The New York Times recently published an article entitled "how Guo Wengui and Bannong promote the conspiracy theory of the origin of the new crown virus". From the extremely rare perspective and tone in Western media, the article focuses on how Guo Wengui and Bannong form anti Communist alliance with strong funds and political influence, and promotes the so-called "whistleblower" such as Yan limeng to achieve political purposes.
The authors of this article are Amy Qin, wangyuemei and Danny Hakim. Amy Qin is an international reporter for the New York Times, which is responsible for reporting on Chinese cultural, political and social topics. Vivian Wang, a times resident in China, previously reported New York state politics for the city edition, grew up in Chicago and graduated from Yale University. Danny Hakim is a business edition investigative reporter for the New York Times. He is also a European economic correspondent, and has served as president of Albany and Detroit branch. His coverage won the Pulitzer news emergency news award in 2009.
Announce an unconfirmed statement to millions
This paper begins with Dr. Yan limeng's story, and summarizes the process of her escape from Hong Kong Research Office to the United States, and then reports to major media in the United States. The article said: as early as mid January this year, Yan Li Meng, who was doing research in Hongkong, had heard rumors that a dangerous new virus appeared in Chinese mainland, and the government was trying to weaken it. "By September, she was no longer so cautious," the author pointed out. Appearing on Fox News, the US announced to millions an unconfirmed claim that the new crown virus is a biological weapon made in China. "
Yan limeng was a sensation in the right-wing media overnight, and President Trump's senior advisers and conservative authorities praised her as heroes, the New York Times analysis said. But also quickly, social media labeled her interview as "false information," and scientists refused to accept her research, calling it a quibble disguised in jargon.
In this critical article, the author thinks that "Yan Liman's evolution from researchers to whistleblowers is the product of two unrelated but increasingly united groups that spread false information: one is a small but active overseas Chinese group, and the other is a very right-wing group with a high influence in the United States. "
"Both groups have seen opportunities to push their agenda forward in the new coronavirus pandemic," the authors said. For overseas Chinese, Yan limeng and her groundless claims provide a sharp weapon for those who intend to overthrow the Chinese government. For the US conservatives, it allows them to cater to the rising anti Chinese sentiment in the West and distract attention from the trump administration's failure to respond to the epidemic. "
The article starts with the help behind Yan limeng, including Wang Dinggang, the Chinese YouTube current review host, and the online name "Luther". It is pointed out that Wang Dinggang was a businessman before he came to the United States for unknown reasons. He is one of the growing number of commentators emerging on the Chinese Internet. They have integrated expert views, serious analysis, and complete rumors into the show to cater to overseas Chinese who often don't trust the official Chinese media, but have little reliable sources of native language news.
At the same time, the article also investigates and analyzes the relationship between wangdinggang and guowengui and Bannong, and claims that "the evolution of Yan Liman is carefully designed by the Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui who fled abroad and Stephen K. Bannon, a former consultant of trump. "Point out" they sent Yan limeng to the US plane, provided her with accommodation, taught her how to show up in the media, and helped her contact with popular conservative TV hosts such as Tucker Carlson and Lou Dobbs. "The authors of the New York Times commented that these media people have fostered Yan's firm belief that the virus is a product of genetic engineering," and the evidence she provided was accepted, right and wrong. "
In analyzing the reasons for the results, the New York Times wrote: "they used the problem that China was reluctant to provide information. The Chinese government has refused to share virus samples and has been preventing transparent and independent investigations into the source of the virus. Its initial cover up of the epidemic further deepened suspicion of the source of the virus. "And at the same time, the authors point out:" there is a lot of evidence that it is almost certain that the new crown virus originated in animals, most likely a bat, and then evolved into a pathogen that can infect humans. Although the U.S. intelligence agency has not ruled out the possibility of laboratory leaks, so far, they have not found any evidence to support this view. "
Dare to speak
The New York Times, known as "fake news media" by trump, has been working on a wide range of current and political social news from multiple perspectives for many years. In 2012, the paper, entitled "hidden wealth of the prime minister's family", began with the use of the political status of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao family to accumulate huge wealth. The newspaper's Chinese branch and reporters were then severely punished by Chinese authorities, including the fact that the visas were not extended and forced to leave the country.
In October, the newspaper paid attention to the farunggong background of the great era times, calling its recent development process "from anti China tabloids to right-wing influence machines". Not long ago, when it reported Apple Daily, which many people thought was the bright light of Hong Kong free media, it also defined it as a targeted tabloid, known for its celebrity gossip and investigation of government misconduct. "
Now, when the United States calls for the overthrow of the Chinese Communist Party's autocratic group Guo Wengui and Bannong, the New York Times has also been merciless, saying that what Bannong said has made him "notorious" in the mainstream media in the United States. Wang Dinggang, who is called Luther, is "willing to accept eccentric theories", attacks the Communist Party of China on youtube, condemns the Communist Party of China for suppressing Muslims, and talks about the trade war launched by the United States with pride. "After Yan limeng arrived in the United States, Bannong, Guo Wengui and their allies immediately began to package her as whistleblower who could be promoted to the American public," the author said. "In addition, Guo Wengui and Bannong claim that Wang Jian, chairman of HNA Group, died unexpectedly in a small town in southern France in 2018, was a fake suicide planned by Beijing, which also appeared to be" conspiracy theory "in this article of the New York Times.
At the same time, the academic professionalism of "Whistler" Yan limeng is also questioned in the article. The article points out: "after the first fox interview, Yan limeng started a whirlwind tour of right-wing media, repeating the main topics of conservatives. She said she took hydroxychloroquine to protect herself against the virus, although the food and Drug Administration warned it had no effect. "
In addition, the article also found that in early September, Yan limeng met with Dr. Daniel Lucey, an infectious disease expert at Georgetown University, who once proposed that the virus might be the product of laboratory experiments. But after more than four hours of talks, Luxi did not think Yan had "conclusive evidence.". Even Yan limeng once said that her mother had been arrested by the Chinese government, "the New York Times" also refuted through the investigation results. "The Chinese government often harasses critics' families as punishment," the paper reported. "But when the New York Times contacted Yan limeng's mother on her mobile phone in October, she said she had never been arrested and wanted to get in touch with her daughter very much, and she had not talked to her daughter for several months.
