The number of people newly infected with the new coronavirus has been decreasing dramatically in China. The Chinese Communist Party-controlled government shows off what it claims are the successful results of its antivirus measures, but they should not serve as a model for other countries to follow.
Chinese President Xi Jinping told a recent videoconference of top leaders of G20 major economies: "We have made tremendous sacrifices. Now the situation in China is moving steadily in a positive direction." Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other Chinese officials trumpet that this demonstrates the superiority of the Chinese system.
The epicenter of infection has shifted from China to Europe and the United States. China has been accelerating its medical support to Italy and other countries. Beijing likely aims for these activities to lead to expanding the sphere of its international influence.
On the domestic front, the Chinese government has decided to lift the lockdown of Wuhan, Hubei Province, where the infection first expanded, early next month and has been making preparations to resume economic activities. China will reportedly ban the entry of foreigners in an attempt to prevent a backflow of coronavirus infections.
There is no doubt that lockdowns, suspension of transport services and restriction of movements have been effective in containing infections. China was even able to keep movement records of individuals by monitoring their activities through leading-edge technologies and ensured restrictions were implemented thoroughly by mobilizing all military and Communist Party organizations. These methods could be peculiar to China alone.
Legal procedures such as a declaration of an emergency situation are required in Europe and the United States. In contrast in China, under the dictatorial one-party political system ruled by the Communist Party, hard-line steps can be taken without going through a democratic process. But it cannot be said that the Chinese formula is superior.
What should not be forgotten is that China's rigid bureaucratic apparatus and its tendency to cover up information caused delay in initial responses to the coronavirus outbreak, thus resulting in the expansion of virus infections globally. A doctor in Wuhan, who sounded a warning ahead of others in the initial stage of the outbreak late last December, was punished by the local government for "spreading a false rumor."
The Xi administration admitted that the punishment was problematic and acknowledged the restoration of his honor. But the regime has been tightening its social control by doing such things as deleting SNS messages critical of the government.
Under authoritarian governance that suppresses opposing opinions, sharing of necessary information could be delayed, thus making it difficult to prevent a crisis posed by a new infectious disease.
In the first place, skepticism about China's official statistics cannot be dispelled. Even if persons test positive for coronavirus in China, they are not officially added to the number of infected persons if they do not show any symptoms. As a result, about 43,000 people have been excluded from the list of infected persons. Hence there is said to be a possibility that the actual number exceeds 120,000.
The significance of sharing information with China could decrease if its data is computed in a way different from those of other countries. China must review its series of response measures and disclose all the relevant information thoroughly, thus contributing to the world.
In their teleconference, Xi and U.S. President Donald Trump have confirmed that their countries will continue cooperation on working out antivirus measures. The two countries are called on to deepen bilateral discussions and take the leadership in working out measures to prevent adverse effects of coronavirus infection on the world economy.
-- The original Japanese article appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbun on March 28, 2020.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
