Doctor's death unleashes mourning, fury at Chinese officials

A card with the portrait of Dr. Li Wenliang at Li's hospital in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province, Feb. 7. Li, regarded as a whistleblower on the coronavirus outbreak, died of a disease contracted because of the virus. He was one of the first to raise concerns about the outbreak in Wuhan, before contracting the virus himself. EPA

The death of a young doctor who was reprimanded for warning about the new coronavirus outbreak in China triggered an outpouring of praise for him Friday, and fury that the communist authorities put politics above public safety.

In death, Dr. Li Wenliang became the face of simmering anger at the ruling Communist Party's control over information, and complaints that officials lie about or hide disease outbreaks, chemical spills, dangerous consumer products and financial fraud

The 34-year-old ophthalmologist died overnight at Wuhan Central Hospital, where he worked and likely contracted the virus while treating patients in the early days of the outbreak.

''A hero who released information about Wuhan's epidemic in the early stages, Dr. Li Wenliang is immortal,'' the China Center for Disease Control's chief scientist, Zeng Guang, wrote on the Sina Weibo microblog service.

Police had reprimanded eight doctors including Li in December for warning friends on social media about the emerging threat. China's Supreme Court later criticized the police, but the ruling party also has tightened its grip on information about the outbreak.

Weibo users have left hundreds of thousands of messages below Li's last post.

A post by one of Li's coworkers, an emergency room nurse, said the freezing Wuhan weather was ''as gloomy as my mood.''

''To you, we are angels and so strong. But how strong a heart can watch the people around me fall one by one without being shocked?'' wrote Li Mengping on her verified account.

Others placed the blame for the deaths on Chinese officials, not an animal species from where the virus might have spread, and said those who made trouble for the doctor should face consequences. The most pointed online comments were quickly deleted by censors.

The ruling party has faced similar accusations of bungling or thuggish behavior following previous disasters. They include the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), a 2005 chemical spill that disrupted water supplies to millions of people in China's northeast, sales of tainted milk that sickened thousands of children and the failure of private finance companies after the global economic crisis.

In each case, officials were accused of trying to conceal or delay the release of information members of the public said they needed to protect themselves.

The party often responds by allowing the public to vent temporarily, then uses its control of media and the internet to stifle criticism. Critics who persist can be jailed on vague charges of spreading rumors or making trouble.

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On the streets of Beijing, the capital, residents expressed sadness and said that China should learn from Li.

''He was such a nice person, but still didn't pull through,'' said Ning Yanqing. ''Those left do not dare to speak out. Alas, I don't know what to say.''

Some online comments Friday hinted at broader dissatisfaction with the party and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has tightened controls on society since taking power in 2012.

The most powerful Chinese leader since at least the 1980s, Xi gave himself the option of remaining president for life by changing China's Constitution in 2018 to remove a two-term limit.

Referring to one of Xi's propaganda initiatives, a message that circulated on social media said, ''My 'Chinese Dream' is broken.''

In Wuhan, local leaders were accused of telling doctors in December not to publicize the spread of the virus in order to avoid casting a shadow over the annual meeting of a local legislative body.

As the virus spread, doctors were ordered to delete posts on social media that appealed for donations of medical supplies. This prompted complaints that the authorities were more worried about their image than public safety.

Li was detained by police after warning about the virus on a social media group for his former classmates.

The latest episode is unusually awkward for the ruling party because Li was a physician, part of a group who are regarded as overworked and underpaid heroes, and are China's line of defense against a frightening new disease.

''He showed a responsible attitude toward society,'' said Cai Lin, a Beijing resident. ''He was honest and faithful. So I think all of society should reflect on this.''

The World Health Organization, which has complimented China's response to the outbreak, said in a tweet that ''We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Li Wenliang. We all need to celebrate work that he did on the virus.'

The official propaganda apparatus tried Friday to mollify the public.

''Some of Li Wenliang's experiences during his life reflect shortcomings and deficiencies in epidemic prevention and control,'' said state television on its website.

Chinese Ambassador to Washington Cui Tiankai said on Twitter, a service the ruling party's internet censorship blocks the public from seeing, ''Really saddened by the death of Dr. Li Wenliang. He was a very devoted doctor. We are so grateful to him for what he has done in our joint efforts fighting against #2019nCoV.''

The government announced a team from Beijing would be sent to Wuhan to investigate ''issues reported by the masses involving Dr. Li Wenliang.'' (AP)