NEWSLETTER WINTER 2020-2021 VOC Exposes Beijing’s COVID-19 Coverup As the coronavirus began spreading Among the report’s shocking findings Throughout this prelude to the virus rapidly across the globe in March, VOC were that Chinese authorities: spreading worldwide and triggering mobilized to assess the information com- devastating lockdowns, the WHO acted ing out of China and the World Health n knew of the virus’s severity as early as a complicit partner in providing cover Organization (WHO). as November 2019 yet muzzled early for the CCP, with its Chinese-picked warnings from doctors on the ground; Director General Tedros Adhanom At a critical moment for public discourse n denied human-to-human transmission Ghebreyesus leading the charge. around China’s role in unleashing the despite full knowledge it was occurring; pandemic, VOC released its findings Our report equipped American policy- in a situation brief on April 10 called n allowed super-spreader events like makers and citizens with the facts to “The Coronavirus Coverup,” exposing Lunar New Year celebrations to go counter the CCP’s lies, garnering more the Chinese Communist Party’s sys- ahead; than 27,700 online views and dozens of tematic campaign of deception and n banned domestic travel from Wuhan citations in domestic and internation- propaganda—and its manipulation of while allowing international travel out of al media and news aggregators. Over the WHO—during the early stages of Wuhan to places like Italy and the US; the following weeks and months, we the outbreak. broadcast these facts in a major publicity n bought up and stockpiled quality medi- cal supplies and personal protective campaign across print media, TV, and Our report included a detailed timeline equipment, while selling or “donating” radio (see back cover), and our policy contrasting the CCP’s claims with the largely defective Chinese-made supplies recommendations gained extensive reality that led to the global pandemic. to countries like Czechia and Spain; attention from, and implementation by, It ended with six policy recommenda- major US government policymakers. tions for US officials to take immediate n conducted a global propaganda and misinformation campaign to cover up action to combat Beijing’s lies and hold See Impact Tracker, Next Page it accountable. the true origins and nature of the virus. 300 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Suite 900 | Washington, DC 20001 | 202.629.9500 | victimsofcommunism.org COVID-19 Situation Brief: Tracking the Impact of VOC’s P After VOC published its situation brief “The Coronavirus Coverup: A Timeline” on April 10 exposing Beijing’s role in unleashing the pandemic—and its shameless propaganda efforts to manipulate global opinion and conceal its irresponsible behavior—we tracked the progress of our six policy recommendations in the actions of government leaders around the world. Read the Situation Brief at www.victimsofcommunism.org. 1 2 3 The US should work to The US should work toward The US and other countries suspend China from full Taiwan’s admission to the should explore taking legal membership in the WHO WHO as a counterbalance action to hold the PRC n In April, President Trump to the PRC accountable for economic announced a formal freeze n In April, 50 Lithuanian parliamen- damages and reparations on US funds going to the WHO. tarians and other public officials n There have been multiple US n Throughout April, multiple mem- expressed support for Taiwan in the lawsuits against the Chinese govern- bers of Congress advocated for WHO membership debate. ment, including those by two states: “wide-ranging” investigations into n Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Mississippi and Missouri. the WHO and CCP’s response to the campaigned for Taiwan to be added n In April, Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) was pandemic. to the World Health Organization the first congressman to call on n At the end of May, President Trump (WHO) as an observer and de- China to pay reparations for its announced the US will formally nounced China for excluding Taiwan. criminal negligence which led to the cut ties with the WHO, noting n In April, a group of 127 European spread of the virus, and he urged the the organization is “China-centric” parliamentarians expressed support US to bring the case against the CCP and “worked with China to mislead for Taiwan’s inclusion in the WHO. to the International Court of Justice. the world when the virus was first n In April, Senator Josh Hawley discovered.” (R-MO) introduced the Justice for Victims of Coronavirus Act, which would “strip China of its sovereign immunity and create a cause of action against the CCP for reckless actions like silencing whistleblowers and withholding critical information about COVID-19.” 