CNN: China Restricts Information on the Origin of the Coronavirus

Beijing has enforced constraints on the publication of academic papers on the origins of the COVID-19. The restrictions come directly from a central government directive which was published by two Chinese universities. The online notices have since been deleted from the web, CNN reports.

Under the newly enforced policy by the Chinese regime, all academic papers on COVID-19 will need extra inspection before publication. Reports on the source of the virus will undergo further review and must be ratified by the central government before being made available to the public.

The intensified scrutiny seems to be the newest determination by the Chinese administration to regulate the account on the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, which as of today has ‘claimed more than 100,000 lives and sickened 1.7 million people worldwide’ since its outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Now, the Chinese establishment seems to be constricting its control over the publication of COVID-19 research.

A Chinese academic who spoke to CNN on the conditions of anonymity said the political move was a disturbing development that would likely ‘obstruct important scientific research’.

"I think it is a coordinated effort from [the] Chinese government to control [the] narrative and paint it as if the outbreak did not originate in China, and I don't think they will really tolerate any objective study to investigate the origination of this disease," the academic told CNN.

By Nectar Gan, Caitlin Hu and Ivan Watson, CNN

Source: CNN