The New York Times published an op-ed from China’s ambassador to the U.S. on Sunday, allowing him to push propaganda about the novel coronavirus in the process.
China’s ambassador to the U.S. Cui Tiankai’s op-ed urged America and China to “cooperate against coronavirus.” In one part of his article, Cui claimed that “China has been providing updates about the disease in a responsible manner.”
“China has been providing updates about the disease in a responsible manner, including setting up an online Covid-19 knowledge center that’s available to all countries,” according to Cui, who did not include the numerous reports backing up the belief that China has consistently tried to hide information about the virus.
Reports indicate that China made efforts to conceal the virus when it first originated in Wuhan, China. A study published March 11 from the University of Southampton found that the world could have avoided a global pandemic had China acted three weeks earlier, when they first learned of a novel coronavirus.
This is a time for solidarity, collaboration and mutual support. This is the time for stronger China-U.S. cooperation. Please read my Op-Ed: https://t.co/dTcbw0p2CH https://t.co/a2F5STA2j9
— Cui Tiankai (@AmbCuiTiankai) April 6, 2020
The U.S. intelligence community has also reportedly confirmed that China lied about its coronavirus death and case numbers. This calls Cui’s claim that the country is “providing updates about the disease in a responsible manner” into question.
Also misleading was the ambassador’s statement that China is “sending test kits, protective masks and medical equipment to overrun hospitals in the United States and many other countries.” (RELATED: Chinese Government Finally Acknowledges Underreporting Coronavirus Cases)
Medical equipment distributed by China has largely reportedly turned out to be defective, according to reports from outlets around the world. This was not included in Ciu’s propaganda op-ed. Around 600,000 masks sent from China to The Netherlands were defective, and around 80% of testing kits ordered by Spain and the Czech Republic were faulty as well, according to reports.
Cui also told people to “clearly say ‘no’ to the folly of fanning racism and xenophobia, and to scapegoating other countries or races.”
This appeared to be a jab at referring to the virus as coming from the country or area of origin. Media pundits previously raced to attack President Donald Trump after he referred to the novel coronavirus as the “Wuhan Virus” and “Chinese Virus.”
Chinese media initially called the virus the “Wuhan coronavirus” but has since declared the terms to be racist and out of line. Cui reminded the NYT’s readers of this as he raced to push Chinese propaganda about the virus. (RELATED: Media Rhetoric On ‘Wuhan Virus’ Echoes Chinese Propaganda)
“Such acrimony will not only undercut cooperation between our nations, but also sow seeds of suspicion and confrontation that could put our peoples — and even the world — in grave danger from this runaway virus and the economic fallout it is causing,” Cui added.