Hello viewers, welcome to “Epoch Focus”. What are the major events worth paying attention to today?
Today’s focus: Five years have passed, the epidemic has not ended, and the truth is still hidden; Economic turmoil drives gold frenzy, mainland Chinese people’s sense of crisis rises; Return to faith! Trump establishes Faith Office.
On February 7th, it marked the 5th anniversary of the death of Dr. Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist at the Central Hospital in Wuhan. Dr. Li was one of the first medical personnel to disclose the existence of the virus at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, earning him the title of “whistleblower”. He unfortunately passed away at the age of 34 after being infected with the virus.
Despite Dr. Li Wenliang’s death five years ago, the epidemic in mainland China has not disappeared. Some netizens claim that the epidemic has resurged, hospitals and funeral homes are overcrowded, yet authorities continue to choose to conceal the situation.
On the anniversary of Dr. Li Wenliang’s death, many netizens left messages mourning him on his Weibo account.
A netizen commented: “It’s been five years, brother, how are things over there? I feel more sad by the day.”
Another netizen expressed: “Five years have passed, we still remember and cherish your bravery and righteousness, and cannot forget the sadness and absurdity of the three-year epidemic…”
In addition to online commemorations, many people overseas have held commemorative events. Meanwhile, people in various parts of China have revealed to reporters that the epidemic has not ended but rather seen a new peak of infections. However, authorities remain silent, even blocking relevant information.
Ms. Xu from Shenyang said that before and after the Chinese New Year, the epidemic broke out again. Many people thought it was just a common cold, but it quickly deteriorated into “white lung”, causing deaths within three to five days. She revealed that hospitals are overwhelmed, the emergency department is packed with patients, and it is common to see ambulances transporting critically ill patients on the streets, yet authorities are concealing the epidemic.
Mr. Cai from Zhengzhou stated that he was repeatedly banned and censored for posting about people around him being infected on social media. He said, “Before and after the Chinese New Year, hospitals are overwhelmed again. Now they don’t let you mention COVID-19, any news unfavorable to the government is blocked and suppressed. Doctors say it’s the flu, but it’s actually COVID-19. People around me frequently suffer heart attacks, strokes, and sudden deaths. My mother just passed away.”
Some people believe that the current epidemic is related to the vaccines introduced by the Chinese government. These vaccines not only fail to provide protection but also weaken people’s immunity, making them more susceptible to infections.
Mr. Shao from Xuchang, Henan, mentioned that his uncle died from white lung, originally being in good health but deteriorated after receiving the vaccine. He said, “He received the vaccine two years ago, got white lung last year, and passed away this year. Many people have died during this period, and the crematorium is full because there are more people dying from post-vaccination complications.”
An employee of a state-owned enterprise in Chaohu City, Anhui province, Mr. Zhang Wei (alias), mentioned that many people in the area have been infected, with severe symptoms, hospitals are overwhelmed, diagnoses are mostly of the flu, but the efficacy of drugs is limited. He pointed out that there are many middle-aged people passing away, with several employees in their forties and fifties suddenly dying at the factory every month.
张伟 revealed that although they are just a small city near Hefei, many people have died, funeral homes are full, and red envelopes are required to cremate the remains. He said the sound of mourning is heard from early morning until dusk every day, with smoke constantly rising from the crematorium. Since the relaxation of control measures for the COVID-19 epidemic, this situation has persisted for three to four years.
Mr. Li from Beijing mentioned that during the three-year epidemic control period, local governments forced people to get vaccinated, resulting in many people suffering from various aftereffects. He said, “A neighbor of mine died a few days ago. He was 53 and in good health but became weak after getting vaccinated. The vaccines had a particularly severe impact on heart function. A former colleague of mine, aged 43, fell ill after vaccination and passed away about seven months later. What’s even more terrifying is that those who have died recently are young people. I know two people who deteriorated rapidly, fell ill, and passed away. This phenomenon is becoming more common.”
Mr. Li further remarked that many places’ crematoriums are full, cremations need appointments, and censorship is particularly strict. Photography and videos are not allowed at funeral homes.
Mr. Li stated that it is clear that before the COVID-19 vaccine, there were not as many severe patients, but after vaccination, there was a sudden increase in cases. Many elderly people had died earlier, but now even young people can’t handle it. He said, “When the official promotion of vaccines was taking place, some so-called experts were promoting them to society. In reality, it was all government manipulation behind the scenes, and a large part of the population was misled and deceived. Many actors from the entertainment industry were particularly active in getting vaccinated, and after a few received the shots, they deteriorated.”
On February 2nd, Taiwanese artist Dee Hsu passed away. Several Taiwanese media outlets reported that Dee Hsu died from white lung. Netizens disclosed that Dee Hsu had received a total of six vaccine shots, with three of those being booster shots from Sinovac, which compromised her immunity.
Mr. Li frankly stated that the vaccine is now showing its side effects slowly, which is a terrifying situation. Objectively speaking, he believes that this is a form of mass slaughter by the government using administrative means, as they are killing the people.
Alright, that wraps up the discussion on the epidemic. Next, let’s turn our attention to the gold market.
