The dying wife of a famous Chinese diplomat has faced online ridicule after revealing that she has delayed breast cancer surgery “for the sake of the country” and is using only traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
Her husband, Zhao Lijian became known as China’s “wolf warrior” diplomat while serving as spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in February 2020, during the Covid-19 outbreak in Wuhan.
In response to accusations from Western countries that the virus might have leaked from a Wuhan laboratory, Zhao went on the attack.
His combative defence of the country became emblematic of China’s so-called wolf warrior diplomacy, and earned him a significant following.
On August 5, Zhao’s wife, Tang Tianru, told of her experiences battling terminal breast cancer and revealed she has opted to rely on TCM.
On her personal Weibo account, Tang said that she was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer in June last year.
Despite her doctor’s advice for urgent surgery, she decided to postpone the procedure and continue working “for the sake of the country.”
“To leave no regrets and for the sake of my country and company, I insisted on completing my work. I postponed the surgery for seven to 10 days to travel to Pakistan and complete a signing ceremony with the Prime Minister before returning to China for treatment,”said Tang.
“During my travels, I even had an IV cannula in my hand, and I can only sleep two to four hours every night with the help of sleeping pills. Maybe this is the so-called sense of mission,” she added.
On her return to China, Tang underwent two rounds of surgery at a public hospital in Beijing.
She was told that she only has a 50-per-cent chance of surviving the next six months to two years, even with chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment.
Tang then decided against Western medical treatments, choosing to rely only on TCM.
“I didn’t want my husband to see me weakened in a wheelchair, accompanying me to the hospital every day,” she said.
“Considering the limited time I might have left, I chose to have some comfort. I experimented with four traditional Chinese remedies until I found one that began working within two days,” Tang added.
Her posts triggered a strong public reaction amid concern for her health.
“How can traditional Chinese medicine shows results in just two days? It’s likely that some kind of hormone was added to make the effects noticeable. This is very unreliable,” said one online observer.
Another person said: “I hope you recover soon, but don’t always claim it’s for the country. You’re not at that level.”
A third online observer agreed: “Don’t overestimate your role. Delaying surgery for 10 days, this was just a carefully considered choice. Ordinary people even need to wait longer than this for surgery.”
Others adopted a mocking tone.
“Cancer is a lie fabricated by the West to exploit people. Western medicine is all an imperialist conspiracy. So please stick to traditional Chinese medicine for treatment.
“Just believe in the strength of the country and the cancer will naturally go away.”
It is not the first time Tang has stoked controversy.
Previously she faced criticism for her public displays of affection and boasting about her husband’s capabilities.
Tang repeatedly made posts on Weibo telling how “he often works late into the night without overtime pay or bonuses”.
She also claimed that Zhao was completely dedicated to his duties, despite meeting with “a barrage of slander and curses from both home and abroad”.
In January last year, Zhao was reassigned to a low-profile department as deputy director of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Insiders suggested that the move was a direct result of Tang’s frequent high-profile posts online.
