At the 2025 Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing, Gao Fu, the editor-in-chief of the "Chinese Science Bulletin (in Chinese)" and "Science Bulletin," delivered a keynote speech that challenged the role of scientific journals in our rapidly evolving world. Haunted by the question, "Do we still need scientific journals in the 21st century?", which lingered throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Gao shared his vision to counteract the spread of dangerous misinformation.
Gao recalled a striking pandemic episode: the U.S. CDC abruptly removed avian flu data from public platforms following a Trump-administration executive order. At the same time, preprint platforms became rife with unverified claims—such as assertions that SARS-CoV-2 contained HIV-like sequences based on minimal amino acid similarities. These instances, he warned, illustrated the emergence of what he calls the "inforus," a mutating form of misinformation that spreads like a virus.
To combat this modern threat, Gao advocates for strengthening peer-reviewed journals as essential truth filters. He explained that a robust public understanding of science acts like a vaccination, protecting society from the twin perils of biological viruses and infodemics. Over the past six years, he has published two to three books annually, bridging the gap between experts and the public with accessible scientific insights.
A pioneer in scientific publishing, Gao founded three international journals—Protein & Cell, China CDC Weekly, and hLife—which symbolize a significant shift as China moves from being a mere contributor to a producer of global scientific discourse. As of 2024, Beijing hosted 292 English-language sci-tech journals, representing 54 percent of the national total. According to a statistical report by the Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (ISTIC), the country maintained its global leadership in influential scientific papers, high-quality international publications, and citations.
Gao's call for enhanced data sharing, policy collaboration, and global cooperation resonates with professionals, policymakers, and curious citizens alike. His message underscores that addressing global public health challenges requires a united effort to prevent not only biological outbreaks but also the insidious spread of the "inforus."
Reference(s):
Gao Fu: Science literacy a vaccination against the 'inforus'
cgtn.com
