Time for a global consensus to pull up China for the Pandemic

China has set his eyes on becoming the global numero uno. Rising to an enviable position of an economic superpower China steadily consolidated its strangle hold over the global supply chains. Till 2012, China largely adhered to Deng Xiaoping’s foreign policy of “bide your time and hide your strengths” postulated by Sun Tzu, Chinese master strategist. But President Xi revamped this strategy. Since his ascent to power, China catapulted itself to global leadership positions. It sought active role in BRICS paving way for creation of New Development Bank (NDB), energised SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation), launched BRI(Belt and Road Initiative), started AIIB (Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank) challenging the hegemony of the Western financial institutions and pursued unabated reclamation of the territorial features in South China Sea (SCS).

Despite three decades of stupendous economic rise and burgeoning global heft, China’s chequered history replete of lies, deception, subterfuge evokes suspicion. Shrouded by an aura of opacity, all its initiatives are perceived with scepticism. Roping 120 countries under the touted global connectivity-BRI, China stabilised its position as a global player. But barely years into BRI’s official launch, World agencies warned active BRI member countries of an imminent “debt trap” owing to Chinese mercantilist style of functioning. Unruffled by scepticism, China continued to flex muscles and increased its global foot print. By vehemently refusing to abide by the PCA (Permanent Court of Arbitration) verdict pertaining to territorial dispute in South China Sea (SCS), China disregarded international rules. China’s defiance and unrestrained aggression began to threaten region’s peace and stability. Dragon’s damning record on human rights violations and containment of over 1.5 million Uighur Muslims in detention camps raised serious doubts about its global aspirations. Fearing economic repercussions Muslim countries never brooked this issue. Curiously, China never faced any international indictment, for its preposterous activities. Dragon evaded censure at all global platforms. Smartly outwitting influential western powers, China slowly penetrated various intergovernmental organisations. It muzzled UNSC voice, stalled all discussions pertaining to human rights violations in Xinjiang.

As of 2019, China headed the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation), UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), UN Development Program (UNDP), the UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO). It eventually compelled UN Officials to endorse BRI as an initiative meant for supporting development under the tag line of “win-win cooperation” ². After the US scaled down funds to UN, China eventually emerged as pillar of UN Peacekeeping Force as well becoming the second largest contributor to the overall UN budget. Indeed, countries welcomed that China should be allowed to take leadership role at the UN which is dominated by Western nations. Asserting influence on the UN, China avoided any scrutiny on suppression on free press, freedom of speech and expression the basic minimum rights denied to its citizens.

Even China’s reputation of fudging numbers is a common knowledge. Its strategic use of bilateral trade, tourism as instruments of coercion are well known. But the latest addition to this dubious list is the massive coverup exercise and suppression of facts which led to eventual spread of Chinese Corona virus (CCV) to 168 countries. At the heart of global spread of CCV has been China’s disproportionate influence on the WHO (World Health Organisation), mandated with the task to eradicating the spread of communicable diseases.  

On January 23^rd when China has locked down Wuhan, WHO debated for a week to declare the CCV as Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHIEC).  On Jan 28^th, Director-General of WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus met President Xi and commended measures taken by Chinese government to curb the disease spread. By then, China has arrested several whistle blowers which included doctors who raised concerns about Chinese reprehensible measures. Finally, on Jan 30^th WHO, watch dog of global public health emergencies after much trepidation, declared CCV as PHIEC. By then the virus has spread to 18 countries and number of infections touched 7,781 cases.

Even as infections proliferated across the World, Tedros criticized countries like the US, Australia and Singapore which considered travel restrictions to contain the spread. He warned them against, “recrimination or politicization” of the outbreak. At a Munich Security Conference, he heaped praised on China for its swift action. Throughout Tedros acted as Chinese apologist. Tedros came under fire for his actions in 2017 for failing to investigate the outbreak of Cholera in Sudan, by terming it as “acute watery diarrhoea” putting thousands of lives under risk ¹⁸.

Experts recounted that Tedros actions were in sharp contrast to Dr. Bruntland who recommended against travel to China during 2003 SARS outbreak. Analysts say that those were different times as over years, WHO has become more reliant on voluntary contributions made by countries. Since 2003 China has increased its contributions enormously and gained tremendous influence. China is known to have supported Tedros candidature in DG elections. Tedros in turn has not only endorsed “One China Policy” but ever since ensured that Taiwan isn’t extended any invitation to join the World Health Assembly as Observer ⁴. From 2009-2016 Taiwan participated the event. After the election of President Tsai Ing-Wen a staunch advocate of an independent Taiwan, Taiwan was stripped from the Observer status. Handing out a clean chit to China despite the threatening Pandemic, WHO named viral outbreak caused by novel-Corona Virus (nCoV), as COVID-19 short name for “Corona Virus Disease 2019” on Feb 11^th. Citing the new guidelines set by FAO and World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), WHO nearly wiped off all the traces pandemic’s origin to China.  Apparently, China wielded extensive clout in both WHO and FAO.

