Moderate voices call for calm as US-China coronavirus war of words rages

Anti-US sentiment fuelled by nationalism and misinformation has blown out of all proportion, Chinese intellectuals warn

Recent articles on China’s social media call for restraint, fact-based discussion and a respect for science

Reading Time:2 minutes

Anti-US sentiment in China has been on the rise, fuelled by nationalism and misinformation, as the two countries engage in a blame game over the coronavirus pandemic. Photo: AP

Published: 7:15am, 16 Apr 2020Updated: 7:15am, 16 Apr 2020

Moderate Chinese intellectuals and opinion leaders are calling for cooler heads to prevail on the mainland in the midst of a rising ultra nationalism propelled by the US-China blame game over the coronavirus pandemic.

Anti-US sentiment in China has been blown out of proportion by blind nationalism and misinformation, leading to a spate of articles on Chinese social media calling for restraint, fact-based discussion and a respect for science.

In a recent article, Xu Shiping, editor-in-chief of Eastday.com, a major Shanghai-based online news outlet, called for “responsible and accurate” sharing and discussion of news and current affairs.

“Some of us are so eager to sensationalise things by linking irrelevant incidents as if there are people out constantly plotting against us to harm us. This has clearly gone overboard.”

Xu cited recent examples of nationalistic writers on Chinese social media who had played up trivia or misrepresented facts – including the wrongful portrayal of a US legal action demanding compensation from China as backed by the US government.