2 | ’s Policy Recommendations 4 5 6 The US should enact The US should cooperate The White House should stronger sanctions on the with other countries to form an interagency of- PRC related to human have an independent inves- fice to deal with CCP rights tigation into the outbreak propaganda n In November 2019, Congress passed of the virus in Wuhan n In May, House Minority Leader the Hong Kong Human Rights and n Australia and the EU are supporting Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) announced Democracy Act, which imposes a resolution to review the origins the creation of the China Task sanctions on CCP officials guilty of re- and spread of the virus. The resolu- Force, a group comprising 15 GOP pressing human rights in Hong Kong. tion has the support of 116 countries members of Congress whose goal is n On May 28, Congress passed the at the WHO. to formulate legislative solutions on Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act, n In April, US intelligence agencies how to combat the propaganda of which calls for financial sanctions confirmed that they are investigating the CCP. and visa bans on Chinese officials whether the virus emerged from a guilty of persecuting Uyghurs. Chinese lab. n In June 2020, the Republican Study n The CIA has dismissed China’s Committee released a new report, officially released infection numbers including VOC research contri- and are conducting an investigation butions, titled “National Security to find the true totals. Strategy: Strengthening America & Countering Global Threats.” The report detailed the heaviest proposed sanctions on China to date. | 3 VOC Launches Four New Online Event Series The “Understanding China” online event series aims to “Voices for Freedom” highlights the powerful stories of today’s help Americans understand the nature of the People’s heroic dissidents. From escaping North Korea, to defying Republic of China, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, to surviving torture as political and key issues in US-China relations. prisoners, they share their stories of life under communism and how they survived and continue to combat communist regimes. The CCP’s 21st Century Slavery Dr. Adrian Zenz, VOC China Studies Senior Research Fellow Never Keeping Silent “Mother Mushroom,” Vietnamese blogger and dissident The Chinese Communist Party has long tried to downplay or outright deny evidence of systematic oppression of Uyghurs and Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh, known by her pen name “Mother other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang Province. VOC expert Dr. Mushroom,” is a Vietnamese blogger and dissident who gained Adrian Zenz has scoured open-source Chinese documents to prominence in 2016 for criticizing her government’s mismanage- find and detail these atrocities. This episode features some of Dr. ment of the Formosa steel plant toxic spill. Arrested in October Zenz’s latest research into evidence of forced labor in Xinjiang. 2016 while trying to visit a political prisoner, she staged a hunger strike after being denied legal representation. She was released two years later, after an international pressure campaign. “Western consumers are increasingly participating “My work as an activist is not in funding this business yet done. While I was in the of oppression, making it US last year and able to speak sustainable in the long term.” freely, there were still over 200 journalists held as political prisoners in Vietnam.” Revolution of our Time Jillian Melchior, Wall Street Journal Cuba in Splinters Melchior details her firsthand experience as a reporter in Hong Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo, Cuban photographer and dissident Kong covering the pro-democracy protests during the critical Lazo was born in Havana, Cuba, and graduated from the summer of 2019, when more than two million people, over University of Havana with a degree in biochemistry. An out- 25% of the city’s population, poured onto the streets to brave spoken critic of the Castro regime, he was arrested three times tear gas and water cannon in defiance of Beijing’s proposed by Cuba’s political police. In 2013, he fled to the US and since extradition law. then has been giving lectures on social activism, civil society, Cuban literature, and state censorship. “One thing the [protestors] realized as the summer [of “Some people say that 2019] went on was that this communism works in theory was not Tiananmen Square: but not in practice. But in it was a more insidious, slow- fact the theory works—it has motion crackdown.” just taken the lives of millions of people to prove it.” 4 | Reaching New Audiences amid the Pandemic “Communism and the World” serves as a digital complement “Cuba’s Communist Threat” is geared to help Americans to our curriculum and an evergreen resource for teachers understand the nature of the Communist Party of Cuba, Cuba’s and students using our materials. The series draws on our medical missions program, and the impact of the Castro regime strong network of experts and witnesses to give concise, on Latin America, the US, and other regions around the world.