Thanks to WHO’s inaction and an extended delay, world has lost precious time in curtailing viral spread in initial phase, which could have cut down the threat by 95%. Today the humanity is paying heavy price for China’s global aspirations and geopoliticking. To preserve its reputation, Beijing has brazenly dumped the entire World and thrown them into a frenzy of extended lockdown.

Uncovering the dereliction of duty on the part of WHO and despicable negligence of China, South China Morning Post reported that first case of CCV could be traced to November 17^th, 2019. Since then a minimum of five cases are reported every day. By the end of the year, 266 persons in Hubei province were infected. By Jan 1^st, the numbers rose to 381. While the WHO reports first case dated back to Dec 8^th. Medical Journal The Lancet, traces first infection to Dec 1^st. ³

The timeline of the viral outbreak clearly suggests that China has faltered to control the virus. China has first reported of a mysterious pneumonia perhaps originating from the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market on Dec 31^st to WHO. China closed the Seafood market on January 1^st. It must be noted since the outbreak of SARS in 2003 and later Swine Acute Diarrhoea Syndrome (SADS) in 2017 scientists warned about dangers of the zoonotic disease caused by Corona viruses (CoV) which harbour in bats and spread to humans. SARS and SADS originated in China. Virologists cautioned China of a future outbreak from bats as “Chinese food culture maintains that slaughtered animals are more nutritious” ⁵. This belief has invariably aided in viral transmission. Despite these warnings, China never mulled a ban on sale of live animals to prevent outbreaks. Interestingly, in the wake of CCV outbreak, Vietnam passed a legislation banning the trade of live animals.

By Jan 7^th China isolated the virus and called it nCoV. First death due to nCoV occurred in China on Jan 11^th while Thailand reported first death due to nCoV on Jan 13^th. Cognizant of the threatening nature of Coronal viral infection and with reports of several hundreds of infections in hand, Hubei province organised a public buffet for over 40,000 families on the eve of Chinese New Year on January 18^th. Around this period, Wuhan held 14^th People’s Congress and 13^th Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. Except for closing down of Wuhan on Jan 23^rd, China didn’t impose any restrictions on travel commemorating the New Year the following week ie. from Jan 23^rd to Jan 31^st. By then several thousands have travelled across the globe and spread the infection. A report stated that 175000 people left Wuhan on Jan 31^st. A special carrier operating directly between Wuhan to Lombardy in Italy carried over 15,000 Chinese during the Chinese New Year. Intuitively, Italy which has large numbers of aged population paid heavy price for this unrestrained entry of infected persons. Currently, death toll in Italy have surpassed China’s figures. Similarly, Iran which cultivated extensive ties with Communist China after US imposed economic sanctions had one of the highest death tolls due to CCV.  China, insisted that virus didn’t transmit from human to human till it was really very late. WHO official site carried out similar tweet endorsing China’s version. This actually complicated the issue.

In an overdrive to exculpate from devious negligence of causing the CCV spread, Chinese Red Cross airlifted 30 tonnes of medical supplies to Italy. While Chinese propaganda missionary is quick to trumpet this as act of reciprocity, German chancellor Angela Merkel called it a gesture of “reciprocity” since Italy sent 18 tonnes of relief material last month of Wuhan ¹⁹. Supplies of Chinese red cross must be viewed with caution as Red Cross have admitted, “Ninety percent of the stuff we’re getting is not up to the standard” ²⁰. A Czech News Agency reports that nearly 80% of Corona virus test kits donated by China are giving false positives forcing the health workers to dump them for the indigenous laboratory tests ²¹. China has been using the pandemic for global propaganda and it refused to acknowledge India’s help which sent 15 tonne medical supplies.

The US imposed restrictions on the entry of Chinese on Jan 31^st, after the WHO declared CCV as public health emergency. Experts from Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and WHO offered to travel to China to help understand the viral outbreak. But China didn’t respond ⁶. By mid-December doctors in Wuhan contracted the infection. Dr Li Wenliang, raised alarm about the symptoms which are similar to SARS infection. But the Wuhan administration dismissed these reports and arrested eight health workers which included Dr Li for spreading rumours. Subsequently, Wuhan provincial authorities passed ordered stopping further tests, destruction of samples and suppression of news.  Provinces in China are ranked based on their growth indices. Scared of a negative report, Hubei province officials erased all evidences of infection. By the end of January, Li has published his letter on Weibo, which went viral. Chinese officials extracted a confession stating that his statements were false before he succumbed to infection on Feb 7^{th 7}.

