The unfortunate ending of a honeymoon in Western Tibet in October left the newlyweds in a tragic situation, as they crashed their car on a mountain road after suffering from altitude sickness. 27-year-old Yu Yanyan from Shanghai was severely injured in the accident. Luckily, Yu’s husband was able to secure blood donations from local civil servants and members of the public in Tibet to stabilize her, before arranging a chartered plane to fly her to a larger hospital for advanced surgery. This remarkable effort in a remote region of China sparked skepticism and questions from the public, with some wondering if the couple’s connections or wealth played a role in their ability to mobilize resources so quickly. The story gained national attention and led to Chinese authorities and media looking into potential signs of wrongdoing regarding the resources used to save Yu. This public cynicism reflects a lack of alignment between success stories and the everyday experiences of people in China, where issues like corruption and lack of access to quality healthcare are prevalent.
In China, positive stories in the media often reflect the desired narratives of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and critical discussions and negative comments about the state of the Chinese economy are quickly censored. The suppression of bad news even extends to targeting individuals, such as the case of Dr. Li Wenliang, who was arrested for warning colleagues about COVID-19 before succumbing to the virus himself. The lengths that some in power are willing to go to cover up negative occurrences, such as the discovery of a rat’s head in cafeteria rice at a college in Nanchang, have further eroded public trust in the media and the government. This lack of trust, combined with ongoing problems like corruption and economic issues, highlights the need for open discussion and transparency in China.