Chinese City With History of Committing Human Rights Abuses Becomes COVID-19 Hotspot

Medical workers are taking swab samples from residents in Shijiazhuang city, Hebei Province, northern China, on Jan. 6, 2021. STR/CNS/AFP via Getty Images

Commentary

At the start of the new year, a new wave of COVID-19 outbreak in China’s northeastern Hebei Province unexpectedly made a little-known city the focal point of public opinion. Incidentally, this city has a very dark history, and this pandemic is an opportune time for reflection.