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As coronavirus goes global, China’s Xi asserts victory on first trip to Wuhan since outbreak As coronavirus goes global, China’s Xi asserts victory on first trip to Wuhan since outbreak
(about 4 hours later)
Chinese leader Xi Jinping made a surprise visit Tuesday to Wuhan, the city where the coronavirus outbreak emerged, as he asserts China’s domestic triumph in its “war” against an epidemic now wreaking havoc worldwide. Chinese leader Xi Jinping went on a carefully choreographed victory lap around Wuhan Tuesday, lauding the dedication and tenacity of the Communist Party, health care workers and ordinary people in defeating a coronavirus he had labeled a “devil.”
It was Xi’s first visit to the Hubei provincial capital since the outbreak began, and came after official organs ramped up propaganda touting the Communist Party’s response. His first visit to Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, comes as the number of new infections in China has plummeted and was designed to show the success of China’s response — and contrast them favorably against international efforts, analysts said.
“Xi Jinping has been concerned about the epidemic situation in Wuhan,” the official Xinhua News Agency wrote Tuesday, describing how he had “always personally directed” the response and that his “heart resonates” with the people. “Now things are getting better and he wants to show that his leadership has been successful,” said Minxin Pei, a professor specializing in Chinese politics at Claremont McKenna College in California. “The messaging is that we should see the West’s response as bumbling and incompetent.”
Swaths of Hubei were locked down Jan. 23 as authorities tried to contain the virus. As the restrictions became more draconian, Wuhan residents were banned from leaving their homes. Downward trends in China’s epidemic statistics suggest that its efforts have been effective. Only 19 new cases were reported Tuesday, all but two of them in Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital. Vast swaths of the province have been locked down since Jan. 23 as authorities tried to contain the virus.
Downward trends in China’s epidemic statistics suggest that effort has been effective, but not before the virus infected more than 80,000 people and killed 3,140 in China and spread to dozens of other countries. “It’s time to ‘pick the peaches’ and prove to the world that China has effectively controlled the outbreak,” said Zhang Lifan, an independent historian in Beijing.
Italy, South Korea and Iran have been especially hard-hit, with Italy enforcing a nationwide lockdown. Global markets have tumbled to their lowest levels in a more than a decade, and economists are predicting a global recession. But the draconian restrictions worked only after the virus had infected more than 80,000 people and killed 3,140 in China, and had spread to dozens of other countries.
But in China, none of this is being blamed on Communist leaders’ initially slow response. Experts say the epidemic would have been more manageable if the authorities had responded in early January, when the outbreak’s severity became clear, rather than toward the month’s end. Italy, South Korea and Iran have been especially hard hit, with Italy enforcing a nationwide lockdown. Global markets have tumbled to their lowest levels in a more than a decade, and economists are predicting a global recession.
International experts say the epidemic would have been more manageable, and could have been stopped spreading abroad, if the authorities had responded in early January, when the virus’s severity became clear, rather than toward the month’s end.
Conspiracy theorists blame U.S. for coronavirus. China is happy to encourage them.Conspiracy theorists blame U.S. for coronavirus. China is happy to encourage them.
In China, however, where the virus has posed the biggest political challenge to the ruling Communist Party in three decades, the state media have had a different story to tell. They have heralded Xi as the “people’s leader” commanding a “people’s war” against the virus, and have relentlessly tried to turn medical workers into heroes — and sometimes martyrs — on the front lines.
State media Tuesday reported that the last of the 14 “cabin hospitals” — quarantine centers built in stadiums to isolate the infected — had closed because they were no longer needed.
“In the past week the propaganda has really been ramping up, highlighting the dwindling new infections and contrasting that with the rising infection rate overseas,” said Yun Jiang, a former Australian government official who now co-edits the China Neican blog. “They’re trying to tell a positive story about China’s and the Communist Party’s management of the situation.”“In the past week the propaganda has really been ramping up, highlighting the dwindling new infections and contrasting that with the rising infection rate overseas,” said Yun Jiang, a former Australian government official who now co-edits the China Neican blog. “They’re trying to tell a positive story about China’s and the Communist Party’s management of the situation.”
