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Hiding Information: Liaoning Province Ordered to Destroy Files Regarding Epidemic

Epoch Times, an independent Chinese language media, reported that it has obtained an internal document from the Chaoyang Municipal Health Commission of Liaoning Province regarding the destruction of documents related to the novel coronavirus epidemic.

The document was issued on February 23, 2020, and submitted to the Liaoning Provincial Health Commission. The document read:

Provincial Health Commission:

After receiving the “Emergency Notice on Safely Handling Relevant Information,” our city government immediately notified the Chaoyang Public Security Bureau, Lingyuan City government, and Longcheng District government to destroy files and data. We also identified and listed every person who had access to the data and required each of them to sign a ‘Confidentiality Commitment.’ The three offices have destroyed the data.

Attachment:

1. List of work units that received the file

2. Confidentiality Commitment

Signed by Chaoyang Municipal Health Commission, on February 23, 2020

The attached “Confidentiality Commitment” form required the signer to promise the following:

Immediately destroy any data file, picture, and records that are stored on any computer, thumb-drive, and mobile phones.
Absolutely do not use any reason or any means to duplicate, use, or send the above data to any other people.
Except when required by law, do not release this information to any other institute or individual.

The Epoch Times reporter searched Liaoning Province and Chaoyang City news on February 21. The Liaoning Provincial Health Committee announced zero new coronavirus infection cases on February 21, but Chaoyang reported six confirmed cases.

National Internet Emergency Center, Which Enforces Internet Censorship, Has 11 Coronavirus Cases

The Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on February 26 that Beijing had 10 new confirmed coronavirus cases, all from the same work unit. These patients were all infected by a person who was confirmed to have the coronavirus infection on February 24.

The address of the work unit is Chaoyang District Anzhen Street Yumin Road A-3 (朝阳区安贞街道裕民路甲3号). People searched the location and found that it is the National Internet Emergency Center, which enforces internet censorship in China.

1. Excerpt in Chinese:

新京报快讯（记者沙雪良）2月26日0时至24时，北京市新增10例新冠肺炎确诊病例。北京市疾控中心副主任庞星火在27日北京市召开的新闻发布会上介绍，这10例均为2月25日北京市公布病例的密切接触者发病后诊断，经现场流行病学调查，判断该起疫情为输入性单位聚集性疫情。

此前，据北京市疾病预防控制中心2月25日消息，2月24日，北京市新发新冠肺炎1例。该病例活动小区或场所为朝阳区安贞街道裕民路甲3号。

庞星火介绍，2月23日，北京市接到一例新冠肺炎疑似病例报告，2月24日4:00，该病例确诊，将其密切接触者均集中隔离医学观察，截至2月26日，在其密切接触者中共确诊10例，故这起聚集性疫情共涉及确诊病例11例，其中10例是在京某事业单位外购服务的物业管理公司员工，1例是餐饮公司员工，11名病例发病前都住在所服务单位的集体宿舍，或在集体宿舍旁物业办公室办公。所有病例均已转至市级定点医院隔离治疗，目前病情稳定。该起疫情已判定密切接触者178人，市、区疾控中心对该单位进行了全面消毒，并实施了健康监测等综合防控措施。

Source: Beijing News, February 27, 2020
http://www.bjnews.com.cn/news/2020/02/27/695794.html

2. Excerpt in Chinese:

外界很快搜索发现，朝阳区裕民路甲3号疑似中共网信办相关部门的地址.

大纪元搜索发现，2019年3月30日，中共网信办曾发布“第一批境内区块链信息服务备案编号”的公告，其中公布了第一批共197个区块链信息服务名称及备案编号。提出“任何单位或个人如有疑议”，将相关意见“通过电子邮件发送至bc_beian@cert.org.cn，或邮寄至北京市朝阳区裕民路甲3号国家互联网应急中心，邮编：100029”。

Source: Epoch Times, February 27, 2020
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/20/2/27/n11901041.htm

Hot Topics | | March 1, 2020 | Social Stability

Lack of Action: National Health Commission Delayed 15 Days before Sharing the Coronavirus Information

Caixin reported that, in late December, several institutes in China found that the Wuhan pneumonia was caused by a SARS-like virus, but the National Health Commission didn’t share the information until 15 days later.

On December 27, 2019, Vision Medicals in Guangzhou became the first known company to detect the genome. Around the same time, a few other gene testing companies, including CapitalBio MedLab in Beijing and the industry’s leader Beijing Genomics Institute, had obtained samples from Wuhan Hospitals. Their test results were all reported back to the hospitals and to the Health Commission and to disease control organs.

The National Health Commission, however, did not share the novel coronavirus genome information until January 11. Prior to that, the National Health Commission issued its “No 3 Order” requesting institutes and individuals who had obtained the biological samples to destroy them immediately or to submit them to the officials for storage and not to release any testing information. A staff member from a gene testing company said that the Hubei Provincial Health Commission also gave such an order over the phone.

Caixin is a Beijing-based media group providing financial and business news and information. It was founded in 2010 by Hu Shuli (胡舒立), who was known for her outspoken style.

US Embassy in China Posted Pompeo’s Speech on China Expelling Wall Street Journal Reporters

The United States Embassy in China placed a post on its own website in Chinese. It included excerpts from the speech that Secretary of State Pompeo made at the press conference held on February 25, 2020 (original English speech can be found at: https://www.state.gov/secretary-michael-r-pompeo-remarks-to-the-press-5/).

The original transcript is below:

“Expelling our journalists exposes, once again, the governance issue that led to SARS, and now, the coronavirus, namely censorship. It can have deadly consequences. Had China permitted its own and foreign journalists and medical personnel to speak and investigate freely, Chinese officials and other nations would have been far better prepared to address the challenge.

…

QUESTION: On China, you have issued a strong statement to condemn China for expelling The Wall Street Journal reporters. What other options being considered by the United States to respond? And what is your take on this headline controversy that some of The Wall Street Journal’s China staff have asked the paper to apologize and that the headline was considered by the Chinese Government to be racist?

SECRETARY POMPEO: So with respect to the decision that the Chinese Communist Party made to expel three Wall Street Journal journalists, we made a statement; we’ve condemned it. We’ve condemned it because it’s the wrong thing to do from a perspective of freedom. We talk about reciprocity and what Chinese media outlets have access to or are permitted to do here in the United States. That is not the case for U.S. media outlets or, for that matter, other non-Chinese media outlets inside of China as well. So there’s an important principle there that we want to defend.

But second, it’s also incredibly important that we get accurate information about what’s taking place there. With respect to the coronavirus, this data set matters. This information matters. The tactical situation on the ground matters, not only to assist us in helping the Chinese people, which we are committed to continuing to do, but to make sure that we are helping citizens all across the world, including citizens right here in the United States.

So we think that information flow inside of China is at a critical moment. It’s always important that we get good information, that there’s free press everywhere. But it’s especially essential at this time, where data and information matter because they provide things that go beyond anecdote so that we can respond in a way that meets the actual threat, not based on anecdote and rumor.

I don’t want to get ahead of what our policy options are that are being considered. We’re looking at a broad range of things. We will take the appropriate action and, if necessary, we’ll make sure that the President also gets a chance to weigh in on this decision as we move through our decision-making process.”

Source: US Embassy and Consulates in China website, February 25, 2020
https://china.usembassy-china.org.cn/zh/remarks-to-the-press-by-secretary-michael-r-pompeo-excerpts-zh/

Briefings | | March 1, 2020 | Social Stability US-China Relations

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