MPs blasts China’s ‘lies’ over coronavirus saying regime cost lives by allowing ‘disinformation to spread as quickly as the virus’ to protect their image
- Commons Foreign Affairs committee voices alarm at ‘disinformation’ from China
- Says regime’s response of ‘obfuscating’ situation has been costing British lives
- MPs also warned on disinformation spread by states such as Iran and Russia
China has cost British lives by spreading disinformation about the coronavirus outbreak, MPs warned today.
The Commons Foreign Affairs Committee said that as the country where the outbreak originated, China should have played a central role in collecting data on its spread.
But it accused Beijing of seeking to ‘obfuscate’ over what was really happening form the outset.
The committee called on the UK Government, working with international allies, to actively ‘confront and rebut’ disinformation coming from foreign powers.
Chairman Tom Tugendhat (left) highlighted the way Li Wenliang (right), the doctor in Wuhan who first raised the alarm about the new disease, was forced to confess to ‘making false comments’ before his death from the virus in February
In its report, the cross-party group also named Iran and Russia as being responsible for disseminating false information about the Covid-19 virus and suggested other countries were also involved.
Its main criticism, however, was reserved for China. It highlighted the way Li Wenliang, the doctor in Wuhan who first raised the alarm about the new disease, was forced to confess to ‘making false comments’ before his death from the virus in February.
‘Such deliberate misleading of the WHO (World Health Organisation) and scientists in other countries obscured analysis in the critical early stages of the pandemic,’ the committee said.
‘Disinformation about Covid-19 has already cost lives. It is essential that the Government issues clear and transparent messages at home to confront and rebut disinformation spread by foreign powers.
‘It must also work closely with allies to present a united front where possible, and to help ensure that vital international research efforts are not compromised by propaganda and bad data.’
Committee chairman Tom Tugendhat said Beijing had initially ‘allowed disinformation to spread as quickly as the virus’.
He added: ‘Rather than helping other countries prepare a swift and strong response, it is increasingly apparent that they manipulated vital information about the virus in order to protect the regime’s image.
‘The Government needs to tackle these lies with a clear and quick response, working with our allies to show a united front in the face of false facts and deadly disinformation.’
The committee also criticised the lack of international co-ordination in the effort to combat the disease and stop its spread.
It called for the creation of a ‘G20 for public health’ to enable co-operation between expert researchers around the world to flourish, even in the absence of united political leadership.
Boris Johnson (pictured last week) has been taken to hospital for checks as his recovery from coronavirus hit trouble
‘It is clear that existing regional and multilateral organisations, including the WHO, are not achieving the international co-operation needed to fight a global pandemic,’ it said.
‘Although the Government is focused rightly on resolving the current crisis, it would be a catastrophic error to de-prioritise learning lessons from this pandemic and implementing them before the next one.’
A Government spokesman said: ‘Coronavirus is a global challenge and it’s vital that countries come together to tackle this shared threat.
‘The UK is coordinating closely with international partners to shield our citizens from disinformation so they can get the right information to protect themselves and save lives.’
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