shopping regime in Beijing. more than 350 million people have that. In violation of international and sightseeing annually, the country renounced their ties to the Party and sanctions, Iran has imported embar- was slow to close its borders to mainland Medical Crisis, Political Peril its affiliated youth organizations. goed materials from China, while arrivals. Japan was among one of the Under political or economic influence Seen in conjunction with the CCP- continuing to sell oil to the PRC. The first countries to report cases outside from the People’s Republic of China hijacked geopolitical environment of Islamic Republic allowed flights in China, and the number of infected in- (PRC), many foreign entities and poli- today, the geographical distribution of and out of four major Chinese cities creased to more than 9,000 locally. ticians, including international orga- the COVID-19 pandemic highlights until the end of February. Recently, the CCP has attempted to nizations, have been swayed to the the ultimate peril facing those who On-the-ground footage taken by portray its draconian handling of the extent that they take the side of the align themselves with the spectre of Iranian citizens is reminiscent of epidemic as a triumph for the Party’s CCP, accommodating the pernicious communism. the tragedy that played out in Wu- authoritarian system. But the Chinese communist system and turning a blind It is apparent that Outside China, the spread of the vi- han, with overworked medical staff, historical record is more sobering. eye to unspeakable crimes committed rus was initially most severe in Italy, despondent patients, and body bags Throughout the centuries, plagues and by the mainland Chinese authorities. the coronavirus Iran, South Korea, and Japan. Not all lining hospital floors. other calamities signalled the downfall Recent decades have seen the PRC pandemic is of these countries are located near In South Korea, the public became of imperial dynasties. greatly expand its power in economic a calamity linked China, but all have extensive inter- increasingly critical of President Taking history as a mirror, as ancient and geopolitical affairs. Deceiving with the CCP ests in the PRC. Moon Jae-in for refusing to ban Chi- Chinese scholars did, it is apparent that the world with a narrative of “China’s and its 70 years of Italy, at one point the most heavily nese tourists in general and instead the coronavirus pandemic is a calam- peaceful rise,” the communist regime brutal rule. affected country outside China, was only barring entry to those who re- ity linked with the CCP and its 70 years has lured foreign governments and in- the first (and only) G7 nation to sign cently travelled to Hubei Province, of brutal rule. And today, the world is ternational firms to invest in China’s onto the PRC’s Belt and Road Initia- ground zero of the outbreak in China. an interconnected community. Any rapidly developing markets. tive. In an attempt to prop up its weak- More than 1.4 million people have country, community, or organization But the CCP has never abandoned ening economy, Italy has also sought signed a petition to the Presidential that keeps too close to the CCP and falls its ideological tenets of class struggle to capture the Chinese market for sell- Blue House calling for Moon to be for its deception will taste the bitter fruits and totalitarian control. In the 30 ing its luxury goods. impeached. The petition text reads, of that involvement. years since the Tiananmen Square With the outbreak forcing Rome to “Seeing Moon Jae-in’s response to massacre, and from the start in 1999 put the country under lockdown, such the new epidemic, we feel that he is The Epoch Times refers to the novel of the persecution campaign against prospects have been put on hold. more of a President for China than coronavirus, which causes the disease the spiritual practice Falun Gong to Italy also has signed scores of Korea.” COVID-19, as the CCP virus because today’s systematic persecution of all sister-city agreements with China, the the Chinese Communist Party’s cov- faiths and independent thought, the cities of Milan, Venice, and Bergamo History’s Lessons erup and mismanagement allowed the state of human rights in China has only among them. These are the areas Despite its proximity to, and extensive virus to spread throughout China and worsened. hardest-hit by the virus. business with, mainland China, create a global pandemic. US Lawmaker Calls for International Court Trial Against China for Failing to Contain Virus Outbreak

