A Chinese-funded educational organization sought donations from Americans to combat coronavirus despite the Chinese government’s refusal of assistance from U.S. agencies or the World Health Organization.
The Confucius Institute posted a plea for donations on its website that would be used to provide masks and other protective gear to medical care providers in China. This plea followed the Chinese government’s refusal of assistance on the ground from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United Nations’ World Health Organization.
The institute wrote, “For medical professionals working in Wuhan it is important that protective gear and facemasks are routinely changed, however, due to a decrease in production over the Chinese holiday season and increased demand, staff at Wuhan City Central Hospital and Wuhan Xiehe Hospital have run out of these important supplies. As an alternative, doctors have resorted to using raincoats and trash bags to protect themselves from the virus.”
It continued, “By donating, you can bring badly needed medical supplies to local hospitals at the forefront of the outbreak and can help protect those who are risking their lives to prevent this from becoming a global epidemic.”
Since the outbreak began in December, more than 1,000 people have died of the highly contagious, SARS-like illness. Many believe China could be underreporting the total to downplay the severity of the situation. National security adviser Robert O’Brien noted that the U.S. government has asked China to accept help on the ground from American institutions, but the Communist Party has refused the aid.
“So far, the Chinese have been more transparent, certainly, than in past crises. And we appreciate that, and we’re continuing to offer assistance to the Chinese,” O’Brien explained in early February. “We offered to send over CDC and other U.S. medical and public health professionals. We haven’t heard back yet from the Chinese on the offers, but we’re prepared to continue to cooperate with them.”
The Confucius Institute, which is directly tied to the Chinese government but operates in American colleges and universities, has been criticized as being an American university-sanctioned Chinese propaganda vehicle.
Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, has called for Confucius Institutes to be closed in all public universities in his state. He explained, “There is mounting concern about the Chinese government’s increasingly aggressive attempts to use ‘Confucius Institutes’ and other means to influence foreign academic institutions and critical analysis of China’s past history and present policies.”
“These institutes are overseen by a branch of the Chinese Ministry of Education, and are instructed to only teach versions of Chinese history, culture or current events that are explicitly approved by the Chinese Government and Communist Party,” he added.
Several institutes have also been shut down for abusing the U.S. visa system. Nearly two dozen institutes have been closed within U.S. universities over the past two years.
The donations from the Confucius Institute would ensure that some American money aids the struggling medical providers in China without the added oversight that the CDC or World Health Organization would require, including verification of the Chinese government’s reporting on the death toll. One study from one medical journal estimated that China may be covering up 10 times as many cases as it reports.
The Confucius Institute set a goal of raising $4,000 and had already received more than $700. The institute wrote, “We recognize our unique position to create a bridge of support from our local community here in Washington, DC to those in need. Global health impacts all of us, and we believe it’s important to bring global support to the men and women fighting to contain this deadly virus.”
