How Chinese Censorship is Rewriting the Covid-19 Narrative

In early 2020, on the same day Covid-19 was officially named, U.S. and Chinese scientists released vital data on the virus’s spread and fatalities. The study, initially seen as a model of international collaboration, was cited globally but quickly retracted, with a message advising against citing it.

While the Chinese government’s suppression of scientists and censorship of pandemic discussions is known, its control over information is deeper than many realize, targeting international journals and databases. Chinese scientists, under government pressure, have withheld data, removed genetic sequences, and altered journal submissions.

Recently, this censorship surfaced when international scientists discovered genetic data from a Wuhan market, collected by Chinese researchers in January 2020 but withheld for three years—an “inexcusable” delay, according to global health officials.

On April 1, Beijing restricted foreign access to the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, limiting insights into Chinese research. Chinese leaders now urge scientists to publish in domestic rather than international journals. This month, Chinese government scientists suggested investigating the virus’s origins outside China, aligning with the disputed claim that the pandemic began elsewhere.

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