WHO senior doctor pretends not to hear question about Taiwan, ends video call with Hong Kong reporter

Assistant director-general of the World Health Organization Bruce Aylward appeared to go deaf, or to have experienced technical difficulties when a Hong Kong reporter asked him a question about Taiwan, then rudely hung up when the reporter repeated the question.

During an interview for RTHK’s weekly current affairs show, The Pulse, Yvonne Tong asked Aylward: “Will the WHO reconsider Taiwan’s membership?”

Aylward’s eyes and mouth twitched with a slightly pained expression, then followed a long, awkward silence with Aylward staring blankly at the screen as if he had not heard the question.

“Hello?” Tong prompted.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear your question, Yvonne” Aylward responded innocently.

“Okay, okay, let me repeat the question,” Tong offered.

“No, that’s Okay. Let’s move to another one then,” the evasive epidemiologist countered.

“Right. So this… I’m actually curious in talking about Taiwan as well, on Taiwan’s case,” Tong continued.

Aylward’s eyes then shifted to his keyboard, and the video call shut down.

Not to be outdone, the persistent journalist, TV producer and current affairs host called Aylward back.

“I just want to see if you can comment a bit on how Taiwan has done so far in terms of containing the virus,” Tong explained.

Aylward closed his eyes for pause, then rushed: “Well we’ve already talked about China and you know, when you look across all the different areas of China, they’ve actually all done a quite good job.”

“So with that, I’d like to thank you very much for inviting us to participate, and good luck as you go forward with the battle in Hong Kong.”

Aylward is a darling of China’s state media, known for his effluvious praise of the totalitarian regime’s response to the epidemic.

“I would like to be treated in China if I caught the virus,” the WHO expert was quoted as saying by the Chinese Communist Party owned China Daily, referring to comments made by Aylward at a press conference in Geneva on February 26.

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11 thoughts on “WHO senior doctor pretends not to hear question about Taiwan, ends video call with Hong Kong reporter

  • April 2, 2020 at 1:18 pm
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    How embarrassing, the coward was actually stuck for words. He along with his Ethiopian boss should be sacked for kowtowing to China and putting the world at risk. How many people have already died because of them playing politics?
    WHO should have declared a pandemic to the world as soon as it jumped countries but it appears they did not want to undermine China’s aid to Ethiopia or their donations to WHO.

    Reply
  • April 2, 2020 at 9:48 pm
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    Dr. Aylward has led the response to severe public health emergencies. More than ever, his expertise had been needed at this time.

    With all due respect, the interview appeared to be more of an effort to undermine WHO and did undermine Dr. Bruce Aylward. Dr. Aylward is an epidemiologist – he has no role to play in the status of Taiwan.

    Sidelining Dr. Aylward scored political points. Those points came at the expense of a diminished public health response to COVID-19. No one is better off for this effort to embarrass WHO.

    Reply
    • April 3, 2020 at 3:41 pm
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      Nobody has made an effort to embarrass WHO: WHO has done a great job of doing that all by itself.

      WHO did not relay early reports by Taiwanese doctors indicating possible human-to-human transmission of the coronavirus.

      Instead, WHO chose to parrot the Chinese Communist Party official state propaganda.

      US Senator Rick Scott is calling for a Congressional investigation into the WHO’s ties to China: https://www.nationalreview.com/news/coronavirus-china-rick-scott-demands-investigation-of-china-world-health-organization-ties/

      Japan’s Deputy Prime Minister has suggested WHO should be renamed CHO: https://nationalfile.com/video-japanese-vice-pm-says-who-should-be-renamed-chinese-health-organization/

      It has already been clearly seen over a period of several months that WHO is operating as a propaganda mouthpiece for the CCP.

      This interview with Dr Aylward is just one example.

      Reply
      • April 5, 2020 at 11:10 am
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        Listen to some of the complete interviews by Dr Aylward. You may have a more informed opinion about the Pandemic and Dr Aylward’s professionalism and contribution. For example: https://youtu.be/UyG9Y3O1W8E

        Reply
    • April 9, 2020 at 8:40 am
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      I beg to differ with you he has aided the CCP in spreading disinformation.There are still people dying in china due to the totalitarian regimes lies,and disinformation.The CHO (Chinese Health Organization) let’s call who for what it really is has by their irresponsibility and inaction has caused a worldwide pandemic and has even caused a world leader (Boris Johnson) to be put into ICU with this virus.I hope Trump defunds the CHO and pulls the U.S out of it.After this is over I hope the CCP is overthrown and the member and their familes face the same fate as Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu because after all the CCP has killed over 100 million in 70 plus years do you really think they care about your and your country?

