Opinion: In ramping up diplomatic pressure, China is trying to control the narrative of the pandemic
Since the start of the pandemic, however, Beijing has ramped up its efforts in a way that sets a new standard in scale and timing. Chinese diplomats have spread claims that the virus originated in Italy and attempted to make German policymakers applaud China’s crisis management. In France, Chinese diplomats have ridiculed the ability of liberal democracies to respond to the emergency.
And yet, instead of making strategic use of Europe’s cooperative stance, Beijing’s aggressive, ham-fisted and sometimes outright inept campaign to stamp out any hint of criticism has irritated policymakers from Paris to The Hague, Brussels and Berlin. In this sequence of events, the crisis has exposed massive challenges China had swept under the rug of economic growth for decades: authoritarian overreach, economic inequality, local debt, and deficiencies in the social and health care system, to name just a few.in February, President Xi Jinping is following the party’s tradition of burying the truth to solidify its leadership. But as the virus spread around the world, burying the truth in nationalist domestic propaganda became more difficult.
Europe, in this scenario, is to a degree collateral damage in the bigger struggle between these two global powers — a struggle in which Europe will not be neutral, as Beijing sees it, but will necessarily take Washington’s side.The final option is that Beijing is simply taking a calculated risk. China’s shift into offense, the thinking here goes, comes at a time of European weakness.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
China's EU ambassador urges Europe to agree to new economic ties despite calls for coronavirus probeZhang Ming argued that EU-China diplomatic and economic ties are even more important given the turmoil wrought by the coronavirus pandemic.
Read more »
Fact-checking 'Mrs. America': Jill Ruckelshaus and Schlafly's evangelical alliesThis 'Mrs. America' episode revisits a political sex scandal that has been somewhat forgotten 'because, well, who can keep track of them all?'
Read more »
The Best Movies and TV Shows Coming to Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime, and Hulu in MayCrazy Rich Asians, Contagion, BlacKkKlansman, and Avatar: The Last Airbender are just a few of the great titles coming to streaming this month.
Read more »
China reports two new coronavirus cases, 20 new asymptomatic casesChina reported 2 new coronavirus cases for May 5 and 20 new asymptomatic cases, data from the national health authority showed on Wednesday.
Read more »
Outsourcing America's drug manufacturing to China was a mistake—a lethal one | OpinionThere is growing bipartisan agreement that we need to bring pharmaceutical production back home. But one enormous hurdle remains.
Read more »
New Hollywood Podcast: Laura Harrier On Inspiration Behind ‘Hollywood’ Character And Quarantine Snacking HabitsActress Laura Harrier said that Ryan Murphy merged fact and fiction to create a world of “faction” for his Netflix series Hollywood. In it, Harrier plays the character of Camille, a fic…
Read more »