Friday, March 6, 2020

China's media steps up virus propaganda drive

China's state media is waging a renewed campaign to weed out "Noxious thoughts" and whip up patriotism among the masses.

On Wednesday, Xinhua quoted a popular opinion piece circulating on WeChat, China's ubiquitous social networking app, saying that the West, in particular the United States, "Owes China a coronavirus apology" for all the smearing and gloating, and that the rest of Asia and even the entire world would have been embroiled in a far worse contagion had it not been for China's resolute containment and sacrifice.

The Chinese news agency also asserted that Beijing would not bar American citizens from China, even though the US was among the first countries to impose entry restrictions on Chinese travelers.

The conclusion of the article is that the US owes China an apology for its "Immoral" words and deeds during the onset of the plague in China, when its politicians and China bashers thought their country would not be hit by the crisis.

Earlier, China also expelled Wall Street Journal journalists over a headline calling China the "Sick man of Asia," which touched a raw nerve as the term evoked bitter memories of denigration when China was invaded by the West in the early 20th century.

Less than a month ago, Xi thanked Trump for the solidarity and donations flowing into China in an hour-long phone call.

Xi also penned letters to tycoon Bill Gates and pupils at an elementary school in Utah to thank them for their support for China and hailed the "Longstanding chumminess between the two great nations."

https://asiatimes.com/2020/03/chinas-media-steps-up-virus-propaganda-drive/

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