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China, WHO: The Daily Disinformation Roundup

Published

3 years ago

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Screenshot 2020 04 07 14.42.46

Since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, China has ramped up a campaign of spreading disinformation about its handling of the virus and about the world. Similarly, the World Health Organization has taken steps back to reverse initial advisories and support China’s coverup. SaraACarter.com will report to you the latest on this story. Check here for regular updates.

Monday, April 13:

On Monday, a spokesperson for the Chinese government defended the country against allegations of “discriminatory measures in our outbreak response.” However, there are a number of reports indicating otherwise.

African citizens and expatriates living in Guangzhou, China reported undergoing mandatory testing for the coronavirus last week and are required to quarantine for 14 days, according to reports. The action comes as the government reports a sudden increase in new cases over fears of a second wave of the virus, which it’s attributed to foreign travelers.

According to CNN, the group of Africans were tested regardless of recent travel history. African officials warned citizens in China to leave over the alleged “mistreatment.”

China’s Global Times (state-owned) Editor-in-Chief Hu Xijin criticized the U.S. for its handling of the coronavirus calling President Donald Trump “impatient when it comes to epidemic controls” and accused him of misinforming the American people.

The U.S., he said, should be blamed for playing a central role in the spread of the virus.

Thursday, April 9:

Countries should be focused on putting their people’s lives first, over politics, said China Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian.

“Viruses are not defined by borders, races, or social systems. Countries should always put the rights to life and health first and provide adequate and effective protection for its people. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, great achievements have been made in China’s anti-pandemic battle,” he told reporters.

He added, “It’s impossible to get rid of the virus by slandering and accusing others. We hope that the American people can also defeat the pandemic as soon as possible and that the American people can resist this approach of politicizing the pandemic, stigmatizing China, and shifting blame to avoid responsibility.”

A Spokesperson for the Chinese government extended an invitation to U.S. officials to visit China “anytime and talk to anyone in the streets to enjoy the freedom.” It was a response to U.S. State Department Spokeswoman who urged transparency from Beijing in order to “combat the COVID19 pandemic.”

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr responded to the Chinese official asking China’s communist government to give him permission to speak with the many disappeared citizen journalists who sounded early alarms on the severity of the coronavirus outbreak, which began in the city of Wuhan.

Wednesday, April 8:
Director-General of the World Health Organization Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus responded Wednesday to President Donald Trump after he labeled the WHO a “China-centric” organization saying, “please quarantine politicizing COVID.”
“If you want to be exploited and if you want to have many more bodybags, then you do it,” the WHO leader said. “If you don’t want many more body bags, then you refrain from politicizing it.”

Earlier in the day, Senior WHO officials including Dr. Bruce Aylward rejected Trump’s claim that the organization is “China-centric.” Notably, Aylward was the official who refused and even hung up on a reporter who asked him about Taiwan’s, a country that is banned from WHO membership, response to the coronavirus spread.

Editor-in-Chief of China’s state-run newspaper the Global Times Hi Xijin attributed the United States’ “failure… in containing the pandemic” for the ‘mess’ and ‘turbulence’ the world is facing amid the global outbreak, in a Wednesday Tweet. Further, he accused Trump of “blaming China to shirk responsibility.”

Spokesman & Deputy Director General of China’s Information Department called a recent Spectator USA piece that revealed “China is making Italy buy coronavirus supplies that it had donated to Beijing earlier” ‘Fake news.’

The Spectator’s story, however, gave multiple examples of China’s negligence that occurred from the start of the coronavirus outbreak including its underreporting of case numbers and casualties. In fact, the information about China’s PPE was obtained from a Senior Trump administration official, but for the Chinese government that’s “hearsay.”

“Before the virus hit Europe, Italy sent tons of PPE to China to help China protect its own population,” the administration official told the Spectator. “China then has sent Italian PPE back to Italy — some of it, not even all of it … and charged them for it.”

Tuesday, April 7:

On Tuesday morning, President Donald trump slammed the World health Organization, saying they “really blew it.”

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1247540701291638787

“For some reason, funded largely by the United States, yet very China centric. We will be giving that a good look. Fortunately I rejected their advice on keeping our borders open to China early on. Why did they give us such a faulty recommendation? Trump wrote.

