COVID-19 misinformation by China

The Chinese government has actively engaged in disinformation to downplay the emergence of COVID-19 in China and manipulate information about its spread around the world.^[1]^[2] The government also detained whistleblowers and journalists claiming they were spreading rumors when they were publicly raising concerns about people being hospitalized for a "mysterious illness" resembling SARS.^[3]^[4]

The blame for the failure to report cases of COVID-19 at the onset is unclear because of the difficulty pinpointing it as a failure by either local or national officials.^[5] The Associated Press reported that, "increasing political repression has made officials more hesitant to report cases without a clear green light from the top."^[5] There are ongoing investigations in an effort to understand what happened, including an investigation by the World Health Organization (WHO) which will probe into what Wuhan officials knew at the time of the outbreak.^[6]

A 14 February 2021 exposé by the Associated Press said that China took a "leading role" in spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories about COVID-19.^[7]

^ Cook, Sarah. "Welcome to the New Era of Chinese Government Disinformation". thediplomat.com. Archived from the original on 29 March 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
^ Wong, Edward; Rosenberg, Matthew; Barnes, Julian E. (22 April 2020). "Chinese Agents Helped Spread Messages That Sowed Virus Panic in U.S., Officials Say". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 4 April 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
^ Shih, Gerry; Knowles, Hannah (4 February 2020). "A Chinese doctor was one of the first to warn about coronavirus. He got detained - and infected". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 11 February 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
^ Yu, Verna (7 February 2020). "'Hero who told the truth': Chinese rage over coronavirus death of whistleblower doctor". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 28 February 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
^ ^a ^b "China didn't warn public of likely pandemic for 6 key days". AP NEWS. 15 April 2020. Archived from the original on 29 March 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
^ "Covid: WHO probe team in China exits Wuhan quarantine". BBC News. 28 January 2021. Archived from the original on 9 February 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
^ Kinetz, Erika (15 February 2021). "Anatomy of a conspiracy". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 13 March 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.

[Diplomat-1] Cook, Sarah. "Welcome to the New Era of Chinese Government Disinformation". thediplomat.com. Archived from the original on 29 March 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2021.

[NYT_2020-04-22-2] Wong, Edward; Rosenberg, Matthew; Barnes, Julian E. (22 April 2020). "Chinese Agents Helped Spread Messages That Sowed Virus Panic in U.S., Officials Say". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 4 April 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2021.

[Shih_Knowles_2020-3] Shih, Gerry; Knowles, Hannah (4 February 2020). "A Chinese doctor was one of the first to warn about coronavirus. He got detained - and infected". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 11 February 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.

[Guardian-Yu_2020-4] Yu, Verna (7 February 2020). "'Hero who told the truth': Chinese rage over coronavirus death of whistleblower doctor". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 28 February 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2021.

[AP_NEWS_2020-04_Key_days-5] "China didn't warn public of likely pandemic for 6 key days". AP NEWS. 15 April 2020. Archived from the original on 29 March 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2021.

[BBC_News_2021-WHO-6] "Covid: WHO probe team in China exits Wuhan quarantine". BBC News. 28 January 2021. Archived from the original on 9 February 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2021.

[7] Kinetz, Erika (15 February 2021). "Anatomy of a conspiracy". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 13 March 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.

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