[Genuine Realist]

MERS didn't originate in China, though.  The first patient was diagnosed in Saudi Arabia, and the big outbreak in 2015 was in South Korea (partly why they were able to respond to this outbreak so well).  The only patient who has been diagnosed in China was a South Korean.  The South Korean outbreak was started by a man returning from the Middle East and had no connection to China:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Middl...outh_Korea

BC

I stand corrected on that, although it is apparently true that the failure of health systems with respect to MERS  led to the overhaul that made South Korea's response relatively successful this time.

But back to your original post, and query the cause of the regional cynicism about Chinese reporting.

[Genuine Realist]

MERS didn't originate in China, though.  The first patient was diagnosed in Saudi Arabia, and the big outbreak in 2015 was in South Korea (partly why they were able to respond to this outbreak so well).  The only patient who has been diagnosed in China was a South Korean.  The South Korean outbreak was started by a man returning from the Middle East and had no connection to China:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Middl...outh_Korea

BC

I stand corrected on that, although it is apparently true that the failure of health systems with respect to MERS  led to the overhaul that made South Korea's response relatively successful this time.

But back to your original post, and query the cause of the regional cynicism about Chinese reporting.