Underlying Factors of Fake News and Misinformation
China - Centric World Health Organization Leader
The head of the World Health Organisation defended his earlier praise of China’s response to the deadly coronavirus epidemic on Wednesday, questioning critics who disputed President Xi Jinping’s leadership.
At the agency’s daily briefing on the coronavirus – which causes the disease now named Covid-19 – Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director general, said that Xi had shown the kind of “political commitment” and “political leadership” expected of countries facing a public health crisis.
Tedros made his remarks even while confirming that the Chinese government still has not approved the exact make-up of an advance team WHO wants to send to China to investigate the virus.
“We have met the [Chinese] president. We have seen the level of knowledge he has on the outbreak,” Tedros said at the headquarters of the United Nations health agency in Geneva, Switzerland. “Don’t you appreciate that kind of leadership? We don’t say anything to please anyone.”
South China Morning Post
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (right)
Ethiopia is a perfect instance of how China is investing in big ticket projects, and there are concerns but due to lack of alternative, Addis Abbaba has to fall back on Beijing. Ethiopia has taken massive loans from China, estimated to be more than $12.1 billion since 2000. According to a report published in 2017, Chinese investments in Ethiopia have been growing at a rate of 52%. Furthermore, half of Ethiopia’s external debt is owed to China with government debt standing at 59%. The $4bn Ethiopia-Djibouti railway hailed by many, has been criticised by a number of commentators for only contributing towards Ethiopia’s rising debts vis-à-vis China. Ethiopia has been working with Beijing to manage the debt.
The Geopolitics
https://thegeopolitics.com/bri-and-the-deepening-china-ethiopia-ties/
Lack of Collaboration
One of the countries - Taiwan - doing the best in containing the virus was forbidden to become a member of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Taiwan’s experience has been a rare positive example of how governments can contain the spread of the new coronavirus disease, known as COVID-19. As of April 9, Taiwan had 380 confirmed cases and 5 deaths, a stunningly low number for a population of 23.6 million. This is particularly impressive given the high level of travel between China and Taiwan.
Taiwan’s success should be attributed to early preparedness, health expertise, government competence, and popular alertness. On December 31, Taiwan’s government, alarmed by developments in Wuhan, the Chinese city where the virus first appeared, expressed concerns to WHO about the virus’s potential for human-to-human transmission. But it received no reply. Instead, the WHO endorsed China’s denial of human-to-human transmission until January 21. While the WHO appeared to downplay the global threat, Taiwan adopted vigorous measures for screening, testing, contact tracing, and enforcing quarantines. These measures were aided by technology and big data, as well as the cooperation of citizens who remain highly vigilant due to their traumatic 2003 experience with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
China, officially called the People’s Republic of China (PRC), refuses to allow that to happen. The PRC claims that Taiwan is a province of China, not an independent state. It says that only the PRC has the right to represent all of China in the United Nations and other international organizations, including the WHO, that limit membership to states.
Despite Taiwan’s valuable input, the WHO continues to shun it. For example, when asked by a journalist about Taiwan’s exclusion and experience dealing with the pandemic during a recent interview, WHO senior advisor Bruce Aylward hung up the call after trying to avoid the questions. After this public relations disaster, the WHO claimed it was closely working with Taiwan experts, which Taiwan’s government refuted. Taiwan has continually shared coronavirus data with the WHO, but the WHO has never released this information to its members. Additionally, in a February coronavirus status report, the WHO misreported the number of cases in Taiwan based on information provided by China. It also continues to deceptively list Taiwan’s case numbers under China’s. Taiwan was snubbed by the WHO yet again when it was not invited to the organization’s emergency meetings in January. After repeated requests, in February, the WHO finally allowed two Taiwanese experts to attend an online forum. Such ludicrous limitations have rightly been scoffed at by many governments and critics.
Council on Foreign Relations
The picture on the mask is the national flag of Taiwan.
Concealment
The death of a Chinese doctor who tried to warn about the coronavirus outbreak has sparked widespread public anger and grief in China.
Li Wenliang died after contracting the virus while treating patients in Wuhan.
Last December he sent a message to fellow medics warning of a virus he thought looked like Sars - another deadly coronavirus.
But he was told by police to "stop making false comments" and was investigated for "spreading rumours".
BBC
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-51409801
