This is a linkpost for /r/discussion/lw/nzi/80_of_data_in_chinese_clinical_trials_have_been/
The article misses the point. It doesn't talk about the significance of the story.
A better headline might be "The Chinese government decided that it's in their interest to be public about data fabrication by Chinese scientists."
Given that this comes right after the Chinese government decides that it makes sense to reduce red meat consumption in China, it's a sign of progress and good Chinese leadership.
I assume the Chinese government can't just deprive its citizens of legal medicine altogether. Either (1) enough things remain approved and enough new things keep being approved to satisfy the market for the really important remedies. Or (2) the rich will import European/American/Japanese/etc. approved medicine (which I've heard they already do to a large extent), and the poor will buy unauthorized local medicine on the black market (or unauthorized supposed imports), and be worse off than today.
But if you declare >80% of local medicine bad, and also cre...