The President closed U.S. borders to China on Jan. 31 after declaring the coronavirus a public health emergency. Just one day before Trump’s declaration, the World Health Organization declared the virus a global public health emergency, however, the body recommended that countries not implement travel restrictions.

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1217043229427761152

The World Health Organization trusted Chinese officials early on and repeated the communist government’s statement that they “found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission” of the coronavirus.

They’ve since changed their tune advising the public to practice social distancing.

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1247491570682736640

China Daily, a news outlet controlled by the Chinese government, said Tuesday that China “effectively prevented the spread of COVID-19” by instituting a lockdown of Wuhan, where the virus originated.

However, Wuhan wasn’t placed on lockdown until January 23, which was months after Chinese officials were alerted to the virus.

According to documents obtained the South China Morning Post in March, the first case of the coronavirus was reported on November 17. By mid-December, case counts reached double digits.

By the end of December, Zhang Jixian, a Hubei-based doctor, tried to warn the country’s health officials that the illness was being caused by a coronavirus, but his calls fell on deaf ears and the situation was already spiraling with case counts in the triple digits, according to the SCMP’s report.

Wuhan’s lockdown is set to end on Wednesday.

China’s Communist Party confirmed Tuesday a probe into Chinese real estate tycoon Ren Zhiqiang, for alleged “serious violations of discipline and law” after he penned an essay sharply criticizing the Chinese government for its handling of the coronavirus. Moreover, Ren took aim at the CCP for “trying to cover up the true facts with various ‘great achievements,’” according to translated excerpts of the essay.

The move is an example of China’s continued efforts to shut down any outspoken critics including American journalists who they ousted from the country in March. There’s also been a number of citizen journalists disappeared after they blew the whistle on the lethality of the coronavirus. Ren is no different and serious questions remain after his recent disappearance.

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China

Electric Vehicle company with Chinese ties awarded $500 million of taxpayer money for 2nd U.S. plant

Published

2 weeks ago

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September 18, 2023

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With a little help from their Democrat friends, a Chinese electric vehicle (EV) battery company with ties to the Chinese Communist Party just announced the opening of its second plant in the United States.

Fox News reports Gotion Inc., whose parent company Gotion High-Tech is based in Hefei, China, unveiled plans to build a $2 billion lithium battery plant in Manteno, Illinois, alongside Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who cheered the project.

The announcement comes amid growing opposition to the company’s plans to build a billion-dollar factory in Mecosta County, Michigan.

In order to make the expansion happen, lobbyists for the Chinese Communist Party-tied electric vehicle company funneled cash to Democrats. “Individuals at a law firm registered as foreign agents to lobby on behalf of Gotion, a Chinese electric vehicle battery company developing a controversial project in Michigan, and wired campaign contributions to several top Democrats” reports Fox News.

“According to state and federal filings, Monique Field-Foster, an attorney at the Lansing office of the Warner Norcross + Judd law firm who is acting as a foreign agent on behalf of Gotion, donated to the campaigns of Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Whitmer’s sister Liz Gereghty and Michigan Democratic Senate hopeful Rep. Elissa Slotkin” the Fox News report continued.

“In partnership with the business community and the General Assembly, two years ago we set out to make Illinois a destination for electric vehicle and clean energy companies from across the globe,” Pritzker said in a statement.

“With the right incentives, nation-leading infrastructure, world-class workforce and booming clean energy production, we have transformed ourselves into an attractive location for global manufacturers. Today, we take another leap forward. It’s my pleasure to welcome Gotion to Illinois and to show the world yet again that Illinois is ready to be a player on the world stage.”

Pritzker delivered remarks late last week thanking Gotion for choosing Illinois to call “home” in a ceremony with leaders from Gotion High-Tech, including Li Zhen, the company’s chairman and president, who said he expected the factory to open in less than 12 months.

“All that we see here [in Illinois] are of enormous value to us: an enabling business environment, a supportive state government for the new energy industry and their highly efficient work, as well as the prospects of the State of Illinois in the coming years,” the Gotion president added. “We believe that Gotion’s battery technology will help to boost e-mobility in North America and the economic and trade exchanges between China and the U.S.”

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