Why did China lie?

[harbormaster]

First if you think China had 83,000 cases, no deaths yesterday, and have been honest through the WHO this poll is not for you; there is no such option. I can't believe that for the evidence doesn't support it. I firmly believe more people were infected and died in China than what has been reported. If you want to believe the Chinese go forth and prosper this just isn't that thread / poll.

Why did China lie to the world about this flu? There a variety of reasons from lame to serious. I think people have an opinion on why they lied but am just curious if its what I think:

[Doheny]

Stop calling it the flu if you want to be taken seriously.

[inthemountains]

Stop calling it the flu if you want to be taken seriously.

They lied about the FLU in order to save face, it's what they do. Can't have the country look bad.

[Fastattack]

Because they *****hoe

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[repomanNWP]

They are an evil regime driven by greed and power exclusively; they think nothing of killing off a few million people here or there; reporting actual numbers did not serve their domestic interests (keep tight control over the people and retain power) nor their global interests (accumulate more economic and geo-poltical power). It's not complicated really.

Donald Trump, don't trust China, China is azhoo

[stix213]

China under reports virus deaths as a matter of policy. Look up their annual regular flu deaths for example. In a country of over a billion people they typically report around 50 flu deaths. Last year was unusually bad for the flu, where they reported 143 flu deaths. The US with about a third of the population reports flu deaths in the tens of thousands annually.

They are liars who only put out numbers for the benefit of the communist party. The numbers have no relation to reality other than the narrative that the CCP is the answer to all problems. Ignore their numbers, they are just made up.

[Doheny]

But back to the original question, they lie cuz that’s what they do.

[as_rocketman]

Complex cause fallacy sighted, sir...

Lots of reasons. The main one is domestic control, as confidence in Party leadership is the only thing holding China together. Even now I would not discount the possibility of regional violence within China as other districts scapegoat Wuhan -- they are not all one people over there, but a remarkably complex collection of cultures, as you should expect given China's immense size and history.

Number two is economic. Much as we did here, there appears to have been a conscious effort to soften the shock of a major shutdown, and a hope that it could be contained. The pressure to fulfil a few more orders or ink a few new contracts must have been extreme, and at all levels of government over there. Some endemic corruption can be expected at the best of times.

But there is also the fact that we still don't understand this virus all that well. Even now there are debates on how it actually spreads and its pathology. This doesn't give the CCP a pass, but there was a lot of uncertainty, and that invites optimism.

The nations that have fared the best in this are those who took a pessimistic viewpoint from the beginning. Belatedly I've come to that viewpoint myself -- this may turn out much better than expected, and I hope it does, but there is so much we still don't know. As individuals, the longer you can stay clear of this stuff, the better off you're going to be. Early adopters risk being a test subject in an uncontrolled science experiment.

[August]

Because they *****hoe

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OMG I just spit up

[stonefly-2]

https://www.amazon.com/China-*******-Chinese-Donald-T-Shirt/dp/B07Z17XKZH

[stix213]

The bad numbers aren't all coming from the top though. How it works is the numbers originate from local officials. If local officials report bad numbers up the chain they get removed from their position. So no matter how bad the real numbers are, they report up the chain that everything is fine. Every layer up the chain does the same thing. When it gets to Beijing they massage the numbers further, so they conform to whatever narrative they are currently promoting. No semblance of reality in those numbers, and each stage where fabrication of the numbers occurs is for self serving purposes.

Otherwise if everyone was telling the truth, Beijing would be taking out local leaders and rolling in the tanks all over the place. Not something they want.

[fore76]

[Caligula36]

The goals of the CCP and the leftists here are one in the same. Control the lives and movements of the people, damage the economic power of the western world, stop the nationalist rebirth of America, defeat the bad orange man.

[tamalpias]

They lied for many reasons
1) to control their people
2) to show the world they can handle a disaster
3) show the world what they are capable of in terms of medical response
4) not look bad in the world’s eyes
5) deflect blame (if we can handle it with minimal issues why can’t you?)
List can keep going

[Charliegone]

That's pretty much it. They are a communist regime who wants to maintain control. They can't do that if they don't control every single aspect of the Chinese people's lives.