In an article printed in the New York Times on Wednesday, Feb. 5, writer Li Yuan discusses the mishandling of the coronavirus outbreak in China. Since the virus outbreak, government officials have been “engaging in an unusually blunt display of finger pointing.”
According to the article, Chinese government officials were faced with several opportunities to prevent the outbreak, but instead chose to remain quiet in an effort to preserve their own title and relationship with their higher-ups. Specifically, Wuhan officials had the opportunity to inform citizens of the virus, but instead withheld the information and kept doctors who were beginning to raise alarm quiet. A New York Times reconstruction of the disease showed that earlier warnings by the Chinese government could have prevented the disease from becoming an epidemic, according to the article.
(Photo retrieved from the NY Times)
The issue here is clear: Chinese government officials care more about maintaining their positions than they do the citizens they govern. If this is not the underlying truth, then it certainly reflects how China’s citizens and citizens abroad view the situation. Because the U.S. government and the Republic of China’s government differ in terms of citizen engagement (voting, lobbying, etc.) it is hard to gauge whether this is actually a PR problem for the government or not. Even if it is a problem, citizens have limited resources for voicing opinions, let alone holding demonstrations and protests.
Although Chinese citizens do not have the means to “go against” their government as U.S. citizens do, it will nevertheless be vital for the Chinese government to address its people’s concerns. Above all, the government needs to incorporate transparency into its messaging, especially in times of crisis. Just as in any other country, citizens want to feel like they can trust their government to keep them safe and protected; however, in the wake of the epidemic, Chinese citizens feel confused and angry. Second, government officials need to create a message detailing who or what entity is to blame, if any, and have it be consistent among all officials. Pointing fingers, as Li alludes to in the article, only creates a sense of unease among China’s people, causing them to deem their government as untrustworthy.
The coronavirus, really, may have been the tipping point for China’s people. The government’s focus now should be building trust, if it is not already too late.