The concept of “mask diplomacy” has arisen as COVID-19 spreads around the world: Chinese leader Xi Jinping has boasted of building a “Health Silk Road” around the globe—and billionaire Jack Ma joined in by sending medical supplies to Africa. But even as the original lockdown is lifted in Wuhan, a new doubt is lingering about the numbers
Wuhan has become just like so many other cities in the world: requiring returnees from overseas to undergo quarantine, as the COVID-19 pandemic has gone global from its origins there. As a result, China is now among the countries that have stepped up border patrols, as the big story of 2020 circles the planet amidst plenty of ironies.
After a few days without new coronavirus cases in Beijing, reports of office work returning to normal in the capital city offset the fears sinking in elsewhere on the planet. Wuhan-based industries were also green-lit to resume operations, following a visit to the virus epicentre by Chinese leader Xi Jinping
Citizen Lab, a research group based in Toronto, released a report on how Chinese social media firms managed information about COVID-19. WeChat and YY were the platforms caught censoring keywords related to the outbreak. But amidst claims of a cover-up going back to December, the country is trying to promote a lack of impact:
