SPECIAL APRIL 2020 TRUTH AND TRADITION

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EXCLUSIVE CCP VIRUS COVERAGE How the Chinese Communist Party Giving the Right Name How ’s Coverup to the Virus Causing a Led to a Global Endangered Worldwide Pandemic Pandemic STORY ON 2 STORY ON 3 the World HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES The Chinese Communist Party’s coverup led to a pandemic that now threatens the lives of people around the globe. What really happened, and what lessons can we learn?

READ MORE INSIDE Beijing’s ‘Mask 21 Million Fewer Cellphone Diplomacy’ Draws Users in China May Suggest Growing Backlash a High Death Toll STORY ON 4 STORY ON 6

Where Ties With Commu- Silenced: Stories of Citizens nist China Are Close, Suppressed for Speaking the the CCP Virus Follows Truth About the CCP Virus STORY ON 7 STORY ON 8

Senators Call for Reckoning With China’s Dictatorship

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Tasmanian Liberal Senator Eric Abetz said there needs to be a “reck- oning with the Chinese communist dictatorship and its leadership must be held to account” for its culpabil- ity in the spread of the CCP virus, commonly known as novel coro- navirus. “The decency of the Chinese peo- ple is not the issue. The Communist Senator Malcolm dictatorship’s decency under which Roberts in the the Chinese people suffer, however, Senate at Par- does need to be questioned,” he told liament House in The Epoch Times. Canberra on July Abetz listed a number of reasons 4, 2019. why the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) should be held to account. Senator Eric Abetz speaks deal with the epidemic,” he said. Chinese people but at the People’s about it.” “Firstly, the unacceptable ‘wet in the Senate at Parliament Abetz said an international probe Republic of China communist [re- “It is hopeless, bumbling, dishon- markets’ (the likely source) have House in Canberra on Nov. into any cover-up about the CCP gime],” he said. est, and inherently corrupt, like the not been closed although previous 28, 2017. virus is warranted but only after the Roberts said an international whole of the United Nations,” said warnings and concerns were deliv- pandemic has passed. body of health experts should be Roberts. ered after similar type outbreaks, “The focus at this time must be to convened to conduct an investiga- Roberts said China has a duty of e.g. SARS.” He noted that Prime fight this insidious virus,” he said. tion after which the international care that extends beyond its bor- Minister Scott Morrison has also Regarding the long-term impact community should be able to de- ders. “It is Australia’s number one called for the markets to be shut of the pandemic on Australia, Abetz sign a mechanism for compensa- trading partner. When countries down. said, “The pandemic will refocus tion from the CCP. engage in the world that carries a “Secondly, the fate of the doctor national policy on the wisdom of UK-based think tank Henry responsibility to other countries,” [] who first alerted the our forefathers’ commitment to the Jackson Society has since called he said. “The concept of a relation- Chinese communist dictatorship My question is not timeless virtues of being prepared, for countries to take legal action ship is built on trust.” of the virus needs to be fully ex- self-reliance, not putting all one’s against the CCP for its initial cov- Looking ahead, Roberts said Aus- plained,” he said. aimed at the Chinese eggs in one basket, putting aside for erup of the virus. According to its tralia needs to buy Australian, and After Dr. Li posted about the virus people but at the a rainy day, and government cannot report, damages would amount bring back the nation’s productive to a WeChat group of his medical People’s Republic fix everything.” to at least $4 trillion, which is how capacity, and economic resilience. school colleagues, Li was called “There will be a substantial reca- much G-7 countries have spent to “We need to manufacture the basics in by police and reprimanded for of China communist libration of priorities as the repay- stimulate their economies in re- in this country,” he said. “spreading rumors online” and [regime]. ment burden hits,” he said. sponse to the pandemic. Newscorp reported April 3 that “severely disrupting social order.” Roberts also said that the World politicians including Labor MP An- Li ultimately contracted COVID-19 Malcolm Roberts, One Nation China Should Pay Health Organisation has been com- thony Byrne, Liberal MP Andrew and subsequently died. Senator One Nation Senator Malcolm plicit in the CCP’s cover-up. “It is Hastie, Liberal MP Tim Wilson, “Thirdly, the seriousness of the Roberts told The Epoch Times that clearly incompetent and corrupt, Liberal MP Dave Sharma, Labor virus was known to the regime, Australians are angry over “the se- and it is weak, and there is no ac- MP Julian Hill, Liberal Senator which is why they got their opera- crecy and misinformation from the countability,” he said. James Paterson, Liberal Senator tives in Australia to purchase all People’s Republic of China—or the “The WHO lacks teeth. It bowed Alex Antic, LNP Senator Amanda the personal protective equipment Chinese Communist Party.” to China, spreading Chinese misin- Stoker, and Labor Senator Kimber- they could and ship it to China. A Roberts on March 31 posted a formation in January that there was ley Kitching said they will be calling particularly reprehensible activity,” question on Twitter asking whether no human-to-human transmission for a reset on Australia’s relation- Abetz said. China should “pay compensation of this virus. Two months later, in ship with China’s ruling CCP, which “We are paying the heavy price of for unleashing COVID-19 on the March, the WHO said that the time is also the country’s biggest trading a communist regime’s failure to live world?” to act was two months ago—which partner. up to its moral and ethical duty in His post was liked over 117,000 was January—the time when it was initially informing, and advising, times and retweeted 28,000 times. saying there was no human-to- Epoch Times reporter Rachel Qu and then in helping other countries “My question is not aimed at the human transmission, don’t worry contributed to this report. 2 April 2020 | SPECIAL EDITION

ABOUT US The Epoch Times is a media or- Editor’s Note ganisation dedicated to seeking the truth through insightful and independent journalism. e hope this finds you and your loved ones The immorality and corruption of the Chinese regime helps well. We live in challenging times right explain the fundamental way in which we must look at the Standing outside of political in- now, and this special edition is intended pandemic. terests and the pursuit of profit, to explain the reasons behind why we find If the CCP had shown compassion for the Chinese people our starting point and our goal is ourselves in such a situation. and if it had acted honestly and openly, much of China, and to create a media for the public WDaily life in Australia has been upended, as governments the world, could have been spared this calamity. benefit, to be truly responsible seek to stop the spread of the Chinese Communist Party A recent study by the University of Southampton found to society. (CCP) virus (see “Giving the Right Name to the Virus Causing that if “non-pharmaceutical interventions—such as early We endeavor to educate readers a Worldwide Pandemic” below). The virus is highly transmis- detection, isolation of cases, travel restrictions and cordon about today’s most important sible, and in some cases, deadly. sanitaire ... could have been conducted one week, two weeks, topics, seeking to broaden and Businesses have been shuttered and large numbers of or three weeks earlier, cases could have been reduced by uplift minds. We believe that people have lost their jobs with almost no notice. While 66 percent, 86 percent and 95 percent, respectively—sig- rational, balanced debate is key the federal government is scrambling to provide aid, many nificantly limiting the geographical spread of the disease.” for fostering a healthy democ- households are suddenly facing economic uncertainty, if In fact, the CCP, out of concern for its power, censored racy and a compassionate not hardship. knowledge of this new, highly transmissible, SARS-like Some of the businesses that have closed may not be able to illness for six weeks, allowing millions to travel from the society. reopen. With the stock market responding to the pandemic epicentre in to the rest of China. The virus quickly As an independent media outlet, with a devastating plunge, many people’s retirement savings spread across China and around the world. we use our freedom to inves- may be threatened. Now, the CCP is waging a propaganda campaign claiming it tigate issues overlooked—or These are times that test us. In normal times, we tend to has been a model in fighting the disease. The same campaign avoided—by other media out- focus on the day-to-day. In abnormal times such as these, has been disseminating the lie that the virus originated in lets. We seek to highlight solu- we may find our thoughts turning to what is fundamental. the United States. tions and what’s good in society Ultimately, character and morality count. If our encounter This special edition sets the record straight. If the world rather than what divides us. with the CCP virus pushes us to look within and ask ourselves understands why the CCP virus has wreaked such havoc, how we can become better people, then perhaps we will have then it will understand the need to reject the CCP and its We report respectfully, compas- found a blessing in this chaos. contagion of lies, selfishness, and lust for power. sionately, and rigorously.