      Reply
  • April 5, 2020 at 6:21 am
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    I am sure that this is the same doctor who praised China and said, “if I get sick, I hope to be treated in China”
    Anyone who can lie and rudely terminate an interview whilst keeping a poker face cannot be trusted.

    Reply
    • April 5, 2020 at 7:58 pm
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      Dr Aylward would prefer to be treated in the place that had the most experience in dealing with an illness. Geneva was not experiened in managing the condition – nor were most western health systems. There are benefits that come with experience. There is more to treating the effects of thithan grabbing the nearest ventilator.

      Consider instead, the points made by Dr Aylward in interviews designed to understand COVID 19. For example:
      https://time.com/5805368/will-coronavirus-go-away-world-health-organization/?playlistVideoId=6143947821001

      There is not much to be gained in trying to understand this Pandemic as a search for heroes and villains.

      Reply
    • April 5, 2020 at 8:12 pm
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      Dr Aylward told me on his way home that if he contracted the infection he would prefer to be treated in the place that had the most experience in dealing with it. Geneva was not experienced in managing the condition – nor were most western health systems. There are benefits that come with experience. There is more to it than grabbing the nearest ventilator.

      Consider instead, the points made by Dr Aylward in interviews designed to understand COVID 19. For example:
      https://time.com/5805368/will-coronavirus-go-away-world-health-organization/?playlistVideoId=6143947821001

      There is not much to be gained in trying to understand this Pandemic as a search for heroes and villains.

      (For what it matters, the interviewer exceeded the scope of the agreed upon topics for the interview. Good manners do not require a professional physician to continue an interview that is designed to embarrass him or draw him into aa geopolitical issue outside his mandate.)

      Reply
    • April 5, 2020 at 8:16 pm
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      Dr Aylward told me on his way home that if he contracted the infection he would prefer to be treated in the place that had the most experience in dealing with it. Geneva was not experienced in managing the condition – nor were most western health systems. There are benefits that come with experience. There is more to it than grabbing the nearest ventilator.

      Consider instead, the points made by Dr Aylward in interviews designed to understand COVID 19. For example:
      https://time.com/5805368/will-coronavirus-go-away-world-health-organization/?playlistVideoId=6143947821001

      There is not much to be gained in trying to understand this Pandemic as a search for heroes and villains.

      The interviewer exceeded the scope of the agreed upon topics for the interview. Good manners do not require a professional physician to continue an interview that is designed to embarrass him or draw him into aa geopolitical issue outside his mandate.

      Reply
    • April 5, 2020 at 9:21 pm
      Permalink

      Dr Aylward told me on his way home that if he contracted the infection he would prefer to be treated in the place that had the most experience in dealing with it. Geneva was not experienced in managing the condition – nor were most western health systems. There are benefits that come with experience. There is more to it than grabbing the nearest ventilator.

      Consider instead, the points made by Dr Aylward in interviews designed to understand COVID 19. For example:
      https://time.com/5805368/will-coronavirus-go-away-world-health-organization/?playlistVideoId=6143947821001

      There is not much to be gained in trying to understand this Pandemic as a search for heroes and villains.

      The interviewer appeared to intentionally exceed the scope of the agreed upon topics for the interview. Good manners do not require a professional physician to continue an interview that is designed to embarrass him or draw him into a geopolitical issue outside his mandate.

      Reply
  • April 5, 2020 at 8:15 pm
    Permalink

    Dr Aylward told me on his way home that if he contracted the infection he would prefer to be treated in the place that had the most experience in dealing with it. Geneva was not experienced in managing the condition – nor were most western health systems. There are benefits that come with experience. There is more to it than grabbing the nearest ventilator.

    Consider instead, the points made by Dr Aylward in interviews designed to understand COVID 19. For example:
    https://time.com/5805368/will-coronavirus-go-away-world-health-organization/?playlistVideoId=6143947821001

    There is not much to be gained in trying to understand this Pandemic as a search for heroes and villains.

    The interviewer exceeded the scope of the agreed upon topics for the interview. Good manners do not require a professional physician to continue an interview that is designed to embarrass him or draw him into aa geopolitical issue outside his mandate.

    Reply

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