Residents Respond to Wuhan Party Chief’s ‘Gratitude to Party’ Statement

Location: Wuhan City, China

In a public speech on March 5, Wuhan’s Party chief Wang said that the Wuhan city government would implement “appreciation education” for the city’s officials and residents. The goal of this campaign is to teach the people of Wuhan to “show gratitude to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Party leader Xi Jinping, to follow Party orders and policies, and therefore stimulate powerful positive energy when fighting the COVID-19 outbreak.”

Video 1:

A female resident interviewed several people in the street to see what they thought about Wang’s “appreciation” statement.

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Woman: They want to educate people to show gratitude to the government amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Are you grateful?

Man: What’s to be grateful for? What for? They don’t take care of us in any way in our community. There are senior-only families, and other people who need help, but none of us have received any help.

Woman: They want us to be grateful for the government and our nation. Are you grateful?

Man: Grateful for what?

Woman: For the government and our nation.

Man: Grateful for the nation?

Woman: Yes, and for the government, including Wuhan city government.

Man: Oh. So you are asking me if I am grateful. I don’t need to feel grateful, because it is the responsibility of the government. Why should we feel grateful when it is their obligation? They are responsible for the coronavirus control. Their salaries are the people’s money. Right?

Woman: You are right.

Woman: May I ask you a question? The Wuhan municipal government demands that Wuhan citizens should learn to show gratitude to the government and to our nation. Do you think you should feel grateful?

Man: Total bullshit. Why should I feel grateful for it? It brought disasters to me. The food is getting so expensive!

During the SARS epidemic in 2003, the CCP never made any apology for its lies and cover-up at the early stage of the outbreak. Instead, when the outbreak could not be concealed any more, the CCP portrayed itself as the “SARS hero” who led the whole country in combating the epidemic. The regime is trying to use the same tactic again in its propaganda campaign, but apparently it is not working this time. Wang’s speech drew intense criticism from Chinese netizens and was withdrawn from the Internet within a day.

Video 2:

A resident calls out Chinese authorities for failing to promptly tell the public that the virus can be transmitted from human-to-human. Though such cases were previously reported to authorities, the central government waited until Jan. 20 to acknowledge that the virus was contagious and the outbreak was getting out of control. 

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Man: Someone asked us Wuhan residents to show gratitude. Show gratitude to the government. I’d like to ask, is the mutton (on my dining table) provided by the government? No. We were wise enough not to trust this government. When you said the virus would not transmit from person to person, we made good preparations ourselves! Therefore, we are not grateful! Why the hell should I be grateful!