We stand against the destruc- tion wrought by communism, including the harm done to cultures around the world. EDITORIAL

We are inspired in this by our own experience. The Epoch Times was founded in 2000 to Giving the Right Name to the Virus bring honest and uncensored news to people oppressed by the lies and violence in Causing a Worldwide Pandemic communist China. CHUNG SUNG-JUN/GETTY IMAGES We still believe journalism is a EDITORIAL BOARD throwing out wild charges that noble vocation, but only when the United States is responsible. it genuinely seeks to serve its There has been controversy This will be met around the communities and help them to recently about what to call world with perplexity, if not ridi- flourish. In all that we do, we will the virus that has unleashed a cule. President Donald Trump hold ourselves to the highest worldwide pandemic. The Chi- has pushed back by referring to standards of integrity. This is nese Communist Party (CCP) the “Chinese virus.” our promise to you. prefers “novel coronavirus.” But the CCP likely intends Others have referred to it as the these charges of U.S. responsi- “Wuhan virus,” after its place of bility for its domestic audience. origin, as is common in naming The CCP has victimized the CONTACT US diseases. Chinese people in its first denial The Epoch Times suggests a of the virus and now seeks to Australian Epoch Times Ltd. more accurate name is the “CCP victimize them again by shifting 49A Treacy St, virus,” and calls upon others to responsibility for its actions to Hurstville NSW 2220 join us in adopting this name. others. 02 8988 5600 The name holds the CCP ac- And this points out why the countable for its wanton disre- name “CCP virus” is needed, to Advertising gard of human life and conse- distinguish the victims from the [email protected] quent spawning of a pandemic victimizer. The people of Wuhan that has put untold numbers in Medical staff move a patient infected with the CCP virus from an ambulance to and of China are the victims of Subscriptions countries around the world at a hospital in Seoul, South Korea, on March 9, 2020. the CCP’s arrogance and incom- [email protected] risk, while creating widespread petence, expressed in this viral fear and devastating the econo- Wuhan were operating 24 hours doesn’t fit the script. As with pandemic. General Inquiries mies of nations trying to cope a day, seven days a week to deal SARS, the first response was The name CCP virus also [email protected] with this disease. with the crush of dead bodies. denial. sounds a warning: Those na- After all, CCP officials knew in Meanwhile, the measures But in dealing with this virus, tions and individuals close to Send Us Your News early December that the virus taken to quarantine and treat denial is not acceptable. The the CCP are the ones suffering [email protected] had appeared in Wuhan, but the population of Wuhan were world needs to know its origin, the worst effects from this virus, they sat on the information for grotesquely inhumane. Apart- and the CCP has refused to as is seen in the raging infec- six weeks. They arrested those ment buildings were welded cooperate. Outside experts have tions in the CCP’s close ally Iran who tried to warn of the danger, shut. Temporary “hospitals” not been allowed into Wuhan. and in Italy, the only G-7 nation accusing them of spreading were created that actually And there is understandable to sign onto the Belt and Road “rumors,” and employed the served as jails for those believed concern about the activities of Initiative. Taiwan and Hong regime’s rigorous censorship to to be sick with the virus. Locked the Wuhan Institute of Virol- Kong, which have rejected the prevent media coverage and to into these places with no medi- ogy, China’s only P4 lab, one CCP—Taiwan in a recent land- delete any mentions of it from cal treatment and little food, the meant for working with easily slide national election and Hong social media. unfortunates were trapped there transmitted pathogens that can Kong in months of massive dem- What might have been con- until death. cause fatal illness. As the official onstrations—have had relatively tained was allowed silently to In lying about the danger fac- narratives offered for the source few infections. spread, showing up in all of Chi- ing China, the CCP was acting of the virus have been disprov- Finally, the CCP virus reminds na. Individuals who might have according to its usual script. The en, questions have been raised the people of the world that the protected themselves became CCP’s dominant narrative is about whether the CCP virus source of the virus is itself evil. victims, in numbers far greater that the Party is “great, glorious, leaked from the institute. This is a communist virus, and than the CCP has admitted. By and correct.” The presence of In any case, as questions about with the name CCP virus, The late January, there were reports the deadly CCP virus in Wuhan, the origin of the virus have gone Epoch Times reminds the world SUBSCRIBE that all of the crematoria in or, in 2003, of the SARS virus, unanswered, the CCP has begun of the cure: ending the CCP. TODAY Get the independent news LIES KILL, you won’t find TRUTH and TRADITION anywhere else. TRUTH SAVES Subscribe and get the insights only The Epoch Times HELP ALL AUSTRALIANS SEE THROUGH THE CCP’S DECEPTION can provide, delivered to your door every week. 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LET’S END COMMUNISM TOGETHER CCPVirusTruth.com | Subscribe: ReadEpoch.com.au | Donate: SupportEpoch.com | (02) 8988 5600 SPECIAL EDITION | April 2020 3 How China’s Coverup Led to a Global Pandemic

HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES NICOLE HAO

he global pandemic now ravaging the world—dis- rupting everyday life, overwhelming hospital Tsystems, and killing thousands— began as a small outbreak in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. When 27 people were hospital- ized with a mysterious pneumonia in early December 2019, eight doc- tors tried to warn their colleagues on social media. When the online posts went viral, An official in a they were deleted by censors. Then, protective suit checks on an local police summoned the doctors elderly man who for a verbal warning, requiring that collapsed and died they sign a statement promising on a street near a not to engage in any more “rumor- hospital in Wuhan mongering.” on Jan. 30, 2020. Thus began the Chinese Com- munist Party’s (CCP) coverup of piece newspaper People’s Daily, that in the period before the Jan. 23 boat,” she said. from their personal devices and one of the most deadly outbreaks , one of China’s top lockdown, 5 million residents had pledge to not share the contents in recent history. respiratory specialists within Chi- left the city. Coverup of the documents with any party. Revelations from recent medi- na’s National Health Commission, Laurie Garrett, an expert on epi- From the beginning of the out- Most recently, The Epoch Times cal studies, media investigations, assured the public that the disease demics and former Pulitzer Prize- break, the Chinese regime under- obtained internal data from the and Chinese government officials could be contained. winning journalist known for her reported infection and death toll Wuhan Health Commission show- themselves illustrate how the Chi- coverage of the 1995 Ebola out- figures. ing that on March 14, the city found nese Communist Party’s deceit Lack of Precautions break, believes Chinese authori- In mid-January, Wuhan authori- 91 new samples that tested posi- and mismanagement allowed the The Wuhan government went on ties had the chance to contain the ties reported just 41 cases as Thai- tive during nucleic acid testing. In disease to spread, first across the business as usual.The city didn’t spread in the first week of January. land and Japan reported their first Wuhan, samples are only taken country, then outside its borders screen passengers and check body cases of infections—of people who from a throat swab. Thus, these 91 to more than 185 countries and temperatures at airports, railway Human Transmission had traveled to Wuhan. samples can be understood as 91 territories. stations, intercity coach stations, Chinese authorities initially denied The number of infections in new patients. A recent study published in Sci- and maritime passenger terminals that the disease could be transmit- Wuhan, meanwhile, stayed un- That day, Chinese authorities ence magazine examined data until Jan. 14. ted between humans. The World changed between Jan. 12 and 16. reported just four new cases in from 375 Chinese cities, and esti- The city also allowed large-scale Health Organization (WHO), citing Researchers analyzed that given Wuhan. mated that 86 percent of all infec- gatherings to go on. The Baibuting Chinese research, stated on Jan. 14 the number of foreign cases at the Some officials also publicly re- tions in Wuhan were left undocu- residential compound in Jiang’an that there was “no clear evidence” time, Wuhan infections would be vealed how Party politics stymied mented prior to travel restrictions district organized a large-scale of human-to-human transmission. substantially higher than officially their initial responses to the out- and lockdown measures enacted dinner in advance of the Lunar Days later, on Jan. 20, the Chinese reported. break. by local authorities on Jan. 23. This New Year on Jan. 18, with more regime finally admitted that the The Epoch Times also obtained During a Jan. 28 press confer- contributed to the virus’s quick than 40,000 families participating. virus was contagious. But authori- internal documents from different ence, the Party boss of Wuhan, Ma global spread, the scientists con- Baibuting residents later told The ties knew of the virus’s potential to local governments in China, re- Guoqiang, said the central govern- cluded. Epoch Times that scores of people spread much earlier. vealing how they covered up data. ment didn’t allow the Hubei CDC contracted COVID-19, the disease In December, a woman who In Shandong Province, the local to diagnose the disease until Jan. Initial Response caused by the virus, after attending had never visited the Wuhan food Centre for Disease Control (CDC) 16; previously, patients’ samples In its initial report confirming the the banquet. market—which authorities ini- kept an internal tally of the number had to be sent to Beijing for test- presence of a new virus outbreak, tially linked to the outbreak—was of samples that tested positive for ing. Even then, the Hubei CDC only the Wuhan health commission diagnosed with the disease after the virus during nucleic acid test- had enough capacity to run about originally stated that the first pa- The Wuhan Health her husband, who worked at the ing. In February, the daily number 300 tests per day, he said. tient exhibited symptoms on Dec. Commission didn’t market, contracted the virus. The of samples that tested positive was Similarly, Wuhan Mayor Zhou 12, 2019. The commission later re- husband, who died on Jan. 9, was consistently lower than the official- Xianwang blamed his superiors vised the date to Dec. 8, without reveal the outbreak to China’s first confirmed death re- ly reported number of cases pub- for mismanaging the crisis. explanation. But a study based on the public until Dec. 31. lated to the virus. lished by China’s National Health During a news program that data from Wuhan hospitals pub- Garrett said that such a “coverup Commission. aired on state broadcaster CCTV lished in The Lancet medical jour- Meanwhile, authorities has put the people of China at risk In Liaoning Province—in the on Jan. 27, Zhou said the central nal revealed that the first patient downplayed the threat and put the whole world at risk.” country’s northeastern region, government made the decision to presented symptoms on Dec. 1. of the virus. She added that the Chinese re- thousands of miles away from withhold information about the The Wuhan health commission gime similarly covered up the the virus epicentre—authorities outbreak. didn’t reveal the outbreak to the In preparation for Lunar New 2002–2003 SARS (severe acute instructed their city governments “Disclosures about the outbreak public until Dec. 31. Year festivities, many Chinese, respiratory syndrome) outbreak. to destroy documents and data re- were not timely. ... As the leader of Meanwhile, authorities down- unaware of the virus’s contagious- As the initial infections coincided lated to the outbreak. a local government, I could only played the threat of the virus. ness, traveled across the country with the timing of the CCP’s leader- Officials were also required to publish information after I received In a Jan. 10 interview with the Chi- or abroad to spend time with their ship transition, the Party wanted to sign letters promising that they permission from the authorities nese Communist Party’s mouth- families. Wuhan’s mayor revealed assure that “nothing shall rock the would delete relevant documents [central government],” Zhou said.

Beijing Using 10,000 Fake or Hijacked Twitter Accounts to Spread Propaganda About Pandemic: Study

FRANK FANG Tactics pended by Twitter. This agency is the international demic and urging them to ‘dispel The fake accounts sought to build media arm of the Overseas Chi- online rumors.’” China is using thousands of fake “momentum for particular story- Links to the Chinese Regime nese Affairs Bureau, an office in and hijacked Twitter accounts to lines,” ProPublica explained. First, ProPublica showed that Beijing charge of influencing overseas Money carry out its disinformation cam- central accounts, those with “more had influence over many of these Chinese. This office in turn is run ProPublica found that in some in- paign surrounding the CCP virus, legitimate-looking histories,” accounts. by the United Front Work Depart- stances, suspected Chinese opera- according to a recent study. would make eye-catching posts. For example, it pointed out that ment, a Party organ dedicated to tives would offer influential Chi- New York-based nonprofit me- Then, other, more obviously fake the influence network “suddenly spreading Beijing’s agenda inside nese-speaking Twitter users cash dia ProPublica, in a study released accounts would interact with the shifted its focus to the coronavirus and outside of China. in exchange for posting messages on March 26, tracked more than posts, such as reposting or leaving epidemic” on Jan. 29, six days after “Our examination of an inter- favorable to Beijing. 10,000 suspected fake and hacked positive comments. authorities imposed a lockdown in locking group of accounts within The study highlighted the case of Twitter accounts and found that Whether it was about the Hong Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus our data linked the effort to One- Badiucao, a Chinese political car- they were “involved in a coordi- Kong protests or the current vi- outbreak. Sight,” ProPublica added. toonist living in Australia. nated influence campaign with rus outbreak, these posts used That same day, OneSight, a The study noted that the fake ac- Badiucao said he was ap- ties” to the Chinese regime since hashtags to “gain visibility for an Beijing-based internet marketing counts’ content and behavior were proached by an account claiming August 2019. account that had few followers.” company with connections to the similar to those found by a 2019 to be an “international exchange Many of these accounts, which Sometimes, “posts would use Chinese regime, announced the report by the Australian Strategic company,” which offered the car- previously targeted political dis- hashtags unique to the influ- launch of a new app that would Policy Institute. For example, posts toonist 1,700 yuan (about $240) to sidents and Hong Kong protests, ence network, presumably to try track virus-related information, were often made during working tweet out specific content per post. have now begun posting “propa- to make them trend on Twitter,” and help “transmit the correct hours in Beijing. During feigned negotiations with ganda and disinformation about ProPublica added. voice of China” to the world. Many of the posts expressing the company, Badiucao said he re- the coronavirus outbreak,” accord- The study listed several known The company’s CEO previously approval for Beijing were made ceived a sample of what he would ing to ProPublica. hacked accounts, such as a pro- worked at the Beijing city foreign by fake accounts, using the same be asked to tweet out: a 15-second These 10,000 accounts did not act fessor in North Carolina, a college propaganda department. Its clients text published by Chinese state- propaganda clip, showing that Bei- independently. Using computer student at the University of Nebras- include state media outlets and re- run media. jing “defeated the coronavirus and programs, ProPublica found that ka Omaha, a web designer in the gime-friendly firms like Huawei “Comment texts were often lifted everything is back on track.” the fake accounts were part of an United Kingdom, and a business and Alibaba. word-for-word from state editori- Badiucao added that he was con- interrelated network of more than analyst in Australia. Last year, ProPublica obtained als, which have long served as fident the company was working 2,000 accounts. “It is unclear whether the current a copy of a contract won by One- political lodestars for government for the Chinese regime, based on However, ProPublica warned: fake account holders hacked the Sight to boost the Twitter follow- agencies and party officials,” Pro- their interactions. “The true scale of the influence accounts themselves or purchased ing of state-owned news agency Publica said. The company eventually did not campaign is likely much bigger; them from elsewhere,” the study China News Service. According The accounts became “cheer- provide Badiucao with a contract, our tracking suggests that the ac- stated. to the Jamestown Foundation, the leaders for [Chinese] the govern- with the explanation that “upon counts we identified comprise only Some of the accounts reviewed agency also “covertly runs overseas ment, calling on citizens to unite client review, your posting style a portion of the operation.” by ProPublica have since been sus- media organizations.” in support of efforts to fight the epi- does not fit this promotional topic.”

