I would like to give an update on the developments surrounding CBC’s slanderous coverage of The Epoch Times’ special edition on Beijing’s coverup of the virus outbreak which led to a global pandemic.
I would also like to set the record straight that The Epoch Times special edition is in no way “advancing conspiracy” theories or claiming that the virus is “manufactured” as a bioweapon by China as alleged by CBC’s article, as I will make clear later in this statement.
Since the initial publication of its article on April 29, CBC has quietly made substantial changes to its headline three times—all without informing readers of the change or issuing a correction.
The four headlines so far are:
It is worth noting that all of these headlines are incorrect.
The reality is, as can be seen directly on the cover of our special edition on the coronavirus that was the main focus of the CBC’s article, is that we wrote: “The Chinese Communist Party’s coverup led to a pandemic that now threatens the lives of people around the globe.”
It clearly and squarely puts the blame for the coverup on China’s ruling communist regime. As a Chinese immigrant myself, I understand very well the difference between the Chinese Communist Party and China and the Chinese people—who have been the biggest victims of the CCP’s coverup.
But the CBC article is not making this distinction and is instead helping to push the communist regime’s line that the Party and China are one and the same.
Conflating the Communist Party with China as a whole or with the Chinese people is a tactic frequently used by the CCP itself to arouse nationalism, and use the claim of “racism” to deflect criticism of the CCP. It is sad to see that CBC has followed the same line as the CCP.
False Accusations by CBC
The CBC article’s headline and opening paragraph accuse The Epoch Times of advancing “a conspiracy theory” and say the special edition claims the virus was made as a bioweapon by China.This is false. The special edition makes no such claim. Instead of showing the contents of the special edition, CBC makes the accusation based on quotes from two people, a single recipient and an unnamed mail carrier, who misrepresent the contents of the special edition.
The Special Edition is an eight-page collection of some of our reporting and delves into topics such as how the Chinese Communist Party’s coverup led to a pandemic, how the regime persecuted medical professionals in China who tried to get information out about the outbreak, how it is still hiding the true scale of the pandemic and the number of deaths in China, and how it has launched a global disinformation campaign to lay the blame for the pandemic elsewhere.
CBC is making its accusations by pointing to a commentary included in the special edition that quotes a former Chinese defence minister’s remarks about China’s bioweapon ambitions; in the commentary, the author says that there should be an investigation on the coronavirus outbreak, and Chinese authorities “must grant the world total transparency. If Chinese officials are innocent, they have nothing to hide. If they are guilty, they will refuse to cooperate.”
Deleted Comments
Over the past two days, we have received phone calls from CBC readers telling us that their comments on the CBC article were removed.Is CBC afraid of readers’ disapproval? Why stifle free speech, and block Candians who want to express their concerns over CBC’s false reporting. Isn’t this stifling of public discourse failing the most basic function as a national broadcaster?
On behalf of everyone at The Epoch Times, I would like to thank our readers for their support. I will keep you updated as things develop.