YORK DU/NTD FRANK FANG Authorities claimed the virus was The Stop COVID Act, introduced by THE EPOCH TIMES “preventable and controllable.” Rep. Lance Gooden, would amend FSIA On Jan. 14, the World Health Organization to provide another exception to immu- U.S. Congressman Jim Banks is repeated Beijing’s claim that there was “no nity for any state that is found “inten- calling on the State Department to bring clear evidence of human-to-human trans- tionally or unintentionally, to have dis- a legal case against China at the United mission” of the virus. charged a biological weapon ... in the Nations’ International Court of Justice “China shoulders most of that blame. United States or such discharge results over the regime’s mishandling of the Rather than succumb to the propaganda in the bodily injury of [a] United States virus outbreak. and spin of Chinese officials, the world must citizen.” “If China’s leaders hadn’t become hold them accountable for mishandling this The legislation would pave the way for embarrassed by the outbreak and tried outbreak. If the United Nations cannot even The world must the U.S. Department of Justice to inves- to cover up its spread, the world may do that, it has completely lost its purpose,” hold them tigate the source of the virus, and file have had a better chance to prepare Banks said. accountable for claims against the Chinese regime in the for this or even contain it in Wuhan or U.S. Congressman Jim Banks on mishandling this United States, the statement said. China. Instead, we have a pandemic,” Capitol Hill on March 27, 2019. Bill to Open Potential Lawsuits outbreak. Several lawsuits have already been said Banks in an April 8 statement. Meanwhile, another Republican congress- launched in the United States in domes- The Republican congressman pointed a “confession” statement in early Janu- man has introduced a bill that would make U.S. REP. JIM BANKS tic courts against the Chinese regime, to examples of Chinese authorities si- ary. it easier for Americans to bring legal action seeking to hold it liable for the damage lencing doctors and journalists in late Li died the following month after against the Chinese regime for its role in the CCP virus has caused to Americans. December when they tried to warn the contracting the CCP (Chinese Com- causing the global pandemic. One of them is a class action filed by public about a new form of pneumonia munist Party) virus, commonly known The regime currently enjoys protection Florida law firm The Berman Law Group that emerged in Wuhan. as the novel coronavirus, from an in- from lawsuits filed in U.S. courts under in March. In a joint statement issued on Chinese ophthalmologist Li Wen- fected patient. the doctrine of sovereign immunity, a April 3 with Lucas Compton, a Wash- liang is the most high-profile example. Another misstep happened on Dec. legal rule that insulates countries from ington-based lobbying firm hired to do After posting about the new pneumo- 31 last year, when the Wuhan Munici- being sued in other countries’ courts. PR for the lawsuit, the firm welcomed nia on Chinese social media, Li was pal Health Commission falsely said the There are, however, exceptions to this Gooden’s bill, saying it would “pro- summoned to a local police station for disease was a “seasonable flu” with no rule found in the Foreign Sovereign vide additional firepower to our legal “rumour-mongering” and forced to sign risk of human-to-human transmission. Immunities Act (FSIA). position.”

READ WHAT OTHERS WON’T REPORT | Subscribe: ReadEpoch.ca ||1-800-766-0157 Download Our App SPECIAL EDITION APRIL 2020 7 With Myriad Links to Chinese Regime, New York Is Now America’s CCP Virus Epicentre

JOHANNES EISELE/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES TIAN YUN Vigilance THE EPOCH TIMES Having long served as the gate- way to America for immigrants Commentary and shipping, New York seems Outbreaks of the CCP virus around uniquely susceptible to the spread the world have been strongly corre- of the pandemic. On March 25, lated with the affected regions’ ties Gov. Cuomo said New York “has to the Chinese communist regime. more cases than other U.S. states In the United States, infection rates … because we welcome people in Washington state—known for be- from across the globe, and we live; ing the first port of entry for trade move; commune, and do so many goods coming from the People’s other things close to one another.” Republic of China (PRC) following But in the COVID-19 virus pan- the United States’ establishment of demic, globalization isn’t the only diplomatic relations with Beijing in factor to blame. the late 1970s—were the highest na- Due vigilance and realistic views tionwide as late as March 16, when of the Beijing regime, as demon- it had more than 900 out of roughly strated by the people of Taiwan 4,300 confirmed cases. and