LET’S END COMMUNISM TOGETHER CCPVirusTruth.com | Subscribe: ReadEpoch.com.au | Donate: SupportEpoch.com | (02) 8988 5600 4 April 2020 | SPECIAL EDITION Beijing’s ‘Mask Diplomacy’ Draws Growing Backlash

CATHY HE Beijing’s efforts to promote itself as a global leader in combating the COVID-19 pandemic have recently encountered blowback. Eager to burnish its image amid the crisis, the Chinese regime has sent The regime’s medical experts and much-needed supplies, such as masks and respira- ‘mask tors, to countries ranging from Italy diplomacy’ to Peru. While many recipient countries forms part initially welcomed the assistance, of a broader there are signs of a growing back- lash after the Netherlands, Spain, campaign to and Turkey last week reported faulty change the equipment from China. “After an initial burst of positive pub- global narrative. licity, the narrative about Chinese aid to Europe has soured,” Peter Rough, an expert on U.S. foreign policy and senior fellow at the Washington-based think tank the Hudson Institute, told The Epoch Times in an email. The Netherlands on March 28 an- nounced it had recalled around 600,000 masks that had arrived in a shipment of 1.3 million purchased from a Chinese manufacturer a week earlier. Some of the masks had already been distributed to frontline health workers. Dutch health officials said the masks didn’t fit properly or had de- fective filters. “A second test also revealed that the masks did not meet the quality norms. Now it has been decided not to use any of this shipment,” the health ministry Workers produce said in a statement to AFP. masks at a factory Spain had similar problems with in Handan, China, rapid test kits ordered from a Chinese on Feb. 28, 2020. company. Spain’s health ministry on March 26 to fill a vacuum in the international “There is a geopolitical component China’s customs agency announced said it had withdrawn around 58,000 space, while traditional leaders such including a struggle for influence on March 7 that from Jan. 24 to Feb. Chinese-made test kits after discover- as the United States are busy handling through spinning and the ‘politics 29, it had inspected around 2 billion ing they had a detection accuracy of the outbreak domestically. of generosity,’” he said. “Armed with masks and 25 million protective suits just 30 percent. The normal accuracy Such assistance, however, is accom- facts, we need to defend Europe imported into the country. rate is more than 80 percent, local me- panied by a “massive propaganda against its detractors.” Chinese state media also touted the dia reported. drive for the recipients to show their efforts of several state-run companies The Chinese embassy in Spain re- gratitude to the PRC [People’s Repub- Capitalizing on Global Shortage in mobilizing international resources sponded on Twitter that the company lic of China] as the savior,” Katerina Prochazkova noted that the global to ship millions of medical supplies selling the kits, Shenzhen Bioeasy Bio- A second test Prochazkova, an analyst at the Czech- shortage of masks and protective to China. technology, hadn’t been licensed to based, China-focused think tank Sin- equipment is partly due to the re- Greenland Group, a global prop- sell the tests. also revealed opsis told The Epoch Times. gime having imported stockpiles erty giant whose largest shareholder Meanwhile, Turkish health officials that the masks She also noted that unlike much of of supplies during the height of the is the Shanghai government, is one of raised similar issues on March 27, the aid Beijing received from other outbreak in China. those state-backed firms involved in saying that rapid testing kit samples did not meet the countries during the early stages of “This very shortage from which the worldwide drive. State-run me- purchased from a Chinese company quality norms. China’s outbreak, much of the goods China is ‘saving’ us was caused by dia Xinhua reported on Jan. 31 that didn’t meet local effectiveness stan- supplied by the regime have been much of the medical material be- the company had shipped to China dards. Another Chinese firm has since Dutch health ministry sales through export agreements. ing sent to China in the first place,” 3 million masks, 700,000 medical been chosen to supply the kits. Countries in Europe and elsewhere she said. protective suits, and 500,000 pairs These developments, Rough said, have begun pushing back against the As China heavily ramped up do- of medical gloves. have “burst China’s carefully culti- propaganda campaign. mestic production of masks and A whistleblower employee from vated aura of competency.” The European Union’s chief diplo- protective gear for internal use in Greenland Group’s Sydney office in mat, Josep Borrell, recently warned of late January, it also launched a cam- Australia told local media that work- Deflecting Blame a “global battle of narratives.” paign to source medical supplies ers were instructed to put normal The regime’s “mask diplomacy” forms “China is aggressively pushing the from abroad—through its vast net- work on hold to source bulk medical part of a broader campaign to change message that, unlike the U.S., it is a work of state-run and state-affiliated supplies for shipping back to China. the global narrative—with the ulti- responsible and reliable partner,” Bor- enterprises, and overseas Chinese “Basically all employees, the ma- mate aim of deflecting blame away rell said in a March 23 statement. associations. jority of whom are Chinese, were from Beijing’s initial mishandling of the outbreak that eventually metas- tasized into a global pandemic. “China’s humanitarian gestures are meant to cover up its own complicity Unknown Origin in the spread of the virus, peel away The CCP virus is a coronavirus, meaning European countries desperate for Key Facts it likely spreads from animals to humans an economic and medical lifeline, and win over gullible Westerners As of March 21, 2020 and is transmitted generally by human-to- inclined to proclaim a Chinese cen- human contact through respiratory droplets. tury,” Rough said. Alongside its humanitarian en- deavors, the regime has deployed a sweeping disinformation campaign peddling claims that the CCP virus, Place of origin First cluster of patients commonly known as the novel coro- Wuhan, Early December 2019 navirus, didn’t originate in China, and Hubei Provience, China may have been brought into Wuhan by U.S. Army personnel. “That is how authoritarian regimes CHINA deal with crises,” Helle Dale, senior fellow for public diplomacy at Wash- ington-based think tank The Heritage Wuhan Foundation, told The Epoch Times. “They tend to deflect anger and criti- Hubei Provience cism outward.” Dale said the regime has stepped in

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AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES China Prepares Thousands of Hospital Beds Amid New Wave of Infections

