SARS Epidemic Remains Serious in China; Authorities Still Covering Up the Truth

China Exerts Pressure on WHO Not to Remove Taiwan from the List of Epidemic Regions before China

On May 30, a quiet business street in Beijing.

According to Taiwan National Security Information, China's SARS epidemic is still very serious. A grim community infection broke out in the Beiyuan Homestead in Chaoyang District in Beijing, but Chinese authorities are still lying to the outside world to present a false picture of normalcy. Meanwhile, China is exerting pressure on the World Health Organization, requesting that Taiwan not be removed from the list of epidemic regions before China.

According to Liberty Times reporter Zou Jingwen's report from Taipei on June 6, the Taiwan National Security Committee held a meeting concerning SARS among the assistants to high officials from various departments on June 5. In this meeting, the National Security Bureau and Health Department respectively reported that according to information obtained by the National Security Bureau, China's epidemic is still serious. Although reports are seen on the situation in coastal areas, information from inland areas remains a question mark, as WHO did not dispatch teams to inland areas. Taking Datong City, Shanxi Province as an example: according to information obtained by the Taiwan National Security Bureau, the epidemic death toll is more than 70, but the Chinese government only reported seven deaths.

Officials from the National Security Bureau also pointed out that an infection in an entire community broke out in Beijing and the situation is quite severe; however, China blocked the news. An infection broke out in the Beiyuan Homestead in Chaoyang District, Beijing, but to hide the outbreak, patients were sent to other places outside Beijing for treatment.

The epidemic is quite grim in Shenyang. The National Security Bureau's report pointed out that currently, Shenyang is semi-quarantined. All high schools and universities are closed and classes are suspended. Shenyang citizens need to show their ID cards to go in and out of the city. Obviously, a serious situation exists, but China's Health Department did not issue any related information.

As for Shanghai, officials said that Shanghai has its own criterion to diagnose the disease. Cases specified as "probable" in Taiwan are only specified as "suspected" cases in Shanghai. In order to reduce the SARS death toll, death cases due to SARS are also reported as being due to other complications.

Officials said that not only is Taiwan aware of this, but the U.S. and Japan have also received the same information about China's cover-up of the extent of the epidemic. China controls all information flow, including media, but overlooks mobile communications. Initially, information about Guangdong's outbreak was spread through mobile messages.

Officials expressed that in addition to China not truthfully reporting the cases, according to America's enquiry to WHO officials, it has been learned that China has been exerting pressure on WHO to remove China from the epidemic region list as soon as possible, and to not remove Taiwan from the list before China. This behaviour is reprehensible and totally irresponsible to the people of China and the rest of the world.