Hong Kong, have provided Since mid-March, however, Wash- no small measure of inoculation ington has been overtaken and far against the outbreak. Despite their eclipsed by New York state in terms proximity to, and extensive trade of confirmed cases. On March 20, ties with, mainland China, these Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a two regions did not delay mea- 10-point plan to put “New York State sures to stop the virus. As of early on PAUSE.” An empty Times Square in New York City amid the COVID-19 pandemic on April 13, 2020. April, the number of infections in At the time of writing, more than either territory has remained in 220,000 New Yorkers have been state-run media. In 2005, Kuhn Zhang Xiangchen, China’s com- the hundreds. sickened, making up a third of the published a fawning biography of merce ministry’s deputy represen- In South Korea, the authorities 670,000 cases across the country. former CCP leader Jiang Zemin, tative of international trade, signed were slow to cut down on trade The in-state death toll passed 1,000 despite Jiang being responsible for a Memorandum of Understanding and travel with China. However, on March 29, and is now over 16,000. enormous crimes against human- to formally establish the China Prov- knowledge of the epidemic and its ity and his “make-a-fortune-while- inces-U.S. State of New York Trade seriousness rapidly spread among Reddening the Big Apple keeping-a-low-profile” policies that and Investment Cooperation. The Pressure by Wall Street the public. In January, videos ex- Early outbreaks of the virus outside encouraged corruption on an un- agreement linked New York with lobbyists influenced the posing the bleak situation in the China were most pronounced in precedented scale. six Chinese provinces on various decisions of presidents virus epicentre of Wuhan were countries with extensive economic In later years, pressure by Wall forms of economic and industrial George Bush and Barack widely viewed and shared by Ko- or strategic relations with the PRC, Street lobbyists influenced the de- exchange. Obama to remove China reans. Millions of people criticized such as Italy, Iran, and South Korea. cisions of presidents George Bush In June 2019, the New York State from the list of currency President Moon Jae-in for placing Lured by trade benefits or caving in to and Barack Obama to remove China Senate passed a resolution naming business above national health. Beijing’s pressure, governments and from the list of currency manipula- Oct. 1—the founding date of the com- manipulators. While South Korea had one of officials in many regions have taken tors. In August 2019, following an munist regime in 1949—the state’s the worst early outbreaks outside accommodating or even supportive escalation in the Sino-U.S. trade war, “China Day” so as to commemorate China, the combination of public stances on the Chinese regime. the Trump administration re-desig- the contributions of ethnic Chinese awareness, popular pressure, and Such attitudes likely fuelled accep- nated China a currency manipulator. to New York. A PRC foreign ministry civic cooperation seems to have tance of CCP propaganda regarding On April 25, 2019, Prague Security spokesperson praised the move as a brought the virus under control. the virus, and made local authori- Studies Institute chairman Roger W. “positive” development. Yet the same vigilance appears ties reluctant to take protective mea- Robinson Jr. warned of the worrying At an evening reception hosted sorely lacking in the Empire State, sures, increasing those countries’ degree to which the CCP had pen- that Sept. 16 by the New York Chi- even as the CCP promotes its sup- and regions’ vulnerability during the etrated the U.S. financial market in nese Consulate to commemorate the posed success in controlling the critical first stages in the epidemic. a speech made to the Committee on 70th anniversary of the PRC’s found- disease in China, and painting the In recent decades, the CCP has the Present Danger: China. ing, Consul-General Huang Ping de- U.S. response as the epitome of established a formidable nexus of Robinson noted that more than livered remarks praising “socialism administrative incompetence. The “soft power” in New York. China 1,000 Chinese companies were with Chinese characteristics” and narrative is reinforced by many is the state’s biggest trade partner listed in the three major American condemned the ongoing trade war Western media outlets, in large outside North America, and the stock exchanges, with more than 650 for hurting the economic prospects part because they tend to report PRC (including Hong Kong) forms China-based firms listed on the New of both countries. Many