[The Epoch Times, March 31, 2022](Comprehensive report by The Epoch Times reporter Ning Haizhong) The epidemic situation in Shanghai continues to deteriorate, and the political wrangling behind the epidemic prevention policy is of concern. Zhang Wenhong, an epidemic prevention expert who once advocated coexistence with the virus, has not appeared at the Shanghai epidemic prevention and control conference for several days, and is suspected to have been completely replaced by relevant officials. Some leftists have publicly called this a line struggle.
Zhang Wenhong suspected of being replaced by Shanghai officials, leftists clamoring for “line struggle”
On the morning of March 31st, attending the Shanghai Epidemic Prevention and Control Conference were Ma Chunlei, Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government, Wu Jinglei, Director of the Municipal Health Commission, Liu Bin, Deputy Director of the Municipal Transportation Commission, and the Municipal Leading Group for Epidemic Prevention and Control. Wu Fan, member of the expert group and vice president of Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University.
Zhang Wenhong, who often appears in Shanghai epidemic prevention and control conferences, has been absent from several press conferences since the 26th (31st).
The information verified by the Epoch Times reporter shows that Zhang Wenhong attended the Shanghai epidemic press conference last on March 25, and his official title is “Shanghai New Coronary Pneumonia Medical Treatment Expert Team Leader”. Zhang Wenhong did not attend the press conference on the 28th, and Wu Jinglei, director of the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, appeared for the first time as the “head of the medical treatment team of the Shanghai Epidemic Prevention and Control Leading Group”.
Also present on the day were Gu Jun, head of the material security team of the Municipal Epidemic Prevention and Control Leading Group and Director of the Municipal Commission of Commerce, and Wu Fan, a member of the expert group of the Municipal Epidemic Prevention and Control Leading Group and Vice President of Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University.
As for the Shanghai epidemic conference on the 29th and 30th, another group of people attended, including Ruan Qing, deputy director of the Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Wu Ganyu, a first-level inspector of the Municipal Health and Health Commission, and others. Wu Jinglei, Zhang Wenhong, and Wu Fan, who often appeared at press conferences on the epidemic, did not show up.
China expert Yokogawa said in the video program that it seems that Zhang Wenhong has indeed been replaced by Wu Jinglei. Wu Jinglei majored in pediatric cardiovascular and intensive care, but he has been an administrative official since 2004, when he served as the director of the Fudan Hospital Management Office. It is a political appointment that replaces experts with party leaders. This shows that Shanghai’s epidemic prevention model is likely to change from a unique “precise prevention and control” to a dynamic reset that is closer to the nationwide lockdown.
Zhang Wenhong has always been an authoritative figure in Shanghai’s epidemic prevention, often expressing opinions on epidemic prevention on behalf of the government. At the end of July 2021, Zhang Wenhong put forward the view of “coexisting with the virus” in line with the world, and was subsequently criticized by a group of official background figures such as former CCP Health Minister Gao Qiang. It was later reported that he was purged.
Hong Kong’s “Economic Daily” reported on the 30th that the Shanghai epidemic press conference changed people, which inspired the “leftists” and regarded it as a “signal”.
The report said that after the outbreak of the Shanghai epidemic, strong attacks against the Shanghai prevention and control team emerged on the mainland network, especially Wu Jinglei, director of the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, Zhang Wenhong, head of the Shanghai New Coronary Pneumonia Medical Treatment Expert Team, and Shanghai Epidemic Prevention and Control Team. The three members of the expert group, Wu Fan, have been criticized in various ways, demanding that the authorities remove them from their posts, silence them, or even arrest them.
The report quoted Xiang Ligang, the founder of Feixiang.com, who has a left-wing stance, as saying that since the outbreak of the epidemic, there has been a “two-line” struggle in China. One is to adhere to scientific precision and dynamic clearing; the other is the “comprador capital route”.
In the past, Xiang Ligang caused controversy by publicly criticizing “not watching the news network is a low-class person”.
Another microblog V “Shiwei Weibo” suggested that the Shanghai authorities explicitly deny the theory of coexistence and lay flat, replace those who should be replaced, and strengthen foreigner management.
Analysis: Shanghai’s epidemic prevention involves political wrestling
The latest outbreak of the epidemic in Shanghai. On March 31, Wu Jinglei, director of the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission of the Communist Party of China, introduced that on March 30, Shanghai added 355 local confirmed cases and 5,298 local asymptomatic infections. This may also involve withholding data.
Officials have previously denied rumors of a lockdown. Shanghai officials suddenly announced on the evening of March 27 that Shanghai is divided into Pudong and Puxi districts with the Huangpu River as the boundary. Pudong will be closed from 5 am on the 28th, and will be lifted on April 1. Puxi started the lockdown in the early morning of April 1 and was lifted in the early morning of April 5. During the lockdown period, a nationwide nucleic acid test must be carried out.
Yokogawa, an expert on China, said that Shanghai officials were undecided about whether to take more drastic measures to close the city. Some experts even said that the closure of the city was not feasible. I don’t know if the expert was Zhang Wenhong, or if he did not agree with the closure. was replaced by the city.
Yokogawa believes that after the emergence of the Omicron variant, it was a good opportunity to abandon the dynamic clearing and adopt the policy of coexisting with the virus, because the infection of Omicron is mild and spreads quickly, so it is better to treat it as a natural vaccine. Yes, less side effects than vaccines. The result was not the coexistence of the Shanghai pilot program, but the fact that Shanghai learned to be locked down across the country. This is a typical example of the victory of politics over science.
Tang Jingyuan, a self-media person with a medical professional background, said in the program that, judging from the current chaotic and one-size-fits-all lockdowns in Shanghai, it is a sure thing that the authorities must implement the “clearing” policy deployed by Xi Jinping himself. Scope’s strategy of quietly experimenting with coexistence with the virus has been halted.
Tang Jingyuan said that Xi Jinping’s top priority right now is to be re-elected this fall. Before reaching this goal, he must not make any mistakes that can be blamed, and the clearing model he personally deployed and directed cannot be allowed to be considered to have lost to the coexistence model. .
The performance of Li Qiang, secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee, in this wave of epidemics is also of concern. The report that he visited Zhang Wenhong’s laboratory last year was interpreted by the outside world as Li Qiang’s platform for Zhang Wenhong. However, Shanghai’s epidemic prevention is obviously unable to withstand the pressure from the central government. Xi Jinping instructed on March 17 to insist on dynamic clearing.
On the evening of the 27th, Li Qiang said at the Shanghai epidemic prevention and control conference that “we must resolutely implement” Xi Jinping’s “important speeches and instructions”. On the evening of the 30th, Shanghai held a city-wide meeting of leading cadres. Li Qiang once again emphasized the need to resolutely implement Xi Jinping’s “important speech and instructions”.
Tang Jingyuan said that Sun Chunlan, Vice Premier of the State Council of the Communist Party of China, went to the scene to supervise the battle in areas where the epidemic broke out in recent years, but the only one who did not go to Shanghai. Because Li Qiang, who is in charge of Shanghai, is a close associate of Xi, and is likely to be promoted to the Standing Committee of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, if Sun Chunlan goes to Shanghai rashly when the situation is unclear, will she support precise prevention and control, or will she put pressure on it to be cleared? It’s not good either way.
He believes that the Shanghai epidemic is special due to its involvement in too many infighting factors, not only involving Xi Jinping’s political authority, but also the personnel card battle at the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.
Responsible editor: Lin Congwen#