I want to keep a couple things separate:
#1 COVID19 the virus and our response, vs. the response by other govt.'s including the Chinese govt.
#2 China (the people) vs. the Chinese govt.
Without going into much detail, over the last 30 years, we have watched the biggest tech and wealth transfer in the history of the world, as the Chinese govt. has systematically and very planfully tried any and every means possible (ranging from legal to illegal) to get hold of our technology.
The worst part is, we've been watching them do it, and in many ways, making it easier for them! The Chinese govt. very artfully leverages its money and influence to get what they want from US corporations, and the US govt. doesn't really ever coordinate a long-term strategy or response, or stick to one. (I'm pointing out how corporations are prostituting themselves willingly, but China is also artfully spreading money at universities, think-tanks, and using other avenues in the US). And of course, they are doing this all over the world, google their Silk Road initiative, if you haven't.
Here's a prime example: About 30 years ago, the Chinese govt. made a direct copy of a Boeing 707....you'd think Boeing would to make sure that their trade secrets would be kept away from them, but NO, Boeing then turns around and makes deals with the Chinese govt. to start manufacturing aircraft in China and basically hands over the IP and ways to manufacture aircraft. Deals like this have been happening with many, many corporations in virtually every industry.
And of course, being in Australia, you have likely directly seen how China bullies other countries around the South China Sea...for all the trade dealing we do, they are still pretty nasty.
It would be nice to have a coordinated, long-term response to what the Chinese govt. has been doing...this is the best, most thoughtful discussion I've seen in a while:
This report, written and endorsed by a group of this country’s leading China specialists and students of one-party systems is the result of more than a year of research and represents an attempt to document the extent of China’s expanding influence operations inside the United States. While...
www.hoover.org
There is a YT video where they discuss the report as well, just search for the terms above...
I'm always careful to distinguish the Chinese people from the Chinese govt., because their people are victims of their govt. as well...I think the example of the doctor who tried to sound the alarm about COVID19 and was arrested by the Wuhan authorities is a great example:
On December 30, Li Wenliang dropped a bombshell in his medical school alumni group on the popular Chinese messaging app WeChat: seven patients from a local seafood market had been diagnosed with a SARS-like illness and quarantined in his hospital.
www.cnn.com
Western society could leverage our strengths and try to exert more influence with China, but we seem to just ignore that, or be unaware...since our goals seem to be quarterly profits for corporations.
I guess the TL;DR is, we've been watching them do this for 30 years, and yep! we are still watching them do it. Now, we also have the added distraction of COVID19....