Bill Bishop, publisher of the influential Sinocism newsletter, had listed a Xi visit to Wuhan as one of three “unmistakable signs the party thinks victory really is at hand.” The other two were the announcement of a new date for the postponed “Two Sessions” political meetings, and the reopening of schools shuttered since early February.
This effort to recast the narrative appears to be working in many cases, not least because the party tightly controls the Internet. Both Jiang and Bishop report family members in China telling them to go there because it was too dangerous in Australia and the United States, respectively.
“It’s time to ‘pick the peaches’ and prove to the world that China has effectively controlled the outbreak,” said Zhang Lifan, an independent historian in Beijing, describing a new phase in the party’s telling of its virus story. “Now the overall publicity strategy is … to promote China as the global leader in fighting against the epidemic.”
China reported only 19 new cases of coronavirus Tuesday, including 17 in Hubei. State media has featured numerous reports about “cabin hospitals” — quarantine centers built in stadiums to isolate the infected — closing because they are no longer needed, and of the heroic sacrifices of medical staff. Airwaves and newspaper pages have portrayed Xi as leading a “people’s war” against the virus.
Coronavirus spread from China. Now, China doesn’t want the world spreading it back.
But through the course of the epidemic until Tuesday, Xi had not visited Hubei, instead sending the premier, Li Keqiang, in the early days and Vice Premier Sun Chunlan more recently. On a walk through Wuhan apartment complexes last week, residents went onto their balconies to shout “Fake, it’s all fake!” toward Sun, according to videos posted on Twitter.But through the course of the epidemic until Tuesday, Xi had not visited Hubei, instead sending the premier, Li Keqiang, in the early days and Vice Premier Sun Chunlan more recently. On a walk through Wuhan apartment complexes last week, residents went onto their balconies to shout “Fake, it’s all fake!” toward Sun, according to videos posted on Twitter.
On Tuesday, Xi visited medical workers and patients, military officers and soldiers, community workers and police officers in Wuhan, according to Xinhua. “He is trying to repair the damage,” said Pei of Claremont McKenna College. “Before he sent Li Keqiang rather than go himself, and in retrospect that seems like a big mistake.”
His first stop was the Huoshenshan hospital facility, which was built in 10 days. He “learned about the hospital’s operations, treatment of patients, protection for medical workers and scientific research there,” Xinhua reported. State media said he visited patients, but photos showed him standing before a huge screen, talking to them by video link. Xi’s first stop Tuesday was the Huoshenshan hospital facility, which was built in 10 days. State media said he visited patients, but television footage later showed him, wearing a mask and surrounding by military and party officials, talking to a patient by video-link.
This is apparently Xi Jinping's idea of "visiting" coronavirus patients at the Huoshenshan hospital in Wuhan https://t.co/grffnSLXrx pic.twitter.com/vjccbWhFo4This is apparently Xi Jinping's idea of "visiting" coronavirus patients at the Huoshenshan hospital in Wuhan https://t.co/grffnSLXrx pic.twitter.com/vjccbWhFo4
He then visited people stuck in their apartments in Wuhan. People posted photos on social media showing police officers sitting on the balconies, saying two officers had been dispatched to each apartment to ensure residents did not yell at Xi. The images could not be independently verified. “You should build your confidence, we should together build our confidence, and together we will win this war,” Xi told the man, who was in bed wearing striped pajamas, two health care workers in head-to-toe protective gear at his side. “Wuhan must win, Hubei must win, and the whole of China must win,” Xi said.
In recent weeks China’s Internet has lit up with public criticism and calls for more freedom unseen in Xi’s seven years in power. Although these posts were deleted by censors, the outpouring showed how Xi was facing an unprecedented political crisis. He appeared to be speaking from the Wuhan Workers’ Sanatorium, an existing facility next to the pop-up hospital.
