Editorial Note
China’s digital fascism presents a direct threat to the ideals of freedom and democracy that have long underpinned the liberal world order.
Before his untimely death due to coronavirus, Dr Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist in Wuhan, the first whistleblower of the Covid-19 pandemic, was severely reprimanded by his hospital administration and Wuhan Public Security Bureau ostensibly for ‘rumor mongering and publishing false reports.’ His death triggered a nationwide outpouring of grief and anger, with hashtags ‘Wuhan government owes Dr. Li an apology’ and ‘we want freedom of expression’ flooding his Weibo page. The Chinese government swiftly intervened and censured the Weibo chat feeds. The Supreme People’s Court of China later exonerated him posthumously.