EVA FU previously recovered. Jeong Eun-kyeong, director of the A province in northern Chi- country’s top health agen- na is preparing thousands of cy, said the virus may have hospital beds in anticipation been “reactivated” in those of a surge in CCP virus pa- patients. tients—days after lockdown China didn’t include as- measures were relaxed in ymptomatic patients in the epicenter city of Wuhan, its daily tally of confirmed according to internal docu- cases until April 1, when it ments viewed by The Epoch announced 1,541 such pa- Times. tients to be under medical Heilongjiang, China’s observation. northernmost province, The National Health locked down its border city Commission in February of Suifenhe on April 7, in acknowledged in its official what officials said was an guidelines that asymptom- attempt to stem the flow of atic carriers to be a “poten- imported cases from Russia. tial source of infection,” and From March 27 to April 9, since then, multiple Chinese the city reported more than health experts have played 100 imported cases, as well down the risk of spread from as 148 asymptomatic pa- asymptomatic patients. tients—those infected who Chinese respiratory expert don’t show any symptoms of Yang Jiong, in an interview the disease COVID-19—that with state media in early were imported cases. Only April, said that there may three new domestic infec- be 10,000 to 20,000 asymp- tions were reported during tomatic carriers in Wuhan. that period. That interview has since Residents in Heilongjiang, been deleted. however, have expressed doubt about the official Official Data Questioned figures, saying authorities While the Chinese regime were likely aiming to down- has reported few new do- play the severity of the new mestic infections in recent wave of infections by focus- weeks, claiming most new ing on imported cases. cases are among travelers Suifenhe is building a who were infected over- 600-bed makeshift hospital seas, some Heilongjiang dedicated to asymptomatic residents question whether asked to source whatever medical to China, according to local media. said that Czech authorities con- patients, while its 70,000 the regime is providing the supplies they could,” the employee The health ministry then banned firmed the humanitarian aid slated residents are now under full picture. recently told The Sydney Morning the export of masks and respirators for Italy found in the warehouse was lockdown. Only one person Yu, who lives in the pro- Herald, adding that the work went on March 4. stolen, local media reported. from each household can vincial capital Harbin, won- on for weeks, from January to Feb- On March 16, Czech police raided Bonnie Glaser, senior adviser for venture out for necessities ders if officials are simply -la ruary. The Australian government a warehouse of a private company in Asia and director of the China Power once every three days. beling all cases as imported banned exports of medical supplies the northwestern town of Lovosice, Project at Washington-based think A neighborhood officer, in to downplay the situation. on March 29. where they confiscated 680,000 tank Center for Strategic and Interna- a message on Chinese su- “If they acknowledged Overseas Chinese associations masks and 28,000 ventilators. About tional Studies, told The Epoch Times per-app WeChat seen by The local cases, it would mean were also enlisted. 100,000 masks were labeled as Chi- that to counter the regime’s attempts Epoch Times, emphasized that the outbreak is not un- For instance, the largest overseas nese Red Cross aid to Italy. The sei- to elevate its international standing to residents of a complex in der control, and ‘imported Chinese association in the Czech Re- zure was part of an anti-trafficking amid the crisis, media should high- Suifenhe the gravity of the cases’ would be a conve- public, the Czech Qingtian Home- operation. light that Beijing is trying to profit situation. nient excuse,” he told The town Association, collected 780,000 In a turn of events, Zhou recently from the global shortage. “Does everyone know how Epoch Times. “Local offi- masks and more than 30,000 single- made headlines when an investiga- Outlets should “explain that Chi- serious this is?” The officer cials have been covering it use surgical coats and N95 respira- tive report by Aktuáln.cz found that na ramped up its supply of masks said. “You have no idea up, they don’t report the true tors for shipping to China, according he was the importer of the goods and other medical supplies as the who’s got it and who has [numbers].” to a Feb. 17 report by Chinese state- seized by police. epidemic raged in China, and now not … having no symptoms Another Harbin native, run news website China Internet The outlet reported that Zhou sold China has a lot of surplus that it wants is even scarier,” referring to Deng, said her neighbor- Information Center. The head of some of the masks found in the ware- to make money on,” Glaser said in asymptomatic infections. hood is currently under the association is Czech-Chinese house to a local reseller, who then an email. Meanwhile, an internal lockdown measures, which businessman Zhou Lingjian. attempted to sell the supplies to the “Global demand for other products notice from Heilongjiang’s includes a curfew at 10 p.m. The country’s counter-intelligence Czech government at twice the nor- is likely to remain suppressed, so the health commission, dated She said that at least two agency warned the Czech govern- mal cost. best way to earn money through ex- April 8, shows that provin- residents in her area, while ment in early March about the Zhou’s associate, however, denied ports is to sell medical supplies.” cial officials are planning to entering the security gate, Chinese embassy coordinating an any wrongdoing, claiming the matter make available nearly 4,000 received a yellow and red operation to make bulk purchases was a “misunderstanding.” Milan Kajinek contributed hospital beds elsewhere. flag on their mobile virus of medical material for shipment Meanwhile, the Italian embassy to this report. The notice, which indi- detection app, respectively,

ALL IMAGES BY SHUTTERSTOCK; INFOGRAPHIC BY THE EPOCH TIMES EPOCH THE BY SHUTTERSTOCK; INFOGRAPHIC BY IMAGES ALL cates the authority is plan- meaning they are potential ning to set up a 1,100-mem- virus carriers and would be ber medical support team, quarantined. also instructed local author- Deng said she didn’t dare 11-14 Days March 11, 2020 1 in 6 ities to provide a candidate to ask too much, since she Estimated incubation WHO declares the outbreak become seriously ill and have difficulty list within 24 hours. didn’t want to be accused period for the virus a pandemic. breathing. Older people and those of “not believing in the gov- Asymptomatic Carriers ernment.” (most common is with underlying medical problems Up to 25 percent of all infect- “The information is not five days). have a higher chance of falling ill. ed individuals are transmit- transparent,” she said. ting the virus while never Hotels in Suifenhe have showing any symptoms, ac- shut their doors over infec- cording to Robert Redfield, tion fears following the new director of the U.S. Centers lockdown, according to a Dry for Disease Control and local resident, who said his Fever Tiredness are the most Prevention. Some others surname is Li. Some Chi- cough common are also able to spread the nese who recently came symptoms. Other virus 48 hours before they back from Moscow have 80 start to feel unwell. been quarantined in local symptoms such as Percent aches and pains, Even some patients sports arenas, Li said. thought to have recovered “Coming back is actually of people recover from the virus without congestion, sore from the disease appear to even more unsafe,” Li said. special treatment.Still others become throat, and diarrhea be testing positive again. “You might not have the vi- infected and might be contagious but can occur as well, On April 10, South Korea rus, but it’s very easy to get don’t develop any symptoms. mildly at first. reported 91 cases of pa- infected in a concentrated tients who contracted the group. You don’t know who disease again after having may acquire the virus.”

LET’S END COMMUNISM TOGETHER CCPVirusTruth.com | Subscribe: ReadEpoch.com.au | Donate: SupportEpoch.com | (02) 8988 5600 6 April 2020 | SPECIAL EDITION 21 Million Fewer Cellphone Users in China May Suggest a High CCP Virus Death Toll NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES NICOLE HAO

