Chinese authorities have blocked a popular medical information website from publications questioning the effectiveness of the traditional Chinese medicine-based coronavirus treatment that the authorities are promoting, the portal reported on Thursday.
DXY, which provides several health services and counts Chinese internet giant Tencent as a shareholder, questioned the therapeutic benefits of the treatment, known as Lianhua Qingwen, in a later-deleted article.
But now the site is not allowed to post to at least five of its social networks, due to “violation of laws and regulations,” DXY’s Weibo account noted, without specifying the violation.
Lianhua Qingwen is a medicinal liquid based on honeysuckle and apricot kernels that were used against COVID-19 during the lockdown of Shanghai between the end of March and the beginning of June.
Chinese President Xi Jinping described traditional medicine as the “treasure of Chinese civilization” in 2019 and ordered it to be as influential as modern medicine.
The government regularly praises the supposed virtues of traditional medicine.
AFP contacted the Chinese medical information specialist and he did not immediately respond.
Many countries, including the United States, have expressed doubts about Lianhua Qingwen’s effectiveness in treating COVID-19, citing a lack of scientific evidence.
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