With the “Chinese virus” myth, the US wants Beijing to play by its own rules
At the end of April, discussions around the coronavirus were marked as rhetorical escalation, and muscle play.
27 April Donald Trump said: “We are conducting very serious investigations. And we are unhappy with China. We are not happy with this whole situation., since we consider, that she could be stopped initially, stop quickly and it would not spread around the world…»
To the journalist’s question about, will the US do so, Germany, billed to China 130 billions of euros for damage, inflicted by coronavirus, Trump answered: “We have ways to make things a lot easier.”, than that… And we are talking about a much larger amount of money, than Germany.
Although the German government did not receive such an ultimatum, and the version of compensation was thrown by journalists image, The media began to interpret the words of trump. Speculative versions come to that, that the possibility of canceling US debt to China was discussed. And in some US states, class action lawsuits have already been filed..
China has also been featured in a speech by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from 29 April for the press, when he stated, that the Foreign Ministry of China, as well as various Chinese media spread coronavirus disinformation, and stressed, what “This is not the first time the virus has come from China”.
In parallel to verbal attacks, the Pentagon launched warships into the South China Sea, adhering to the legend of "ensuring freedom of navigation". 28 April U.S. Navy destroyer USS Barry went to the Paracel Islands (more Chinese Sisha Qingdao). Next day missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill headed for the Spratly Islands (Nansha). China limited itself to a warning and asked the US military to leave the region.
Spreading the Chinese Virus Myth, US counts on forcing Beijing to play by its own rules.
Symptoms of General Herbert MacMaster, US National Security Advisor to 2017-2018 gg. In the May issue The Atlantic he published a programming article, dedicated to containing China. Mcmaster writes, what “China has become a threat, because its leaders promote closed, authoritarian model as an alternative to democratic governance and free market economics. The Chinese Communist Party not only strengthens the internal system, which strangles human freedom and extends its authoritarian control; she also exports this model and leads the development of new rules and a new international order, that would make the world less free and less secure… The complex nature of the military and economic strategies of the Chinese Communist Party makes it especially dangerous for the United States and other free and open societies.… The goals of the Chinese Communist Party are directed against American ideals and American interests. ”.
China's three strategic plans ("Made in China 2025", “Belt and Path” and “Civil-Military Merger”), writes Macmaster, closely interconnected. The first plan aims to achieve China's complete independence in science and technology.; the second is related to investments in the infrastructure of the Indo-Pacific region; the third plan aims to create a global intelligence network and conduct cyber attacks.
“Any strategy to reduce the threat of China’s aggressive policies should be based on a realistic assessment of, how much the United States and other external forces influence China’s internal evolution ... We have important tools, besides military power and trade policy ”. For such tools, former President Trump national security adviser includes liberal ideas, open society tolerance, as well as Chinese dissidents, left the country.
In addition, McMaster calls for tough measures against any Chinese companies., related to human rights violations in China, defend against Chinese intelligence and agents of influence, engage all Chinese dissidents and encourage more youth to leave the country, teaching these young people in the spirit of liberalism.
Well-known author of several books on geopolitics and federal prosecutor Francis Sempa compared McMaster’s proposal with George Kennan’s “long telegram” 1947 of the year, where this diplomat proposed a “big strategy” to contain the expansion of the Soviet Union. At the same time, Sempa calls McMaster’s recommendations “timid” and suggests opposing them. “A policy of tough and vigilant deterrence, based on an understanding of Chinese history and geography in the Indo-Pacific region " with the aim of “Prevent the establishment of hostile force control over key centers of power of the Eurasian land mass”.
To be expected, that the current US administration will place greater emphasis on implementing an anti-Chinese strategy, attracting its traditional partners in the Eastern Hemisphere - South Korea, India, Taiwan, as well as ASEAN countries. Washington will also remain focused on the countries of the former Soviet Central Asia. And in Europe, the United States will try to enlist the support of those allies, which counteract the expansion of China's economic influence.
Leonid Savin