After China reported about infection to WHO, President Xi stayed away from the entire issue. He was no where to be seen when China was fire-fighting the infection which spiralled into enormous proportions. Subsequently, China extended the lockdown to other provinces. But the clamp down on the movement of people in Wuhan, epicentre of the outbreak has been “draconian, aggressive and brutal”. China employed all the modern tools to surveillance the private movements of the individuals as well. As infections continued to surge, China has changed counting procedure twice. Both the times, numbers showed a decline. This created a confusion and hinted at obfuscation of data. Overriding these issues, visiting WHO experts said that there is a steep decline in infections ⁸.

By last week of February, for the first time since the Cultural Revolution in 1967, China has postponed National People’s Congress (NPC) held in March every year. By this time, several nations began to reel under the burden of the burgeoning viral outbreaks.

In second week of March, when infection levels receded in China, Chinese bots flooded the social media. Carrying out a disinformation campaign, they birthed the conspiracy theory of virus having originated in the US and deflected the blame. Singing paeans of the authoritarian Chinese regime for its success in curtailing the virus, State Media, the avowed mouth piece of CCP (Chinese Communist Party) lashed out at countries that imposed travel restrictions. Hailing the characteristic “Chinese way” of brutal clamp down of the civil liberties during the viral outbreak as the only salvation, prided in heavy-handedness of the regime.

Normalising the lockdown, Chinese media began to bombard the social media networks with videos of so-called Chinese experts to whitewash massive coverups. Having claimed to have completely controlled the viral spread, rebranding itself as the “Global Leader”, China sent an expert team to Italy. While the Global Times began to plant new theories that “Italy might may have had an unexplained strain of pneumonia as early as November and December 2019 with highly suspected symptoms of COVID-19” ⁹. Clearly, this strategy is no different from “Nine-Dash Line” theory propped up by the Communist regime. Enraged by China’s relentless ludicrous campaign, twitter trended- “China lied, people died”. China’s latest coverup exercise and attempts to deflect the blame for the spread of CCV buttressed people’s mistrust of the Middle Kingdom.

Reinforcing its claims of tumbling of infections, President Xi travelled to Wuhan on March 10^th epicentre of the CCV. Even as Chinese media aggressively, launched the hyped-up propaganda of all is well, whistle blowers tore up this crafty ruse. Local companies are persuaded to boost electricity consumption to show that things are back to pre-Corona levels ¹⁰. Chinese telecom companies reporting loss of 15 million subscribers post-CCV ¹¹, disappearance of a Chinese business tycoon for his scathing essay calling Xi as “Clown” ¹², record levels of Sulphur dioxide emissions in Wuhan in the second week of March ¹³ are pointing to a massive coverup exercise.  Clearly, things are seriously amiss.

Mounting evidence and series of events indicate an undeniable China’s role in pandemic spread. China’s denials, call for gratitude education, advocacy of its authoritarian model and attempts to exonerate the regime of all culpability exemplified hegemony and hubris. China has put the entire World at risk. The double whammy of the major health emergency and tanking stock markets has already brought several countries to its knees.

Pulling up China for the Pandemic, Florida’s The Berman Law Group filed a class-action law suit against People’s Republic of China ¹. American lawyer Larry Klayman and its advocacy group Freedom Watch filed $20 Trillion class-action law suit against Chinese government, Chinese Army, the Wuhan Institute of Virology, Director of Wuhan Institute of Virology and Chinese Army Major, Chen Wei claiming that Corona virus is a biological weapon unleashed by Chinese authorities ¹⁴. Close on heels, an attorney in Las Vegas filed a law suit against China for hiding information and causing losses to 32 million businesses in the US ¹⁵. It is time to evolve a global consensus and pull up China for the pandemic that caused devasting financial losses, unspeakable mental trauma, panic and fear.

While the World continues to dilly-dally and fumble, China, the chair of UNSC for the month of March deferred discussion on Corona Virus. Chinese envoy added, “Council members generally feel there is no reason to panic at the moment and plan to monitor the situation… (with) COVID-19 currently not on organ’s agenda” ¹⁶. Even as the World is grappling with the CCV, reports of Hanta Virus emanating from rodents with mortality rate of 38% is reported to have caused first death in China ¹⁷. It can’t be business as usual anymore. World will have to pay huge price if it fails to call a spade a spade.

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