Letters | Whatever China does about Covid, there’s just no pleasing the West
- Readers discuss the changing Western narrative on Chinese Covid policy, the impact of the mainland border reopening, and humane treatment of injured animals
In the past three years, the West has been particularly adept at changing the narrative on Covid-19.
But as Covid slowed in China and worsened in the West, the narrative soon changed: when the virus was spreading in China, it was the apocalypse; but if the virus is in the West, it can’t be that bad, can it? This was the time of the “Plandemic” conspiracy theory. As some argued that lockdowns were an overreaction, reopening became the priority.
Then, in 2021, as countries reopened, the Western media painted a picture of China using contagion as an excuse to keep people indoors.
As a diplomatic and international trade lawyer, I worked over the past six months to negotiate the tightrope between the international community’s desire for Hong Kong and mainland China to reopen, and the Chinese central government’s zero-Covid strategy. It was hard work but it seemed like finally things were getting back to normal. The news of China’s reopening should have been a breath of fresh air, but instead we are embroiled in another virtue-signalling war.
Just weeks ago, the country was blamed for doing too much to respond to Covid. Lockdowns, mandatory testing and quarantine were characterised as draconian and unnecessary. Now that it is reopening, China is being accused of not doing enough to control the virus. If you are going to criticise China’s Covid policy, it would certainly help to be a little more consistent.
Timothy Wong, Mid-Levels
We must reopen the mainland border - but carefully
Still, our city is in a dilemma here, given a local resurgence of cases and huge pressure on our public healthcare system and medical supplies. Meanwhile, imported cases rose to about 5 per cent of the overall caseload in recent weeks, which could pose a hurdle to our recovery.
At the same time, local factories should ramp up production of medication and relevant supplies such as rapid antigen tests, to meet demand after the border reopens.
We cannot ignore the dire medical needs of mainlanders, after they helped us wholeheartedly last year. However, we should also stay vigilant as a full border reopening could cast a pall over our city’s recovery. No one knows what is the best route to our post-Covid-19 era. But the fastest one would not be the most appropriate, as it could come with a great, irreversible cost.
Alison Ng, Mong Kok
Why let a wild boar suffer in broad daylight?
On the morning of Christmas Eve, it was devastating to see a wild boar lying outside our home on King’s Road, motionless after apparently falling from a nearby car park. According to media reports, the poor creature was first attended to by police officers and Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals staff, but they still let the injured boar lie in public sight, suffering and twitching, until it was attended to by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department and confirmed dead about three hours later. This is inhumane and improper; society should reflect on how we treat and handle injured wild animals.
Animals deserve respectful treatment, and their welfare and emotions should be considered when they are being handled. Personnel should be professionally trained and equipped with first aid kits. SPCA staff should be able to sedate or euthanise an animal, instead of letting it suffer in broad daylight. Police could have put up a tent to shield the animal. Under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance, police inspectors also have the power to order euthanasia if an animal is so severely injured that it is cruel to keep it alive.
In the case of the wild boar, its three hours of suffering seemed unnecessary. Lastly, we urge the authorities to thoroughly investigate the causes of the accident and review handling procedures for injured animals.
Stephanie Hui and Cosmo Lo, North Point
