Coronavirus: leading Hong Kong microbiologist retracts op-ed claiming pandemic began in Wuhan
- Professor Yuen Kwok-yung apologises for writing that ‘inferior Chinese culture’ is to blame
- But the controversy has already triggered a reaction on the mainland
A world-renowned microbiologist has stepped into a political minefield by writing an op-ed about the origin and naming of the coronavirus sweeping the world, expressing views that aligned with the Trump administration’s rhetoric over the pandemic and left him in the cross hairs of mainland Chinese.
Professor Yuen Kwok-yung, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of Hong Kong, retracted late Wednesday night the piece he co-wrote and which Chinese-language Ming Pao newspaper had published and ran online earlier that day.
The authors also apologised for the misunderstanding caused by the piece, titled: “The pandemic originated from Wuhan and the lessons from 17 years ago have been forgotten.”
“It amounts to self-deceit and please don’t spread it recklessly. It would only invite ridicule,” they wrote.
Yuen, who is also an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, visited Wuhan with other doctors at the invitation of the central government in mid-January as part of an expert group that later confirmed the coronavirus was spreading between people.