There have been reports that Gao Fu, the head of China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was taken down because he did not take proper measures in handling the coronavirus. Beijing later declared that was a rumor.
However, Hua Sheng, an economist in China, published a lengthy article on Weibo, to defend Gao Fu. The article was titled, “What If Group criticism of Gao Fu Chose the Wrong Target?” It discussed a serious of events from December to January and described Gao Fu as the highest level warning provider in the communist regime system. It also defended Gao for not going to Wuhan, the epicenter, because Gao needed to stay in his place and position to organize resources to work on epidemic control.
It then asked, “Since the information gathering and the response of the local government and state offices were not delayed, why were there still so many delays and mistakes in the early stage of stopping the virus?”
China Business Network (第一财经), a media established in Shanghai in 2003 that focuses on business information, published an excerpt from the article’s defense of Gao Fu.
Related Posting on Chinascope regarding officials declaring their innocence:
- Leadership: Xi Explains His Role in Containing Coronavirus since January 7
- Leadership: Wuhan Municipal Website Defended Its Mayor
- Leadership: Wuhan Mayor Not “Authorized” to Release Epidemic Information to the Public Before
1. Excerpt in Chinese:
这样看来，除了十二月底之前武汉方面令人痛惜的最早期延误上报，使我们失去了在病毒对人体的适应性变异传播前，将其扼杀在摇篮中的可能机会之外，国家行政主管部门和地方政府对情况的了解和行动反馈的时间应当说还都并不算晚。那么，新冠病毒疫情的前中期防治为什么还会出现那么多的迟缓、失误和问题，真实信息的传递和反馈为什么在相当一段时间远远滞后于病毒的传播和扩散，以至在一个医疗力量极为雄厚、并且是向全国介绍治理能力和治理体系经验的模范省会都市，却完全无力阻止刚刚开始传播的传染病，有效医疗资源逐步枯竭崩断，一步步发展为这个让武汉以及湖北人民付出惨重代价、波及全国乃至世界的严重疫情呢？这才是人们应当关注和不能不追问的，也是我们必须要真正总结和记取的东西。
Source: Weibo, February 16, 2020
https://www.weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404472629854601490
2. Source: China Business Network, February 16, 2020
https://www.yicai.com/news/100507289.html