Recent remarks from the Chinese Health Ministry showing its intention to target reporters using a blacklist have sparked outrage. The blacklist will ostensibly “restrain certain media who intentionally mislead the public,” but watchdogs highlight the fact that only independent media have successfully exposed food safety issues, not the Ministry.
Ministry spokesman Mao Qunan, speaking on June 13 at a conference titled, “Understanding the Science of Food Additives,” claimed that: “There is a need to strengthen the monitoring of communication methods. For particular reporters, we will develop a blacklist.”
Mao has also said that most of China’s food safety problems are due to bacterial contamination, and that an overemphasis on the problems of additives (such as the melamine that caused babies’ kidney stones) will create an unwarranted bias and distraction.
Arrogant Usurpation of Authority
A Beijing lawyer, Mr. Lee, says, “The Ministry of Health does not have the authority to make such a request to the media. It has a statutory obligation to accept the media’s supervision.”
Mr. Lee also notes that, at present, the Ministry of Health is responsible for any food safety problems. The Ministry should at least provide official statements regarding the harmful effects, and advantages or disadvantages of additives to the human body. “It has been three years since the incidents with melamine, but the public still has no clue as to the results of their investigations,” he said.
Founder of the “Home for Kidney Stone Babies”, Zhao Lianhai, believes that, “An official of the Ministry of Health who makes such a statement, is in reality conniving with criminals and aiding and abetting their arrogant and dangerous actions. In fact, he is suppressing all valid objections”.
Zhao has experienced first-hand how difficult it is for ordinary Chinese to assert their rights and obtain compensation from harmful additives; his son was affected by adulterated milk powder.
After this gaffe was reported, it aroused massive discussions among bloggers and other netizens, all criticizing the Ministry of Health.
A commenter screen-named “tjx_5201314” said: “I ask you, has there been a single time when a food safety problem was discovered by the ministry? It has always been the media who first discovered the problem, exposed it to the public, and only then did the related government department start investigating the problem due to pressure from the public. I hope the media will not be scared.”
Another netizen has said, “They should make a blacklist for hospitals and doctors who have bad attitudes, extremely low medical standards and ridiculously high fees and charges.”
Lee holds that the Health Ministry has not done any self scrutiny as to its own failings and is merely threatening the media to keep the dirty laundry hidden.
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