New York the regime’s official numbers of New York’s largest export market. York Stock Exchange alone. These politicians, entrepreneurs, and rep- confirmed cases and deaths at Bilateral investments are similarly include Chinese state-run compa- resentatives from the local Chinese face value. large, with New York being one of nies, many of which play roles in the diaspora were in attendance. On March 18, the New York the prime destinations for Chinese CCP’s human rights abuses, mass Times published an article titled capital. surveillance, and military industry. Reshaping Society “Its Coronavirus Cases Dwindling, The significant volume of trade and Being listed in U.S. stock indices As late as the mid-1980s, the most China Turns Focus Outward.” investment has had wide-ranging means these companies receive in- prominent Chinese-American or- The article’s subheading echoes effects in New York politics and so- vestment via the stock portfolios of ganizations in New York were those the CCP’s propaganda: “Beijing ciety, from PRC-friendly attitudes millions of Americans. aligned with Taiwan, officially is mounting a humanitarian aid among elected officials to Beijing’s Many Wall Street investors’ affin- known as the Republic of China. blitz in countries struggling with incremental subversion of the local ity with Beijing became especially But as mainland China came to their own outbreaks. In doing so, Chinese-American community. By apparent following the start of the dominate the economic and diplo- it’s stepping into a role the West extension, New York’s economic and U.S.-China trade war in June 2018. matic landscape, Taiwan’s Blue Sky once dominated.” cultural importance means that the He Qinglian, a U.S.-based Chinese with a White Sun flag began to dis- A March 19 editorial by the PRC’s influence there is felt through- economist, wrote that the recogni- appear from the local Chinatowns, Washington Examiner criticized out the rest of the United States. tion of A shares of Chinese corpo- replaced by the five-starred red flag the Times report as perhaps “the rations by three major financial of the PRC. most shameful piece of Chinese Making Capital Serve the indices, Morgan Stanley Capital CCP organizations in New York disinformation published by any Communist Party International, FTSE Russell, and have established links with the lo- newsroom in the United States Wall Street is one of the major con- Bloomberg, in 2018 and 2019—af- cal triad gangs, and sometimes even since the COVID-19 outbreak first duits through which the PRC exer- ter the start of the U.S.-China trade enable the Party to project its politi- became a story.” cises its soft power abroad, and has war—was equivalent to endorsing cal repression into the United States, “The article parrots China’s claim long played the “dove” in influencing the Chinese regime’s unfavourable Falun Gong being a case in point. that its daily coronavirus cases Washington’s China policy. bonds. Thanks to Wall Street, the In 1999, the CCP launched an all- have dwindled ‘into the single In 1999, then-premier Zhu Rongji resulting influx of foreign capital out persecution campaign against digits,’” the Examiner notes. “No visited New York, where he met with thus helped allay the PRC’s do- the Falun Gong spiritual practice attempt is made to verify these a number of Wall Street executives to mestic economic troubles and the and its tens of millions of adherents. numbers. … With the media act- discuss China’s potential member- recent pressures brought about by The deadly campaign continues to ing like this, who even needs the ship in the World Trade Organization. the trade war. this day. Publicity Department of the Com- President Bill Clinton thereafter sup- Groups linked to the extralegal munist Party of China?” ported Beijing’s entry into the WTO, Buying Political Power Communist Party commission tasked which it joined in December 2001. Chinese economic inroads gave the with overseeing the persecution have Tian Yun is a U.S.-based China Economic relations continued to CCP many opportunities to win po- been peddling hate speech against affairs commentator. strengthen as the United States be- litical allies across the United States, the practice in New York’s China- came embroiled in the war on terror. particularly in salient regions like towns for over a decade. Individual Views expressed in this article are Robert Kuhn, a financial executive New York. members of these groups have been the opinions of the author and do and public intellectual, has had his On April 11, 2016, New York lieu- prosecuted for physically assaulting not necessarily reflect the views of writings appear in many Chinese tenant governor Kathy Hochul and local Falun Gong adherents. The Epoch Times. A CRISIS IN CHINA AFFECTS US ALL WHAT CAN BE DONE TO CREATE A POSITIVE CHANGE? LEARN MORE ABOUT THE COVERUP THAT LED TO A PANDEMIC AND WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW TRUTH and TRADITION CCPVirusTruth.com 8 APRIL 2020 SPECIAL EDITION Urn Shipments to Wuhan Funeral Homes Indicate Tens of Thousands of Deaths, Belying Official Virus Death Toll

