Gao Fu’s Plan to Fight ‘Inforus’ with Science Literacy

Battling the Viral Spread of Misinformation

Imagine misinformation as a contagious virus. That’s how Gao Fu, former director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, frames today’s "inforus" crisis. At the 2025 Zhongguancun Forum, the scientist-turned-publisher warned: "When pandemics strike, we fight two viruses – biological and informational."

Science Journals as 'Truth Filters'

Gao shared how COVID-19 exposed flaws in information sharing – from politicized data removal to viral preprint rumors. His solution? Strengthen peer-reviewed journals: "They’re not for the public, but for experts to debate ideas." Through his journals like Protein & Cell, he aims to boost China’s role in shaping global science narratives.

Literacy = Vaccine Against Fake News

Gao’s prescription? "Read science books – it’s social vaccination," he told CGTN. The author of 12+ popular science books since 2018 added: "Our brains evolved to share juicy gossip. That’s why fighting 'inforus' needs global teamwork – like tracking virus variants."

China’s Journal Boom

Beijing now hosts 292 English-language science journals – 54% of China’s total. Elsevier executive Anders Karlsson noted: "China publishes more journals than any country, including the U.S." For Gao, this represents progress: "We’ve shifted from contributing papers to leading global conversations."

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Gao Fu: Science literacy a vaccination against the 'inforus'

cgtn.com