Chinese President Xi Jinping chaired a meeting with the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China to discuss the coronavirus and its preventive measures on 3 Feb. However, no actual footage of the meeting was broadcast on state TV. This highly unusual presentation drew speculations. Veteran China affairs journalist Han Yong Hong observes that although the authorities have stepped up its efforts to stem the tide of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus in the last few days, China has paid a high price.
Wuhan
Society
Dr Li Wenliang was the first to raise the alarm on the Wuhan coronavirus. However, he met with resistance and threats, in efforts to keep him quiet, until eventually he fell ill himself and did not recover. The outpouring of emotion from the internet community says volumes about this people's hero.
Society
Singaporean journalist Edwin Ong shares his story on surviving the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak in Chongqing, China. From his observation, the long period of self-isolation is wearing down Chinese residents’ resolve to stay home for everyone’s sake. One tires most by doing nothing.
Society
Graduate student Lorna Wei returned to her hometown in Hebei province for the Chinese New Year holidays, only to land in the eye of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus storm. She shares her personal experience, from the inside.
Society
Hong Kong, being adjacent to mainland China, is worried about the Wuhan coronavirus. Besides the physical impact, there would be political and economic impacts as well if there is an outbreak. Economics professor Paul Yip examines these possible effects, and explains why Hong Kongers are calling for a complete closure of Hong Kong’s border with China.
Society
As the Wuhan coronavirus continues to expose China’s systemic flaws in crisis response and disease prevention and control, Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan says the authorities must come to grips with their governance issues and take in the larger learning points of the epidemic.
Society
Poor handling of the Wuhan coronavirus epidemic continues to incur public wrath. This time, China’s Red Cross fields tough questions as to why donated supplies are not reaching those in need.
Society
Following a paper published by Gao Fu, head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), China’s angry netizens are asking if the China CDC knew earlier that the Wuhan coronavirus could spread between humans.
Society
Political analyst Zheng Yongnian says adopting a scientific approach in their daily lives would help the Chinese better cope with tests such as the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak. Refusing to take ownership, the people blame the system, as if it was omnipotent and infallible. He warns that if individuals do not adopt the clear-eyed rationality of science, take a good hard look at themselves and chip in their own capacities, China will continue to lack the stoicism and initiative it needs from all quarters to cope with crises.