he number of Chinese cellphone users dropped by 21 million in the past three months, Beijing authorities announced on March 19. Deaths T 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 commenta- tor, told The Epoch 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 Chinese to use their cellphones to generate a health code. Only with a green health code are Chinese al- lowed to move in China now. It’s impossible for a person to cancel his cellphone.” China introduced mandatory facial scans on Dec. 1, 2019, to confirm the identity of the per- son who registered the phone. As early as Sept. 1, 2010, China required all cellphone users to A security guard is reading 21 Million Cellphone Users register phones with their real identification, his cellphone, while secur- China’s Ministry of Industry and Information The Chinese regime requires by which the state can control people’s speech ing the entrance of a nearly Technology (MIIT) announced on March 19 via its large-scale monitoring system. empty shopping mall, in the number of phone users in each province all Chinese to use their Furthermore, Chinese people’s bank accounts Beijing on Feb. 27, 2020. in February. Compared with the previous an- cellphones to generate a health and social security accounts are bundled with nouncement, which was released on Dec. 18, their cellphone plans; apps on Chinese phones 2019, for November 2019 data, both cellphone code. Only with a green health check SIM cards against the state’s database to and landline users dropped dramatically. In code are Chinese allowed make sure the number belongs to the user. the same period the year before, the number Beijing first launched cellphone-based health of users increased. to move in China now. It’s codes on March 10. All people in China must in- The number of cellphone users decreased impossible for a person to stall a cellphone app and register their personal from 1.600957 billion to 1.579927 billion, a health information. Then the app can generate drop of 21.03 million. The number of landline cancel his cellphone. a QR code, which appears in three colors, to users decreased from 190.83 million to 189.99 Tang Jingyuan, classify the user’s health level. Red means the million, a drop of 840,000. China affairs commentator person has an infectious disease, yellow means In the previous February, the number in- the person might have one, and green means creased. According to MIIT, the number of ary, and then travel restrictions would have the person doesn’t. cellphone users increased in February 2019 prevented them from returning to the city Beijing claimed that the health codes are in- from 1.5591 billion to 1.5835 billion, which where they held a job. tended to prevent the spread of the CCP virus, is 24.37 million more. The number of land- However, because there is a basic monthly commonly known as novel coronavirus. line users increased from 183.477 million to fee to hold a cellphone account in China, 190.118 million, which is 6.641 million more. the majority of migrant workers—the low- According to China’s National Bureau of est income group—are likely to only have one Statistics, the country’s population at the end cellphone account. of 2019 was 4.67 million larger than in 2018, China had 288.36 million migrant work- Stay informed reaching 1.40005 billion. ers as of April 2019, according to the Chinese and keep safe The 2020 decrease in landline users may be National Bureau of Statistics. All Australians due to the nationwide quarantine in Febru- On March 17, Meng Wei, spokesman of Chi- deserve the ary, during which small businesses were shut na’s National Development and Reform Com- down. But the decrease in cellphone users mission, said at a monthly press conference DONATION* TRUTH can’t be explained in this way. in Beijing that except for Hubei, all provinces According to the operation data of all reported that more than 90 percent of their three Chinese cellphone carriers, cellphone businesses resumed operations. In Zhejiang, accounts increased in December 2019 but Shanghai, Jiangsu, Shandong, Guangxi, and The Chinese Communist Party’ s (the CCP) coverup led to a dropped steeply in 2020. Chongqing, almost all businesses resumed pandemic that now threatens the lives of people around the globe. China Mobile is the largest carrier, holding production. The CCP relies critically on the control of information to uphold its about 60 percent of the Chinese cellphone If both the number of migrant workers and power. market. It reported that it gained 3.732 mil- the level of employment are accurate, more lion more accounts in December 2019, but than 90 percent of migrant workers have gone As a fearlessly independent media, The Epoch Times was MONTHS lost 0.862 million in January 2020 and 7.254 back to work. AHEAD of other news outlets in covering the pandemic. million in February 2020. The economic dislocation caused by shut- China Mobile’s performance in the same downs in China may have also led some peo- Join us in exposing the CCP’s systematic propaganda campaign months in 2019 was markedly different; it ple who have an extra cellphone to cancel it. and control of vital information. For you, your family and future gained 2.411 million more accounts in Janu- With business poor or stopped, they may not generations. ary 2019 and 1.091 million more in February want to carry the extra expense. 2019. “At present, we don’t know the details of the China Telecom is the second-largest car- data. If only 10 percent of the cellphone ac- rier, holding about 21 percent of the market. counts were closed because the users died It gained 1.18 million users in December 2019, because of the CCP virus, the death toll would WHY SUPPORT US? but lost 0.43 million users in January 2020 and be 2 million,” Tang said. Since our founding in 2000, the Chinese Communist Party, with its multibillion- 5.6 million users in February 2020. The reported death toll in China doesn’t line dollar lobbying and overseas propaganda budget, has tried relentlessly to stop The In 2019, it gained 4.26 million in January up with what can otherwise be determined Epoch Times. and 2.96 million in February. about the situation there. China Unicom, which hasn’t yet published A comparison with the situation in Italy also We’ve been fighting a long battle against the CCP’s systematic lies and fake news the data for February, shares the same ex- suggests the Chinese death toll is significantly operations, and standing up to the world’s biggest dictatorship. perience as the other two telecoms in Janu- underreported. Italy adopted similar mea- At the time of the CCP virus outbreak, the CCP is flooding the world with deceptive ary 2020 and in early 2019. The company sures to those used by the Chinese regime. propaganda, and The Epoch Times is at the forefront of exposing the truth. lost 1.186 million users in January 2020, but The CCP virus death toll in Italy of 4,825 trans- Similarly, The Epoch Times was among the first to report on the SARS epidemic in gained 1.962 million users in February 2019 lates to a death rate of 9 percent. In China, 2003. We are truly independent and not afraid of honest reporting on the Chinese and 2.763 million users in January 2019. where a much larger population was exposed Communist Party and the threat it poses to the world. China allows each adult to apply for at most to the virus, the reported death toll of 3,265 five cellphone numbers. Since Feb. 10, the translated to a death rate of only 4 percent, See through the deception, stay informed, support us in combating the CCP’s lies majority of Chinese students have taken on- less than half that reported in Italy. and control of information. line classes with a cellphone number due to Activities in the outbreak epicenter of Hu- their schools being ordered to stay closed. bei Province seem to contradict the reported These students’ accounts are under their death toll in China. The seven funeral homes parents’ names, which means some parents in the city of Wuhan were reported to be needed to open a new cellphone account in burning bodies 24 hours a day, seven days HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT US? February. a week in late January. Hubei Province has è Make a donation, big or small, via one of the following methods: used 40 mobile cremators, each capable of Analyzing the Numbers burning five tons of medical waste and bodies Bank Transfer: Cheque: Credit Card: The big question is whether the dramatic drop a day, since Feb. 16. Account name: Payable to The Epoch Times 02 8988 5600 The Epoch Times and posted to: in cellphone accounts reflects the account Lacking data, the real death toll in China BSB: 032 055 The Epoch Times closings of those who have died due to the is a mystery. The cancellation of 21 million Account No: 649 022 49A Treacy Street CCP virus. cellphones provides a data point that suggests Hurstville NSW 2220 “It’s possible that some migrant workers had the real number may be far higher than the two cellphone numbers before. One is from official number. è Subscribe to our newspaper Drop us an email [email protected] their hometown, and the other is from the city The Epoch Times refers to the novel coro- or visit www.ReadEpoch.com.au they work in. In February, they might close navirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, the number in the city they work in because as the CCP virus because the Chinese Com- they couldn’t go there,” Tang said. Typically, munist Party’s coverup and mismanagement Australian Epoch Times Ltd is registered as a non-for-profit company. migrant workers would have gone to their allowed the virus to spread throughout China home city for the Chinese New Year in Janu- and create a global pandemic.

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ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

A woman wearing a protective mask walks past the closed Colosseum monument in Rome on March 10, 2020. Where Ties With Communist China Are Close, the Coronavirus Follows Severe COVID-19 outbreaks highlight different countries’ entanglements with Beijing

