Official data shows that the number of new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in mainland China hit a low level amid a public holiday earlier this month, regardless of the resurgent tourists flooding the territory. One China expert suspects officials manipulated the data to lead public opinion.
May 1, known as May Day or Chinese Labour Day, marks the first day of a five-day holiday. According to state-run media Xinhua, a total of 230 million domestic tourists traveled during the break—a higher number than the pre-pandemic tourism data.