There is an old saying in China, “In prosperous times, ancient artifacts; in troubled times, gold.” This saying holds some truth, as with the current economic downturn in mainland China and the volatile international situation, the possibility of a trade war looms. In this environment, many people opt to buy gold as a way to hedge against risks.
According to Reuters, at the beginning of 2025, the price of gold has been continuously rising. As of around 2 pm on February 7th, the spot price of gold this week surged by over 2%, reaching as high as $2,861 per ounce.
Analysts point out that a combination of factors like geopolitical conflicts, inflation, and fears of a trade war have made gold once again a significant hedge asset for global investors, leading to a continuous rise in international gold prices.
Compared to the international market, the Chinese economy is even more unstable, driving a higher demand for gold among its people, resulting in higher prices.
On February 5th, the World Gold Council released a report stating that in 2024, China’s demand for gold bars and coins reached 336 tons, a 20% increase from 2023, setting a record high in nearly a decade. At the same time, gold prices saw a significant increase of about 28%.
As reported by Voice of America, during the New Year period in 2025, prices of Chinese gold ornaments hit new highs. By February 5th, the price of Chinese gold jewelry had risen to 872 yuan per gram.
In a post on Weibo by the financial account “China News Axis,” it was announced that the price of gold jewelry had increased by 11 yuan per gram overnight, attracting a large number of netizens’ attention.
A netizen commented, “I got married last year, and I found 628 yuan expensive, and later bought it for over 660 yuan. The continuous surge is truly frightening.”
Another netizen jokingly said, “No wonder in TV shows when the son is getting married, the mother takes out the gold jewelry she wore at her wedding and says it’s a family heirloom given by the mother-in-law, because buying new ones is too expensive now!”
Liu Zhihao, a senior executive at a foreign company in Beijing, mentioned that about twenty years ago, when he bought gold, it was just over a hundred yuan per gram; now it’s over eight hundred, skyrocketing. He believes that the ongoing wars, inflation, and other circumstances have left people unsettled, causing much panic, and motivating many to store some gold to safeguard against risks. With more people thinking this way, demand increases, naturally driving up the gold prices.
A netizen mentioned having some spare money and wanting to invest but being afraid to put it into the stock market. He expressed that compared to other countries, China’s stock market is manipulated, with too much opacity and uncertainty. For ordinary people, the risks are too great, so they can only invest in gold to preserve value. However, he cautioned that when buying gold, one must confirm the authenticity of the purchased gold, even if bought from a bank. He gave an example of a reported incident where a person purchased gold bars from a bank years ago, and upon trying to cash it in during a financial crisis, was informed that the gold was fake.
David Hammond, a senior economist in mineral economics from Colorado, U.S., believes that the main reason for the rise in gold prices comes from trade wars. He explained that the biggest reason for the surge in gold prices is due to people’s fear of inflation. Currently, people are more afraid of the outbreak of trade wars. Once the U.S. dollar strengthens, the Chinese yuan will devalue, and purchasing gold can help mitigate the risk of asset depreciation.
Previously, Professor Xie Tian from the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina, in an interview, stated that the Chinese people lack confidence in the Chinese Communist Party’s sovereign currency. Amid the current economic turmoil, they opt to buy gold, reflecting a traditional practice among the Chinese. He noted that even the Chinese government is investing in gold because they are aware that they have printed too much currency, devaluing the Renminbi. Unfortunately, Chinese state-owned banks seem to be selling counterfeit gold. This situation is quite critical and must be approached with caution.
Alright, that’s it for the discussion on gold. Now, let’s move on to an international news item.
On February 7th, U.S. President Trump signed an executive order to establish a Faith Office in the White House, aimed at enhancing the capabilities of faith entities. According to this executive order, the White House Faith Office will “authorize faith entities, community organizations, and places of worship to better serve families and communities.”
Since becoming the President of the United States, Trump has been dedicated to restoring faith in God. On February 6th, during the National Prayer Breakfast held in the Capitol, he delivered a speech. He mentioned that after surviving two assassination attempts last year, he became even more convinced of the power of God, urging the American people to “Bring God Back.”
Trump stated, “From the inception of the United States, faith in God has been the source of strength in the hearts of our nation’s people. We must bring religion back, we must strengthen religious faith; it has been the biggest problem we have faced for a very long time. I truly believe that without religion, without faith, you cannot find happiness. Let us re-faith religion, let us bring God back into our lives.”
He recounted the assassination attempt he faced at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania last year, where a bullet narrowly missed taking his life. He said, “I feel that incident changed some things about me. I feel stronger. I believed in God before, but now I feel even more strong in my faith in God.”
In his closing remarks, Trump emphasized that religious faith can bring people together. He said, “So let us re-faith religion, let us bring God back into our lives again.”
Some commentators view Trump’s actions as an effort to bring America back to its traditions. They referred to the establishment of a new constitutional republic through the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. The Declaration of Independence clarified the relationship between the Creator and humanity, explicitly outlined the unalienable rights granted by the Creator, and highlighted the principles for setting up a government to protect these rights. The U.S. Constitution, based on the social contract theory in the Declaration of Independence, specified the terms and systems governing government operations. The U.S. Constitution perfectly guaranteed the religious freedom proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence. These two documents made the U.S. the most powerful country globally.
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– The production team of “Epoch Focus”