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Opinion | US Covid-19 blame game is pushing China and Russia closer together. Are we heading for a new Cold War?
- In drawing in Russia, the US-China conflict could become far more dangerous, and more inclined to proxy conflicts, with global interdependency today making any minor escalation particularly menacing
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The Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc worldwide. The global economy is expected to contract sharply. The International Monetary Fund draws a sombre picture, predicting that last year’s 2.9 per cent growth will reverse to minus 3 per cent this year, its worst performance since the Great Depression.
The repercussions of the coronavirus, which are not confined to economics, are likely to galvanise geopolitical competition. But there is little evidence that it could seriously weaken China or disrupt the Sino-Russian bond.
US President Donald Trump has launched an array of stinging rebukes, reprimanding China for concealing the truth about the viral outbreak. He went as far as threatening to kill the phase one trade deal signed earlier this year, which could be the last straw for world trade that has already been severely disrupted.
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The US and its allies are working to redirect supply chains away from China. The Cold-War-like state of US-China relations has been further exacerbated. And this economic and political rivalry was reinforced last year when China was described as an adversary that is “not Caucasian”.
US officials direct all their criticism at China’s Communist Party, which makes the confrontation more ideological.
The Covid-19 pandemic has triggered more discussion among American officials about pushing back against China, Russia and Iran, which are reportedly disseminating false information about the virus’ origins and spreading propaganda. In this fight, the US seeks to work with like-minded democracies.
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