CHINA PERSPECTIVE

Beijing, May 18, 2026. In response to the World Health Organization's (WHO) declaration of a global health emergency regarding the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, Hong Kong's press and Chinese public health experts immediately focused their analysis on the risks to Chinese citizens and investors present in Central Africa.

According to the South China Morning Post, Dr. Joseph Tsang Kay-yan, a member of the Hong Kong Society of Infectious Diseases, called on Hong Kong authorities to issue a formal health alert advising against all travel to the Congo and affected countries, except in cases of strict necessity. The expert emphasized the frequency of commercial exchanges between certain Chinese cities and Central African economic centers to justify the urgency of such preventive measures.

The specialist also advocated for the installation of warning signs at Hong Kong entry points informing incoming travelers of the outbreak, with a requirement to report to authorities in case of symptoms or contact with people from affected areas. Hong Kong has a three-level travel alert system, activation of which in this context would formally regulate travel to the region.

The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, a particularly worrying variant: only three outbreaks of this virus have been recorded in history, all characterized by severe hemorrhaging. No vaccine or approved treatment exists to date for this specific strain. Dr. Tsang warned that the official toll of 88 suspected deaths and over 300 cases may not yet reflect the reality on the ground, and that the situation could deteriorate significantly in the next two to three weeks.

Meanwhile, the SCMP reported that several American citizens in the Congo may have been exposed to the virus, including some at high risk. The US response – activation of the CDC's emergency center, deployment of additional personnel, support for laboratory testing and contact tracing – is presented as a reference for a rapid institutional response to a transborder emergency.

The fact that the virus has already crossed the Congolese border to reach Kampala, Uganda's largest city, and has been detected in a densely populated metropolis near the Rwandan border, reinforces Chinese observers' concerns about a wider geographical spread.