Chinese Propagandists Used ‘Wuhan Virus’ Before Condemning It as Racist

China has accused U.S. leaders of racism for referring to the new coronavirus as the "Wuhan virus." But an examination of Chinese state-media reporters shows the term was used frequently in their coverage during the initial stages of the outbreak.

A March 8 report from the government-backed Global Times, for example, condemned Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's use of the term, arguing that it was a "rude and vicious comment" and "a new low in his personal conduct." But Chinese state-media outlets routinely referred to the pathogen as the "Wuhan virus" or "Wuhan pneumonia" through mid-February.

"Wuhan pneumonia a wakeup call for basic Chinese research," read the headline for a Jan. 22 piece published by Global Times, the same outlet that criticized Pompeo. "China, where both SARS and the Wuhan virus first emerged, failed to be the first in relevant diagnostic research and development (R&D) in both cases."

State-media outlets adopted new names for the pathogen just as China launched a global propaganda campaign to deflect responsibility for the pandemic. The world-spanning media blitz, involving both state media and ambassadors, argued that China's successful response bought time for the rest of the world—a talking point regurgitated by the New York Times on March 12. The propaganda effort also seeks to minimize the botched response of the Wuhan and Chinese authorities, in part by blaming the U.S. military for the outbreak without any evidence.