CHUNG SUNG-JUN/GETTY IMAGES EPOCH TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD Italy has also sought to capture the Political Peril of their 5G infrastructure. Chinese market for selling its lux- Taiwan, despite its proximity to n the final weeks of 2019, a ury goods. and extensive business with main- The Root of the Epidemic Is the novel coronavirus outbreak With the outbreak forcing Rome land China, has seen a relatively CCP occurred in the city of Wu- to put the country under lockdown, small number of infections. In the United States, one of the ear- han, in central China. As such prospects have been put on On Jan. 26, John Hopkins Uni- liest- and worst-hit places was the the world welcomed a new hold. versity identified Taiwan as having Seattle area in Washington state. Idecade, the Chinese Communist Italy also has signed scores of the second-highest risk of epidem- By March 20, the state had seen Party (CCP) opted to suppress in- sister-city agreements with China, ic spread outside China. However, 74 deaths from the virus, around formation about the emerging cri- with the cities of Milan, Venice, and robust prevention measures there a third of the national total. sis until it could no longer remain Bergamo included among them. have proven effective. In the late 1970s, in the early days hidden. These are the areas hardest-hit by Taiwan officials began to board of the CCP’s deceptive economic Nearly two months after main- the virus. planes and assess passengers on reforms, it was the port of Seattle land Chinese authorities acknowl- In the Middle East, Iran has seen Dec. 31, 2019, after Wuhan au- that welcomed the first Chinese edged the outbreak and the exis- a surge in the number of infections, thorities first confirmed the out- cargo ships. In the years since, tence of the contagious virus, the particularly among government of- break. In early February, Taiwan with increasing enthusiasm from crisis had spread around the globe, Medical staff move a patient infected ficials. banned entry to foreign nationals local politicians and businesses, assuming epidemic proportions in with the CCP virus in Seoul, South The Iranian regime has had a who have traveled to the PRC. As Seattle has hosted all four of the multiple regions. The number of in- Korea, on March 9, 2020. comprehensive strategic partner- of March 20, there were just 135 PRC’s heads of state, from Deng fected beyond China’s borders is ship with China since 2016, and confirmed cases in Taiwan. The Xiaoping to Xi Jinping. now in the hundreds of thousands, its ties with Beijing began years self-ruled island has been held The decades since saw the CCP with thousands having succumbed struggle and totalitarian control. before that. In violation of inter- as a model for epidemic control, wage a secret Cold War against the to the virus. The stock market has In the 30 years since the Tianan- national sanctions, Iran has im- despite being repeatedly denied United States, funneling America’s plunged as experts warn of a pos- men Square massacre, and from ported embargoed materials from participation in the CCP-friendly technology and jobs to mainland sible economic recession. the start in 1999 of the persecution China, while continuing to sell oil WHO. China in an onslaught abetted by A variety of factors have facilitated of the spiritual practice Falun Gong to the PRC. The Islamic Republic As China affairs commentator opportunistic profit-seekers, who the rapid spread of the virus, offi- to today’s systematic persecution of allowed flights in and out of four Heng He put it, Taiwan has a clear compromised America’s con- cially termed SARS-CoV-2, and the all faiths and independent thought, major Chinese cities until the end understanding of the communist science. disease that it causes, COVID-19. the state of human rights in the PRC of February. regime and may be the only state Recently, the CCP has attempted In light of the CCP’s role in allow- has only worsened. On-the-ground footage taken by that learned the lessons of the 2003 to portray its draconian handling ing the virus to spread throughout The true nature of the CCP and Iranian citizens is reminiscent of SARS outbreak, which also began of the epidemic as a triumph for China and create a global pandem- communism has long been known the tragedy playing out in Wuhan, in China. the Party’s authoritarian system, ic, The Epoch Times refers to the to readers of The Epoch Times. Fif- with overworked medical staff, de- In Hong Kong, which has seen going so far as to pin the blame pathogen as the CCP virus. teen years ago, The Epoch Times spondent patients, and body bags millions of residents stand up to for a disaster of its own making Globalization has brought the published the editorial series “Nine lining hospital floors. Beijing’s encroachment on the on the United States. Misled by peoples of the world into closer Commentaries on the Communist And while official figures re- city’s freedoms and rule of law the CCP’s propaganda machine contact, making it easier for con- Party,” igniting a grassroots move- leased by the Iranian authorities since last year, the outbreak has and a left-leaning domestic media tagious diseases to spread. Yet the ment in China to reject commu- show deaths and confirmed cases been similarly subdued. environment fixated on the fail- heaviest-hit regions outside China nism. Since 2004, more than 350 trailing behind Italy’s numbers, it By contrast, Japan, albeit not geo- ures—whether real or imagined— all share a common thread: close million people have renounced is likely that the real scale of the strategically aligned with the PRC, of the U.S. system, many Chinese or lucrative relations with the com- their ties to the Party and its affili- outbreak remains grossly under- placed profit over prudence. With residing overseas have made the munist regime in Beijing. ated youth organizations. reported. Reviewing available data, millions of Chinese traveling to Ja- decision to return home. Seen in conjunction with the an epidemiologist cited by The pan for shopping and sightseeing But the Chinese historical record Medical Crisis CCP-hijacked geopolitical environ- Washington Post on March 5 es- annually, the country was slow to is more sobering. Throughout the Under political or economic influ- ment of today, the geographical dis- timated that the actual number of close its borders to mainland ar- centuries, plagues and other ca- ence from the People’s Republic tribution of what the World Health people infected in Iran could have rivals. Japan was among one of the lamities signaled the downfall of of China (PRC), many foreign en- Organization (WHO) now calls a been up to 28,000, nearly five times first countries to report cases out- imperial dynasties. And at pres- tities and politicians, including coronavirus pandemic highlights what the regime had reported at the side of China, and the number of ent—with growing numbers of international organizations, have the ultimate peril facing those who time. The official count for Iran as infected is now in the thousands. whistleblowers standing up to con- been swayed to the extent that they align themselves with the specter of March 20 stood at nearly 20,000. More than 256 Japanese cit- tradict official figures that down- take the side of the CCP, accommo- of communism. In South Korea, the public has ies and 190 in South Korea have play the mainland epidemic—the dating the pernicious communist Outside China, the spread of CO- grown increasingly critical of twinning agreements with cities CCP’s claim that it has curbed the system and turning a blind eye to VID-19 was most severe in Italy, President Moon Jae-in for refusing in mainland China. virus rings as false as the lies it unspeakable crimes committed by Iran, South Korea, and Japan. Later, to ban Chinese tourists at large With the CCP virus’s surge in deployed last year to cover up the the mainland Chinese authorities. Japan and South Korea were sur- and instead only barring entry for Italy, more than a hundred thou- initial outbreak in Wuhan. Recent decades have seen the passed by Germany and France, those who recently traveled to Hu- sand have been sickened in the Taking history as a mirror, as PRC greatly expand its power in respectively. Not all of these coun- bei Province, the epicenter of the rest of Europe. As with Italy, many ancient Chinese scholars did, it is economic and geopolitical affairs. tries are located near China, but all epidemic in China. of these countries have unwise- apparent that the pandemic is a Deceiving the world with a narra- have extensive interests in the PRC. More than 1.4 million people have ly—and against admonishment calamity linked with the CCP and tive of “China’s peaceful rise,” the Italy, the most heavily affected signed a petition to the Presidential by U.S. officials over the past few its 70 years of brutal rule. And to- communist regime has lured for- country outside China as of March Blue House calling for Moon to be years—persisted in their flirtations day, the world is an interconnected eign governments and internation- 20, was the first (and only) G-7 na- impeached. The petition text reads, with the PRC. France and Germa- community. Any country, com- al firms to invest in China’s rapidly tion to sign onto the PRC’s Belt and “Seeing Moon Jae-in’s response to ny serve as typical examples, hav- munity, or organization that keeps developing markets. Road Initiative (BRI, also known as the new epidemic, we feel that he is ing not taken seriously the risks of too close to the CCP and falls for its But the CCP has never aban- One Belt, One Road). In an attempt more of a President for China than inviting the PRC-controlled Hua- deception will taste the bitter fruits doned its ideological tenets of class to prop up its weakening economy, Korea.” wei to take part in the construction of that involvement.

