Letters | Covid-19 and China’s Li Wenliang: memories offer a reminder of what unites humanity

Thank you for Politico’s inspiring and thought-provoking piece on “Remembering Li Wenliang” (December 27). It reminded me that, for all the noise in today’s world, we are connected to each other through empathy and sympathy.

One can blame China’s system, so very different from Western democracies. Yet, it has its pros and cons, as seen in this pandemic. The strict monitoring of public information can deter whistle-blowing and harm social justice. But it can also prevent the spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories.

This is analogous to the balancing of market forces with policy interventions. Unfettered freedom of speech is like laissez-faire economics, while stringent censorship resembles strict central planning: both can lead to failures. Just as there are no flawless economic policies, there is no such thing as perfect information management, as it comes with its own difficulties, including ideological complications.

What was heartwarming was to trace the evolution of public comments in Dr Li’s Weibo account. Dr Li is remembered not as a hero but as a peer, a friend, someone to turn to when you have stories (or secrets) to share. This connection based on empathy and sympathy is more magnificent than any hero worship. It is what we had taken for granted until an unexpected pandemic shook us to the core.