“He is trying to repair the damage,” said Minxin Pei, a professor specializing in Chinese politics at Claremont McKenna College in California. “Now, things are getting better and he wants to show that his leadership has been successful.” He also talked to medical workers and Army officers outside the building — standing a good 12 feet away from them — and to community workers and volunteers.
“This is a critical moment and you must clench your teeth and hang on,” Xi told them. “Don’t drop your guard, don’t relax. Pay attention to every detail of prevention and control, and resolutely win the battle,” state media quoted him as saying.
Coronavirus spread from China. Now, China doesn’t want the world spreading it back.
When he visited people stuck in their apartments in Wuhan, local authorities took steps to make sure there would be no repeat of the heckling that Sun received last week. Xi has also come in for heavy criticism, with China’s Internet lighting up with public criticism and calls for more freedom unseen in Xi’s seven years in power, although these posts were swiftly deleted by censors.
People posted photos on social media showing police officers sitting on the balconies, saying two officers had been dispatched to each apartment to ensure residents did not yell at Xi. The images could not be independently verified.
Instead, the main news bulletin on state broadcaster CCTV showed people calling “Hello Chairman!” and waving from their windows at him as he walked through an apartment complex, and a smiling Xi saying “hello everyone” back.
The visit was clearly a “victory tour,” said Ryan Manuel, managing director of Official China, a consultancy specializing in China’s domestic political environment.
“He gave clear ‘important instructions’ in a way that showed he would own this coronavirus and the response,” said Manuel. “This was very unusual and personal. He put his name to the response, rather than making it collective.”
A Communist Party magazine last month stated that Xi knew about the virus as early as Jan. 7, more than two weeks before Wuhan was locked down. But since then, state media have portrayed Xi, the most powerful Chinese leader in decades, as very much in charge.
Coronavirus tests Xi’s ‘heavenly mandate,’ but proves a godsend for his surveillance stateCoronavirus tests Xi’s ‘heavenly mandate,’ but proves a godsend for his surveillance state
Alarmed at the epidemic’s impact on China’s slowing economy, Xi has been prodding businesses to reopen. But the visit also appeared designed to instill confidence in the domestic economy, which this quarter is predicted to fall well below the 6 percent annual growth rate that the party has long considered necessary to ensure stability and legitimacy.
Alarmed at the epidemic’s impact on China’s slowing economy, Xi has been prodding businesses across the country to reopen and trying to signal that things are going back to normal — even in Hubei.
Hubei is considering allowing people in medium- or low-risk areas to resume traveling, the official Hubei Daily reported Tuesday. They would have to use a code that requires users to submit health information on their phones and receive a “green” rating before they can enter stores or board public transportation.Hubei is considering allowing people in medium- or low-risk areas to resume traveling, the official Hubei Daily reported Tuesday. They would have to use a code that requires users to submit health information on their phones and receive a “green” rating before they can enter stores or board public transportation.
The party’s effort to rewrite the narrative of China’s coronavirus outbreak involves exaggerating or playing up other countries’ failures, especially in the West, said Pei. “The messaging is that we should see the West’s response as bumbling and incompetent,” he said. Bill Bishop, publisher of the influential Sinocism newsletter, had listed a Xi visit to Wuhan as one of three “unmistakable signs the party thinks victory really is at hand.” The other two were the announcement of a new date for the postponed “Two Sessions” political meetings, and the reopening of schools shuttered since early February.
Chinese officials have amplified these efforts by suggesting that the coronavirus might have originated in the United States, and by criticizing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s description of the virus as the “Wuhan virus.” There have been no signs of dates being set for either of those milestones.
Hu Xijin, the editor of the nationalist Global Times newspaper, criticized as “seriously misleading” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advice that people don’t need to wear surgical masks unless they are sick. Liu Yang and Wang Yuan in Beijing contributed to this report.
“All of the Chinese experts have advised people to wear face mask when in contact with others during time of epidemic and consider it one of the most effective measures,” he wrote on Twitter. “Please heed suggestion of Chinese experts.”
Liu Yang in Beijing contributed to this report.
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