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Silenced: Stories of Citizens Suppressed for Speaking the Truth About the CCP Virus CATHY HE & EVA FU

“What sort of a journalist are detained him. outbreak and the censorship of before Wuhan health officials Citizen Reporters you if you don’t dare rush to the Li arrived alone in Wuhan by internet information. acknowledged that there was a frontlines?” he said in his first train on Feb. 12, tracing the steps “This outbreak of the Wuhan mysterious viral pneumonia out- SCREENSHOT VIA YOUTUBE video in Wuhan, filmed with a of and , who pneumonia has verified the reality: break. selfie stick, from the railway sta- had been arrested by local police. when all media ‘take on the sur- Despite Li’s reminder to not tion where he had just disem- It was “not by coincidence”—he name of the Party,’ the people are “spread it externally,” screenshots barked. said in his first YouTube video— abandoned,” he wrote. of the conversation showing his In just over two weeks, he pub- that the first hotel he checked in “Without media to represent full name quickly proliferated on lished more than 100 posts on his was right next to where Chen had people’s interests and report on the internet. On Jan. 3, police rep- YouTube and Twitter accounts— stayed. the truth, people are left to the rimanded him along with seven both platforms are banned in Over the two weeks, before the harms of both the virus and a seri- other medical professionals for China—that drew millions of police got him, he visited the Bai- ously diseased system.” spreading “rumors” online. views. He filmed interviews with buting residential compound, Ren criticized the Chinese Com- The police statement said he had locals who had lost loved ones, where many became infected munist Party for praising its violated the law. ■ Fang Bin patients lying on temporary beds after attending a large-scale ban- achievements during a February “The public security department Fang Bin, a Wuhan clothes sales- lining hospital hallways, and, quet, interviewed a funeral home teleconference with top leaders. hopes you can proactively coop- man, began filming his trips to according to Chen, a body left worker, and went to a local train “The truth as seen from the out- erate with our work, listen to the hospitals around the locked- under a blanket outside an emer- station where migrant workers break is that the Party is defend- urging of the police, and stop ille- down city and posting the videos gency ward. were said to be stranded. ing its own interests,” gal activities from now. Can you online in late January. The scenes In one hospital, a woman in a On his way back from visiting he said. achieve that?” He wrote “yes.” showed long lines outside hospi- protective mask holds up the body a local virology lab, however, he “There was no investigation “Don’t go against the author- tals, patients clinging to life, and of a relative in a wheelchair, whose realized he was being chased. into the causes of the outbreak, ities, don’t wear masks, don’t distraught family members. head is seen drooping downward. “I’m driving really fast. ... Please no one reflecting and taking on make careless remarks,” hospi- In one video that went viral, Fang “What’s wrong with him?” Chen help me,” he said breathlessly the responsibility. Instead, they tal colleague Zhao Chen recalled counts eight body bags in a van asked the woman. from under a mask. attempt to cover up the truth with a department director as saying, parked outside a hospital. “So “He has already passed,” Hours later, plainclothes police all kinds of grand accomplish- after Li was summoned by police. many dead,” he says with a sigh. she said. knocked on his hotel door. ments.” Zhao told state media in a since- “This is too many.” Fang then The work took a toll on Chen. He at first refused to let them On March 12, Ren became deleted interview that the hospital walks into a room in the hospital, “I’m scared. In front of me is the in. He turned his camera on, and incommunicado. originally planned to fire Li. where doctors are seen working virus. Behind me is China’s legal began alluding to the student-led He’s not the only one recently Days later, Li contracted the around a patient who had appar- and administrative power,” he said Tiananmen pro-democracy pro- punished for criticizing the author- virus while operating on an asymp- ently just died. in an emotional video, recorded in tests in 1989, which came to a ities’ outbreak response. Xu Zhan- tomatic patient for glaucoma. He “Who is he?” Fang asks the man. his hotel room on Jan. 30. bloody end after Beijing deployed grun, a legal scholar at the pres- died on Feb. 7, leaving behind a “My father,” the man cries. Authorities have harassed his tanks and guns. Li lamented the tigious Tsinghua University, was pregnant wife and a young son. “He’s gone,” Fang says, after parents, who live in eastern China, ignorance of Chinese youth to placed under house arrest after he Shaken by his death, Chinese net- speaking to the doctors. probing for his location, Chen said. recent history, the protests being published an article, titled “Angry izens held vigils in mourning and That evening, around half Then, he said through tears, while a heavily censored topic in China. People Are No Longer Afraid,” in began a wider call for free speech. a dozen masked men in haz- pointing at the camera: “I’m not “I feel that it’s unlikely that I early February, denouncing the At least 200 health workers at mat suits knocked on his door, afraid of dying. Why should I be will not be taken away and quar- regime’s hypocrisy. Li’s hospital have contracted the demanding to take his tempera- afraid of you, Communist Party?” antined. But I want to make this “It is true that the present level virus. Three of Li’s colleagues ture. Fang, who recorded the inci- On Feb. 7, his mother, in a video clear: I am not ashamed to face of popular fury due to the handling have died. dent, said his temperature was shared on his Twitter account, myself, nor my parents, the Com- of the epidemic is volcanic; people On March 19, Wuhan police normal and asked them to come said Chen had gone missing the munication University of China thus enraged may, in the end, also withdrew the statement about Li back with an inspection warrant. day before. where I graduated from ... and this cast aside their fears,” he wrote. and issued an apology, saying they The men forced their way into his Chen’s friend Xu Xiaodong, a country,” he said shortly before will “carefully draw a lesson” from house, confiscated his electronic prominent mixed martial arts he opened the door and let the the incident. devices, and took him to a police fighter, later said in a YouTube police in. The police confiscated Whistleblowers station. There, police questioned video that Chen had been forcibly his phone and laptop, and cut off ■ him about his videos, Fang later quarantined, but didn’t show signs the signal. of symptoms. Ai Fen, an emergency surgeon at recounted. the hospital, later revealed that Less than two weeks later, Fang she was the “whistle provider” went missing. His friends told The Businessman who gave the diagnosis report to Epoch Times that Fang had been Li. Realizing that the virus could be detained. contagious, she required everyone SCREENSHOT VIA WECHAT in the emergency department to wear masks. Police didn’t go after Ai, but she COURTESY OF LI WENLIANG received an “unprecedented, very ■ harsh admonition” from her supe- SCREENSHOT VIA /YOUTUBE Li Wenliang riors. Li Wenliang, a 34-year-old oph- “Many, many times, I thought ■ Li Zehua thalmologist at the Wuhan Central how nice it would be if we could Li Zehua, a former anchor for Chi- CHINA PHOTOS/GETTY IMAGES Hospital, was among the first peo- turn back the clock,” she told Chi- ple to publicize information about nese magazine Portrait, adding nese state broadcaster CCTV, ■ ■ Chen Qiushi was the third video blogger the outbreak in Wuhan. that she regretted not telling more arrested in the outbreak epicenter Dubbed by Chinese media as “the “Seven ‘SARS-like’ cases from doctors about the danger. Chen Qiushi, a 34-year-old law- of Wuhan. cannon” for his fierce, unreserved the Huanan seafood market have “If I knew what it would be like yer-turned-citizen-journalist “I don’t want to shut my eyes criticism, 69-year-old Chinese real been confirmed,” he wrote on Chi- today, no matter if I got criticized from eastern China, arrived in and ears. ... I’m doing this so that estate tycoon Ren Zhiqiang, went nese social media app WeChat, or not, I would have spread it all Wuhan on Jan. 24, a day after the more young people like me can missing days after he took aim at in a chat group with hundreds of around,” she said. city was placed under lockdown. stand up,” Li, 25, said in a pas- the Beijing regime. his former medical school class- “Someone has to stand up and Armed with a smartphone, he said sionate speech live-streamed on In a scathing article published mates. He attached a screenshot tell the truth. ... There has to be he wanted to document stories YouTube, before police entered online in early March, he criticized of a diagnosis report. different voices in this world, about the city’s residents. the hotel and presumably authorities for their handling of the That was Dec. 30, 2019, a day right?”

NOEL CELIS/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Policemen, wearing protective face masks, patrol around Beijing Railway Station on Jan. 30, 2020.

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