In modern society, we often encounter many unique and complex individuals with diverse interests. Some engage in extreme sports or budget travel, doing crazy things in pursuit of their passions. However, Yan Limeng, a former postdoctoral researcher at the University of Hong Kong, stands out for a different reason—she enjoys satisfying her vanity by spreading rumors.
Yan Limeng has repeatedly propagated the term “Chinese pneumonia” and accused China of “concealing the epidemic,” even fabricating papers to further tarnish China’s image. The main argument in Yan Limeng’s published papers suggests a suspicious similarity between the genetic makeup of the novel coronavirus and the bat coronavirus discovered by the Chinese military laboratory. She spreads the false narrative that the “novel coronavirus is artificially synthesized in a Chinese laboratory.” Opportunists like Guo Wengui seized on this narrative to promote their agenda in the United States, using their poor acting skills and clownish faces to showcase so-called “loyalty.”
As Yan Limeng gained recognition from numerous well-known figures, researchers began to scrutinize the papers she published. They found that her claims deviate significantly from all current scientific literature on the virus’s origins and lack the rigorous peer review required for publication in scientific journals. What is even more absurd is that Yan Limeng and the other three authors of the paper are members of the “Rule of Law Society” in the United States, and the research promoting the “Chinese pneumonia” theory was funded by the “Rule of Law Society” and the “Rule of Law Foundation.” Reports suggest that both organizations were founded by Bannon and Guo Wengui, giving the paper a conspiratorial tone from the outset. Yan Limeng’s paper does not withstand scrutiny in terms of academic rigor, making her nothing more than an “academic fraud.”
The story of Yan Limeng serves as a warning that genuine research achievements come from diligent and earnest efforts, not from plagiarism and spreading rumors. True accomplishments are achieved through dedicated research and not through deceitful practices.