German children’s book pulped over ‘China virus’ claim

A German publisher has pulped copies of a children’s book that said that the coronavirus originated in China, following a barrage of criticism from Chinese diplomats and parents.

The picture book, A Corona Rainbow for Anna and Moritz, was released last summer to help younger children understand the changes the pandemic was bringing to their lives. It was based on scientific advice from a tropical medicine institute in Hamburg.

At one point in the book, Anna and Moritz’s father says: “The virus comes from China and has spread out from there across the whole world.”

The first cases of Covid-19 were detected in Wuhan, China, 15 months ago but Beijing argues there is no evidence that the virus itself first arose in China and has sought to discredit terms such as the “Chinese virus”.

Over the past week the Hamburg-based Carlsen publishing house, previously best known for selling the German versions of the Tintin comics and the Harry Potter novels, has been swamped with complaints from Chinese people living in Germany.

A series of one-star reviews posted on the book’s Amazon page, some using the same phrases, accused the authors of “spreading racism among children in Germany”. The Chinese consulate in Hamburg said it had lodged “stern representations” with the publisher.

Carlsen apologised and said that it had withdrawn the book. “The statement on the origins of the virus that a child encounters in the book reflected the state of the reporting at the time,” it said. “We wouldn’t put it that way today. If the phrases have hurt the feelings of any of our readers, we are very sorry. This wasn’t what we intended and we apologise to those affected.

“The copies that are still available will be destroyed. We have asked for the next edition to be corrected.”

The destruction of the book is a small victory for Beijing in its campaign to deflect blame for the global pandemic.

A World Health Organisation mission investigated the source of the virus but found no conclusive evidence that it had come from China. It said the virus probably jumped from an animal to humans but could not specify how, when or where that jump occurred.

China has suggested that responsibility may lie elsewhere. One of its diplomats accused the US military of bringing the virus to Wuhan, although no evidence was provided.