Statement on Coronavirus

Of late the news worldwide has been dominated by the spread of the "Wuhan" coronavirus. We wish to express our concern for all those who have been infected or at risk and note that the repercussions of the coronavirus have been far reaching. These range from the lock down and quarantine of the whole Chinese nation, to cancellation of flights to and from China, to the plunging of Chinese as well as other stocks affected by the epidemic.

The UK Government has issued its guidelines for those who have travelled from China, and no doubt these will be updated as more cases emerge. Meanwhile the World Health Organisation (WHO) is working closely with global experts, governments and partners to rapidly expand scientific knowledge on this new virus, to track the spread and virulence of the virus, and to provide advice to countries and individuals on measures to protect health and prevent the spread of this outbreak.

What is more worrying are signs of increased cases of racism and hate crime vis a vis Chinese people as reported, for example, in the Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/01/coronavirus-weaponised-way-to-be-openly-racist

We, Chinese Liberal Democrats, call for those who have been bullied or harassed in the UK to report these cases to the police (or transport police) so that there will be official record of incidents of hate crime. The epidemic must not be an excuse for racists whether in the tabloid press, social media or the general public to openly attack innocent people of East Asian background purely based on their East Asian appearance.