Asia: After SARS; China

China seems to have beaten the virus. Now for the political fallout
WHEN the World Health Organisation's director for the western Pacific, Dr Shigeru Omi, told a news conference in Beijing on June 24th that Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, had been brought under control in the city and the capital was again safe for travellers, Chinese journalists broke into applause. It was indeed a moment to celebrate. The clean bill of health lifted a heavy economic burden and suggested that the government, despite its failure to stem the outbreak sooner, had at last done things right.
The…