Letters | China is taking aim at coronavirus accusations, one trade partner at a time
- From trade bans to Covid-19 research and vaccines, China is using all the tools at its disposal to overturn Western coronavirus accusations against it
In the spring of 2020, when the pandemic first spread to the West, countries including the United States, Australia, Canada, Germany and France, either accused China of being the origin of the coronavirus, or blamed it for its spread or disinformation. A year on, having controlled the spread of Covid-19 domestically and developed vaccines, China is keen to overturn the accusations.
01:56
WHO ends Covid-19 mission in Wuhan, says lab leak ‘extremely unlikely’
Canada has also faced trade bans from China. These trade restrictions show that China is sensitive to the coronavirus accusations against it and wants to stop them. From Beijing’s point of view, applying economic pressure is effective.
The pandemic has had a devastating effect on the world economy and countries are struggling, particularly in the West. As such, they are likely to conform to China’s wishes, to revive the valuable economic relationship.
Larger economies naturally have greater bargaining power. China, as the second largest economy in the world, is big enough to be a major influencer, leaving Beijing free to shape most issues as it likes.
Yvette Yung, student, Department of Asian and International Studies, City University of Hong Kong