Blaming Others Again for COVID-19 Resurgence, China Says "No Matter How Well China Does"

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Park Sun-mi] Amid fears of a resurgence of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) sweeping over Beijing, the capital of China, over the weekend, attempts to shift the responsibility for the resurgence outside of China have once again begun.

China's state-run media Global Times emphasized in its editorial dated the 15th titled "Beijing Can Win the Fight Against the New COVID-19 Outbreak" that Beijing's COVID-19 prevention and control measures have been implemented most strictly within China.

The newspaper explained, "However, Beijing has been hit. We must accept the reality that preventing COVID-19 is difficult," adding, "We must also acknowledge that we still know very little about COVID-19. We know almost nothing about where the virus came from, how it spread, or how to treat patients."

The newspaper continued, "This incident shows that it is impossible for China to completely eradicate COVID-19 while many countries are affected by it," and stated, "Epidemics can arise from unexpected directions, and we must be able to endure and respond effectively to such situations. Beijing can quickly control COVID-19."

Regarding the sharp increase in new COVID-19 cases in Beijing over the weekend, this is interpreted as reflecting a will to preemptively block the potential emergence of a 'China responsibility theory' or 'Beijing responsibility theory.'

Beijing city announced that all new COVID-19 cases reported consecutively for four days since the 11th are related to the Xinfadi Market, the largest agricultural and aquatic products wholesale market, and that the COVID-19 virus was detected on cutting boards used for slicing imported salmon inside the market.

However, it emphasized that the origin of this virus transmission has not yet been confirmed and is placing weight on the possibility that the virus came from outside China. The Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control also stated at a briefing the previous day that the viral gene sequence found at Xinfadi Market is presumed to have come from Europe, and "We have tentatively judged that it is related to (overseas) importation. It is still uncertain how the virus arrived."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.