China’s geopoliticking and arm twisting amid Corona Virus Pandemic

Chinese Corona Virus (CCV) has created a global wartime like crisis. Touted as weapon-less war of the modern era by the analysts, the pandemic has disrupted the supply chains and inflicted terrible human and economic losses. Having delegated the state media agencies to adeptly gloss over its failures in containing viral spread by suppressing information, China embraced soft diplomacy to aggressively rebrand itself as a global leader.

Weaponless-war inflicted by China is no different from it policy of expansionism pivoted on punitive salami slicing and stealth penetration. Middle Kingdom has steadily expanded its boundaries and continues to do so without firing a bullet. To deflect World’s attention and to augur its ambitious rise as a dominant global player, China is employing the potent weapon of media manipulation as well. Effectively firewalling its citizens from the external world, China developed inhouse social media platforms and search engines shielding them from an alternative opinion. On the other hand, cognizant of the power of “narrative building” Beijing proactively encourages Chinese diplomats to lead worldwide campaign on Twitter. Though people are now able to see through this nefarious strategy, China is still defiant on changing its approach. The way, China has been cultivating influential thinkers through its agencies and maiming the World has now become an interesting study for analysts.

While the World is gripped by CCV, the authoritarian regime of China claiming to have tamed the virus through draconian measures has splashed the newspapers with news of easing restrictions and opening of public spaces. Deploying disinformation propaganda machinery and launching overambitious diplomatic overdrive of offering medical aid, China is leaving no stone to buttress its strategic objective of strengthening global clout.

Even as Beijing is redoubling its propaganda to show that China is back to business, a week after movie theatres opened with much fanfare, local governments forced them to shut¹. Fresh infections reported in China are triggering fears of second cycle of infection. Even restaurant chains are ordered to close raising doubts over Chinese blitz-Krieg propaganda. Reports now contend China’s reported death toll stands bungled ².

Wuhan Virology labs which prides in discovering over 2000 virus from bats is just miles away from the wet market. Corona virus which created humongous chaos, panic and disruption thrived in the wet markets of Wuhan, but China hasn’t imposed any restrictions on the livestock business. As a testimony to its claims of life is stirring back to normalcy, wet markets are allowed to re-open. They are back to business, selling live scorpions, bats and slaughtering animals callously. Ironically, the China under donning the veneer of good Samaritan is clinching business deals for supplying medical supplies. Despite huge backlash from countries for supplying sub-standard test kits and PPE, frustrated by shortages of medical stockpiles, countries are placing contracts with China’s, the biggest manufacturing hub.

Bullying Taiwan

Aside the much touted, “mask diplomacy”, China is advancing its expansionist agenda. While the World is consumed by the task of battling the Chinese virus, the Middle Kingdom is flexing muscles.  Ever since the spectacular re-election of the pro-independence Taiwanese President Tsai Ing Wen, China has made no attempts to hide its animosity. Pertinently China has stepped up military drills and bullying tactics. Just weeks after Tsai assumed charge, Beijing steadily stepped up tensions in the region. Battling Corona virus by sealing the Hubei province, on Feb 10^th China’s H-6 bombers provocatively entered Taiwanese Strait. Taiwan responded by scrambling F-16 aircrafts to intercept Chinese bombers and US flew B-52 nuclear capable bombers, MC-130J Commando II close to Taiwan the next day.

The following week, China conducted live drills and defended the “air- ground assault and fire ground support” as an attempt to fine tune its combat its defence capabilities. Taiwan authorities later clarified that Chinese exercises included H-6 bombers, J-11 jet fighters and KJ-500 early air warning aircraft. These flights besides circumnavigating Taiwan flew over the Japan’s Senkaku islands, in the East China Sea, which China claims as its territory. Despite the pandemic, China which maintains Taiwan is its renegade province, is brazenly terrorising the island ⁴.

Advocating “One-China” policy, China prevailed on many small nations to severe ties with Taiwan and influenced WHO to deny invitation to Taiwan to World Health Assembly as observer. Since 2016, Taiwan lost seven diplomatic allies-El Salvador, Sao Tome and Principe, Panama, The Dominican Republic, Burkina Faso, Solomon Islands and Kiribati.

Wary of Taiwan’s democracy evolving into a dynamic force, casting a pragmatic influence on Hongkong democratic movement, China is upping pressurising tactics. In the wake of Corona pandemic China started trumpeting the phenomenal success of authoritarian regime in controlling the virus and mocked at democracies scrambling to control the infection.  Taiwan, barely hundred miles from China, denied of any first-hand information on CCV from WHO, efficiently managed the pandemic and shone as an exemplary example for the free world. Taiwan’s growing international space roiled China. It has intensified, “encirclement drills”. Again, in March, to warding off, Chinese intrusions, Taiwan scrambled aircrafts.

US Aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt passed through these waters on its way to Guam as a warning to China. Giving teeth to a pro-Taiwan approach, President Trump signed bipartisan “TAIPEI (Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative) Act” on March 28^th to enhance Taiwan’s international presence⁵. Besides supporting Taiwan’s candidature as an observer at various international institutions, the act threatened to cut economic, social and diplomatic relations with nations that undermined Taiwan. This act, is definitely a shot in arm for Taiwan which is doing phenomenally well in controlling the pandemic. While China is accused of exporting defective medical supplies, by donating 10 million face masks to the US and European countries Taiwan is earning the appreciation of the World. China’s malevolent strategy towards Taiwan amid pandemic is now highly rebuked.

Taiwan is strategically important for the US to have a foothold in the Pacific Ocean. From the first day in office, Trump has pursued a friendly policy towards Taiwan. The TAIPEI act has created more fissures in the Sino-US relations which is reeling under economics and trade tensions.

China’s aggressive posturing in South China Sea (SCS)

Towards the end of March, US Navy was embroiled in controversies over its inept handling of Corona Virus on board.  Given the fresh Corona infections among the marines on US aircraft carriers (USS Theodore Roosevelt, USS Ronald Regan) deployed in the Pacific and US installations in the region, Pentagon ordered cancellation of movement of troops between installations, recruitment and training of fresh recruits to control the spread of virus. US has 11 aircraft carriers in its fleet which include nuclear-powered carrier that needs extensive overhauling at regular intervals. Currently, only five carriers are available for deployment. Of them two are deployed in Persian Gulf, the two carriers in Pacific are plagued by the Corona virus infections. Another one is operating on US East Coast ⁶.

Making the best of America’s operational vulnerabilities, China which exerts its claims over 90% of SCS has sunk a Vietnamese fishing boat in the waters near the Paracel Islands, (China refers to them as Xisha Islands). China Coast Guard vessel rammed into the Vietnamese boat operating within its waters in an apparent message to Vietnam which is slowly cosying up to America in the recent past. Also, China announced plans of setting new research stations on military bases Fiery Cross Reef and Subi Reef, the disputed Shoals built by China in SCS ⁷.

Back in January, Chinese vessel backed by military escort attempted to enter Natuna waters. Despite repeated requests, China operated near Indonesian territorial waters. Finally, Indonesia deployed a warship backed with F-16 to assert its control.

Underwater drones in IOR

Bolstering presence in the strategic Indian Ocean Region (IOR) has been on Chinese cards for some time. To expand its maritime foothold China joined counter-piracy operations in Gulf of Aden, Somalian Coast in the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. As a part of the mission, China has been deploying advanced submarines, guided missile destroyer and frigate capable of attacking surface ships and submarines. This ostentatious display of defence capabilities under the guise of anti-piracy operation has raised many eyebrows. Docking of submarine at the Colombo port and frequent sneaking into the IOR region has been a cause of concern for India.

Echoing the Sino-Pakistan, countries held joint naval drills, Sea Guardian 2020 in the Arabian Sea in January. Besides increase the interoperability, China showcased its defence capabilities by deploying an air defense destroyer, frigate and a replenishment ship in the drills ¹⁰. Detention of Chinese ship Dai Cui Yun in February, carrying an autoclave used for production of long-range ballistic missiles or Weapons of mass destruction (WMD) along the Kandla port heading towards Port Qasim by Indian officials only reiterated Sino-Pakistan nuclear cooperation. China falsely declared it as an industrial dryer ¹¹.

Posing fresh threat to Indian security, China is now reported to have deployed 12 underwater drones to collect oceanographic data. This information is subsequently transmitted to hydrographic survey and oceanic ships operating in the region ⁸. While China feigns ignorance, in 2016, Dragon seized US Navy submarine drone in the SCS. Though nations are free to operate in the International Waters, countries can seize or shootdown the manned or unmanned vehicles operating in their territorial waters without authorization. Intrusions by China into the IOR has become a regular feature. In December Indian Navy chased away Chinese fleet entering the IOR region. China’s aggressive adventurism and abduction of a 21-year old Indian national from Arunachal Pradesh by PLA (Peoples Liberation Army) by transgressing into Indian territory during the Corona pandemic outbreak has only bolstered fears of China’s coercive expansionism ⁹.

Stalls discussions on Corona pandemic at UNSC

Holding the presidency of the UNSC, China blocked discussions on pandemic during the entire month of March. While outbreak of Ebola was discussed in 2014, evading all responsibility, China shot back that public health emergency is beyond the “scope and mandate of UNSC”. Instead acting on Pakistan’s behest China’s permanent representative at UN raked up Kashmir issue. But characteristically refrained from reprimanding Pakistan which has violated the UN Secretary General’s call for global ceasefire to strengthen the efforts to fight the Corona pandemic.

Responding to requests by 9 of the 10 non-permanent members, Dominican Republic, President of UNSC for the month of April convened a special session yesterday to discuss Corona pandemic. In an apparent dig, US ambassador, Kelly Craft called for “complete transparency and the timely sharing of public health data and information within the international community”. Beijing shot back that pandemic was a “global challenge and required cooperation and mutual support” and no country should be made a “scape goat” ¹². The session ended inconclusively, as Russia towed China’s line and subsumed by petty politics, nations failed to pull up China in unison. China’s global heft and its deft coercive diplomacy has once again prevailed and Nations are humbled into silence.

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