[1][2] One of the earliest instances of the term "sick man" being applied to China was in the January 5, 1863 edition of the Daily News in an article about the ongoing Taiping Rebellion.
[11] However, during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte, several commentators have argued that due to the slow growth of the economy and the administration's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippines has restored its "sick man" status.
[17] On February 3, 2020, The Wall Street Journal published an opinion piece by Walter Russell Mead regarding the COVID-19 epidemic entitled, China is the Real Sick Man of Asia.
[18] On February 19, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang issued a statement revoking the press credentials of three Wall Street Journal reporters and ordering their expulsion.
[19][20] The statement said the WSJ article "slandered" China's efforts in fighting COVID-19[21] and "used such [a] racially discriminatory title, triggering indignation and condemnation among the Chinese people and the international community.