On June 25, Chinese Premier Li Qiang delivered a speech at the 2024 World Economic Forum regarding China’s economy. According to Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao, Li Qiang emphasized the importance of addressing both immediate and fundamental issues in China’s economy, drawing an analogy from traditional Chinese medicine. He likened the Chinese economy to a patient recovering from a serious illness, stating that “according to Chinese medicine theory, this is not the time to apply strong medicine; instead, precise and gradual treatment is needed to slowly restore the foundation.”
Chinese state media, including Xinhua News Agency, only quoted Li’s phrase “restore the foundation” without mentioning the critical point about not “applying strong medicine.” The economic platform Gelonghui briefly published a report titled “Li Qiang: The Chinese Economy Cannot Apply Strong Medicine Now,” but it was quickly deleted.
Commentators noted that Li Qiang’s remarks indirectly acknowledged that the Chinese economy is in a severe and desperate condition and that Beijing may not have the ability to fix it.
Source: VOA, June 28, 2024
https://www.voachinese.com/a/china-s-censors-appear-to-delete-premier-s-strong-treatment-theory-20240628/7677019.html