‘No time for complacency’: China must admit its coronavirus mistakes, Chinese law professor warns
- In essay published on European website, Xu Zhangrun says the facts of the pandemic should be made public
- Academic laments loss of US leadership on the international stage under Donald Trump
The essay, “China’s lone boat in the ocean of world’s civilisations”, not only examined Beijing’s success and failures in handling the pandemic but also lamented that the US had surrendered its chance to lead the world in fighting the coronavirus.
“Since he has come to power, [US President] Donald Trump has returned to the Atlantic isolationist philosophy and surrendered the opportunity to be the leader of the world who can reshape global governance,” Xu wrote on the website run by overseas-based Chinese researchers.
“[I am afraid] the US will meet its downfall after this pandemic and its national strength will decline.
“Now the US has fallen … under the rule of Trump and it has become a superpower in name only … [The world] will soon move from the ‘American age’ to a ‘post-US’ era.”
‘We must carry on’: Chinese government critic and liberal icon Xu Zhangrun vows to keep saying ‘what needs to be said’
Without naming names, the professor also called on the Chinese leadership to reflect on its handling of the pandemic and apologise for its mistakes. He proposed that the authorities set up a public monument in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, where the outbreak first emerged, for remembrance and to express remorse.
“The historical truth should be restored, the causes of the coronavirus pandemic and the origins of the virus should be identified, and in particular, the true facts about the disease should be made public so as to give a true account to all citizens,” Xu wrote.
“When the pandemic struck, it exposed that China had remained a petty civilisation and a spiritual dwarf [among the world of nations].
“We are so poor in terms of our political culture and hence our political system is incapable of resolving our political problems.”
Tsinghua University suspends Xu Zhangrun, Chinese law professor who criticised Xi Jinping
A close friend of Xu, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue, confirmed that the essay was written by the professor, who has been under investigation by the university since last year for his political views.
“[Xu] is still not allowed to teach or tutor students and faces restrictions [in meeting friends],” the friend said. Repeated attempts to contact Xu on Thursday were not successful.
While the NPC is set to endorse the government’s handling of the pandemic, its almost 3,000 deputies are expected to suggest ways the government could improve its response.
Xu warned that it was too soon for China to assume that the crisis was over.
“The pandemic has only taken a pause in our country and the crisis is not yet over,” he warned. “A far-reaching and fatal strike may yet to come.
“The global pandemic is still at its peak and the casualties are piling up. Pain will soon turn into blame and animosity.”
Trump has repeatedly accused China of delaying reporting the outbreak in Wuhan and failing to contain the spread in the city. China has rejected the accusations, saying it has been transparent with the World Health Organisation in sharing information about the pandemic.
“In conclusion, time has come [for China] to start the political reform process, to lay out a clear timetable for political reform, so we can eventually achieve good governance through [establishing] constitutional democracy and [a true] people’s republic so that there will never be any turning back,” he wrote.
Wang Yaqiu, a China researcher at New York-based Human Rights Watch, said Xu showed extraordinary courage in releasing the essay.
“The international community must pay close attention to Professor Zhang’s situation and call on the Chinese government to respect the freedom of speech.”