CATHY HE HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES Officials at other funeral homes THE EPOCH TIMES in the city also described sharp upticks in bodies the facilities re- Thousands of ash urns were deliv- ceived for cremation. An employee ered to funeral homes in the virus at the Caidian Funeral Home lo- epicentre Wuhan in late March cated in a Wuhan suburb also The and early April, as relatives began Epoch Times that they needed at picking up the remains of loved least 100 body bags every day. ones, further calling into ques- Mr. Ding, a Wuhan resident who tion the true scale of the outbreak lost his mother to the virus, told the in Wuhan and China. The num- Chinese-language edition of The ber of urns delivered to just one Epoch Times that his local district funeral home indicate that the authorities said they would help total number could be in the tens families with doing paperwork; of thousands. getting processing fees and the Families of those who died of cost of urns waived; and receiving the CCP virus were permitted to discounts for burial plots, provided collect their relatives’ cremated the tasks were completed before remains from seven government- Tomb-Sweeping Day. After this run funeral homes with crema- date, such assistance could not be toriums, beginning on March 23. guaranteed. A photo of long line-ups outside He criticized authorities for forc- a funeral parlour that was circu- ing families to sort out the burials lated on Chinese social media within such a short time frame, was promptly deleted by censors. especially given that no funeral At one of the facilities, the ceremony or rites were permitted. Hankou Funeral Home, trucks Medical staff wearing protective clothing arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital in Wuhan, China, “How can I accept this?” he said. delivered about 2,500 urns on on Jan. 25, 2020. Ding said the only consolation for both March 26 and 27, Chinese families would be for officials to ac- financial magazine Caixin re- When Caixin contacted funeral meant that many people had been knowledge the truth of what hap- ported. A picture published by homes in Wuhan, staff at six of the unable to receive testing and pened and accept responsibility. the outlet showed 3,500 urns be- At one of the facilities, facilities answered the phone, ei- treatment; and several changes to If authorities could “acknowl- ing stacked by employees inside trucks delivered about ther saying they didn’t have infor- the way infections were officially edge fault and accept responsibil- the facility. 2,500 urns on both mation on how many urns were to counted. ity,” then this would be “the great- Some families told Caixin they March 26 and 27. be collected, or that they were not In early February, The Epoch est consolation for families of the had to wait in line for up to five permitted to disclose the numbers. Times conducted an undercover in- deceased, and amount to paying hours to pick up the ashes. Up until mid-April, Chinese au- vestigation, calling funeral homes respect to the dead,” he said. Hankou Funeral Home said it thorities had reported just over in Wuhan in order to understand would endeavour to release 500 2,500 deaths in Wuhan, where the the true death toll of the epidemic. The Epoch Times refers to the ash urns a day, according to Chi- virus first emerged, then on April At the time, the Hankou Funeral novel coronavirus, which causes nese news aggregator Toutiao. The 17 revised it to over 3,800. How- Home confirmed that its crema- the disease COVID-19, as the funeral parlour aimed to complete ever, experts and locals have long torium was using 20 furnaces to CCP virus because the Chinese the task by Tomb-Sweeping Day been skeptical of China’s official cremate bodies 24 hours a day, the Communist Party’s coverup and on April 4, a traditional Chinese figures, in light of Beijing’s initial sudden rise in intake suggesting mismanagement allowed the virus festival when people visit the coverup of the outbreak; Wuhan’s that more people were dying of the to spread throughout China and graves of their ancestors. overstretched health system, which virus than officially reported. create a global pandemic. READ WHAT OTHERS WON’T REPORT

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