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The declining relations between China and Australia seem to be a small detail of the excellent picture of world problems. But this is the corner of the canvas that deserves attention. China initially showed a tremendous sensitivity to international calls to know the origins of Covid-19.
The deterioration of the relationship between Beijing and Canberra has been astonishing. In 2014, President Xi Jinping gave a speech The Australian parliament has received a new trade agreement and a “vast ocean of goodwill between Australia and China”. But China has done it in the last year established rates and other measures on Australian wine, food and coal, and Chinese officials blame the country racism and war crimes.
The origin of the conflict can be as significant as the way it develops. Late last year, Chinese diplomats released a list of dossiers 14 complaints Against Australia. Among the adherents were foreign investment agreements blocked and “anti-China” research funded. But one particular complaint stood out.
.Ri facing chronology of the conflict, it is clear that the moment when China really intensified was Canberra ask Independent research on the origin of Covid-19. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for international experts to be given “weapons inspector-style powers” when conducting the probe. Chinese Ambassador to Canberra he replied noting that this perceived insult could lead to a boycott of Australian products by Chinese consumers. A few months later, the Chinese government itself took the initiative in setting tariffs.
Beijing finally agreed to a World Health Organization investigation. But the auditors were very good limited they could see that. China’s apparent desperation to control the narrative backfired – suspicions among those who believe the country has something to hide.
The truth is that guilty conscience is not the only credible explanation for Beijing’s response. The biggest difficulty is that China’s reaction to criticism from the outside world seems to be a toxic mix of threats, harsh rhetoric and secrecy. The subject also applies to Xinjiang, Taiwan or Covid-19.
This style “Wolf Warrior” diplomacy it is often counterproductive. But it is also an inevitable product of a domestic system that demands uncertainty for President Xi, and one that enforces that demand with censorship and repression. It is unrealistic to expect a closed and paranoid system at home to be flexible and open in its commitment to the outside world. Many of the aggressive messages sent by Chinese diplomats can be aimed primarily at ordinary or senior citizens returning home. The goal is to show that the Xi government is in favor of China.
When it came to investigating Covid-19, Donald Trump also indirectly shielded the Chinese government. The former US president is accused of lying – and of having a clear political reason accusing China of blaming the pandemic – easy to discard All suggestions for a laboratory escape in Wuhan as a far-right conspiracy theory.
Joe Biden’s more cautious approach is paradoxically more threatening in Beijing because of its greater credibility – both at home and abroad. The US president is clear has accepted that his intelligence agencies are divided on the theory of laboratory escape. He may be afraid of the consequences if the theory is confirmed. Even if the Biden administration tried to limit the fall from this discovery, there would surely be litigation in the American courts – demanding major reparations from China. Efforts by the White House to maintain a delicate balance between confrontation and cooperation with China would be thrown out of the water.
The commitment to China is very high. China has been successful over the past year changing the narrative More than Covid-19. After boasting about being the first to be hit in the first place, Beijing has managed to stand out from its success when China was sick, compared to the high number of deaths in the West.
News of the new U.S. investigation suddenly puts Beijing back in place. In the face of this extremely difficult situation, China will need all the friends it can find. But the Xi administration and its wolf-diplomat diplomats have spent the last year alienating potential partners. The final blow was a decision taken by the European Parliament Freeze Confirmation of a major investment agreement between China and the EU – after the one established by Beijing penalties About European officials and institutions, which is the one that responded to the EU sanctions imposed on Xinjiang.
Relations with India have also steadily deteriorated over the past year. For New Delhi turning point was China’s last attack in the Himalayas – and as a result, troops on both sides were killed. Senior Indian analysts believe that the pressure that Beijing was exerting on Covid-19 in the summer of 2020 could be due to the decision to escalate tensions.
There is a clear risk that if China feels a new corner in the face of Covid-19, it will respond again with an attack or a search for some kind of international diversion. It is an inevitable and necessary impetus to understand how the pandemic began. It is also dangerous.
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