China enters the "war on Corona" in school history books

A history book for Chinese schoolchildren that mentions the country's response to the coronavirus pandemic has for the first time sparked an online debate, according to the BBC.

Some wonder if the description in the book dealing with the country's fight against the virus is correct and objective.

Chinese Communist Party leaders declared a "decisive victory" over the virus earlier this year.

It also accused the state of lack of transparency in sharing coronavirus data.

A short video showing a passage from a textbook for eighth-graders on Doyin, the Chinese local version of TikTok, has been circulating since Wednesday.

It was uploaded by a user who appears to be a history teacher, and the description explains: "The issue has already been written in the history books."

A copy of the book, published by the country's main textbook publisher, was obtained by the BBC. Corona-related material appears in the section that presents "changes in social life."

Next to a paragraph describing the increase in Chinese income and lifestyle changes since the country's opening in the seventies mentions the text box "The War on Corona".

The textbook narrative reflects Chinese leaders' declaration of victory over the virus, but many people wonder if the explanation is objective.

One Doyen user commented: "Is there any mention of how the pandemic ended?" The video "The History Book Includes the Pandemic Response" has been viewed more than 5 million times.

Another user said, "How do you have the audacity to write that?" A third person commented: "Every word on that page seems to make fun of our painful three years."

China claims to have one of the lowest COVID-19 death rates in the world.