QUESTION: China’s #COVID19 debacle, including accusations it started in the US and Europe, has serious repercussions. Has the US and Europe turned their backs on China? Andreas Kluth, @andreaskluth columnist for Bloomberg Opinion has the answer. 
ANSWER: “If 2019 was the year when Europeans began having serious doubts about Beijing’s geopolitical intentions, 2020 may go down in history as the moment they turned against China in defiance.
That’s not because they blame the Chinese for originating Covid-19, as U.S. President Donald Trump and his secretary of state seem obsessed with doing.
It’s because China, by trying to capitalize on the pandemic with a stunningly unsophisticated propaganda campaign, inadvertently showed Europeans its cynicism.
The motivation behind the Chinese propaganda is obvious enough:
The motivation behind the Chinese propaganda is obvious enough:
With the U.S. flailing under Trump, Beijing sees an opening to finally rise to the status of a second superpower. The biggest geopolitical prize in this contest is the European Union,
formerly anchored securely in the transatlantic camp but in recent years increasingly nervous about Trump and open to Chinese trade, investment and influence.
As the pandemic’s epicenter moved from Wuhan to European countries such as Italy and Spain,
As the pandemic’s epicenter moved from Wuhan to European countries such as Italy and Spain,
China initially had the right idea. Starting in mid-March, it sent Europe big shipments of face masks and other medical equipment, adorned with Chinese flags. Some of this gear turned out to be shoddy, but people saw it as a nice gesture.
China could have stopped at “mask diplomacy” and come out ahead.
It didn’t. Bejing’s minions instead began spreading disinformation, apparently intended to paint the EU’s democracies as effete and authoritarian China as comparatively strong.
It didn’t. Bejing’s minions instead began spreading disinformation, apparently intended to paint the EU’s democracies as effete and authoritarian China as comparatively strong.
In France, the Chinese embassy posted on its website a wild accusation that French retirement homes leave old people to die.
In Italy, Chinese sock puppets disseminated tales that the coronavirus had in fact originated in Europe, or doctored video clips to show Romans playing the Chinese anthem in gratitude.
In Germany, Chinese diplomats (unsuccessfully) urged government officials to heap public praise on China...”
Read more: bloomberg.com/amp/opinion/ar…
More about Andreas Kluth here: andreaskluth.org
Read more: bloomberg.com/amp/opinion/ar…
More about Andreas Kluth here: andreaskluth.org
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