Looks like the WHO may need to recognize Taiwan... that should make Beijing flip out.
Critics say fighting the coronavirus has become secondary as U.S. seeks to hamstring the World Health Organization, turning it into a 2020 election issue along…
foreignpolicy.com
China has some hard times coming, we (world) knows it and so does China. I hope they are not as belligerent as they have shown themselves to be, especially in 1989.
The political climate is darkening. “China is experiencing the most sustained domestic political crackdown since Tiananmen Square.”
The country has become repressive in a way that it has not been since the Cultural Revolution. What does its darkening political climate—and growing belligerence—mean for the United States?
www.theatlantic.com
I'll throw this in the bucket just for good measure.
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www.dailytelegraph.com.au
Do you actually read the articles you post or do you just practice selective reading and read between the lines?
I have the utmost respect for Foreign Policy (I used to have a subscription). It's actually one of the most trusted publications among members of the foreign service (ie. State Department). Anyway, I read the entirety of that article and had you read it too, you'll realize that the article is actually critical of the Trump administration's decision to focus on finding foreign culprits to blame instead of prioritizing fighting the actual virus. Any talk of China in that article is actually peripheral.
As for the Atlantic (also another publication I admire). The article dates back to 2016 and advocates the US undergoing a reassessment of it's China policy (I agree with that) and not (as I think you're implying) some kind of confrontational reckoning. If you're misusing a 4 year old article to back up what YOU think we should do with China because of their mishandling of Covid19, you're doing it wrong.
As for that last story, ah as a matter of fact I've actually been following it closely. It came up on my radar because of it's explosive and unsubstantiated claims. That story is from the Daily Telegraph, a TABLOID paper that is owned by Rupert Murdoch. According to the Daily Telegraph, the 'Coronavirus Dossier' is supposedly drafted by the 'Five Eyes'. The 'Five Eyes' have actually
contradicted the validity or even the existence of this dossier. I did some scouring on the interwebs and couldn't find even a lick that would point me towards this dossier. A dossier that supposedly only the Daily Telegraph has possession of. If you can find me a PDF copy of this dossier in it's ENTIRETY (because surprise..Daily Telegraph won't provide me with one), I'll gladly swallow my pride and stand down.
Listen. I'm no China apologist. I distrust China, their
influence in my country, and there are things being done there that I find detestable (ie the treatment of Uyghurs in XInjiang). That said, my academic background is actually this very topic (Sino-US Relations, Security Studies, International Relations, Comparative Politics) and this is not the way to handle things. I don't claim to be an expert in this area but I'm no layman either. You'll forgive me when I say I take stories on these issues very seriously, I don't take what I see at face value. Oh I'm fluent in Mandarin too. Funny enough I'm also pro-Taiwan (I'm probably the only person in this community that speaks Taiwanese). You may say I have a unique perspective to all this.
Having said that you need to realize several irrefutable things.
1) China is a Superpower in all but name. They have the population, the economy, and the military (including a Nuclear Arsenal).
2) China's economy will overtake that of the US within the next 10 years
3) China is the biggest foreign holder of US Debt.
4) Because of the above, China needs to be handled carefully. This isn't some poor Middle Eastern country to beat up. You're looking at a country that's your equal and potentially even your superior.
The point I'm trying to make is that people need to calm down. Incessant China bashing helps no one and veers us off course from the original point of this thread. Any potential conflict between the United States and China is one where NOBODY will walk away unscathed. Yes China should be contained but we need to be EXTREMELY careful. You know, use diplomacy. The notion that jingoism is the way to handle China needs to be dismissed. Currently all the saber rattling from this administration has gotten
China responding in kind and it's frightening. In a way you're only reinforcing the CCP because they can use the threat of 'foreigners' as a justification to have their citizens close ranks and fall in line.
For all our sake, I hope the powers that be back down from this no win scenario. What I do fear is that all this nonsense was concocted for the sake of domestic politics in which case it's ridiculously irresponsible. Cooler heads MUST prevail.
Colddog, you have a Fallout photo as your avatar. Do you really wanna see a US/China conflict? One where there are only losers and no winners?
