A pandemic could change the world order: growing tensions between the United States and Europe



[ad_1]

COVID-19 has rocked the world due to the speed at which the virus is spreading, but it is also accelerating a global shift in the balance of power, and not in favor of the United States, reports CNN.

The extent of the division between partners was evident on Tuesday during a vote at the World Health Organization’s annual meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, where the topic of the outbreak investigation was discussed. Power has clearly drifted away from the United States by rejecting its call for a tougher approach to China. That should sound like alarm bells in Washington.

Five months of 2020 have passed and everything seems like a new era: now is the time before and after the coronavirus. A pandemic exacerbates the dynamics of almost all geopolitical disputes, exacerbating the complexity of the situation.

At the center of these disputes is the three-year struggle for dominance between the United States, Europe, and China. From the beginning, Trump spoke of the management of the pandemic by Chinese President Xi Jinping, accusing China of concealing the outbreak of the virus. Beijing has consistently denied such allegations and criticized the American approach to the pandemic.

Trump has accused the World Health Organization of mismanaging the global response to the pandemic and of being a “Chinese puppet.” It has already suspended almost $ 500 million in funds for this United Nations agency. It also threatens to permanently freeze funds and leave the organization.

Despite serious concerns about China’s decisions during the virus outbreak, European leaders supported a WHO resolution calling for an “impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation” of the international response to the crisis, including action of the World Health Organization and the “COVID deadlines”. 19 pandemic. “

The language is sophisticated, but it gives little hope that China will take responsibility for its early failures. The resolution adopted is not legally binding, it does not name China or any other individual country. The fact that such a compromise has been reached overall shows the difference between Trump and Europe.

Scanpix / SIPA Photo / Xi Jinping

Scanpix / SIPA Photo / Xi Jinping

Europe supports the World Health Organization

Europe’s decision to reject Trump’s confrontation with China and the World Health Organization will have an impact on both sides seeking to win the United States presidential election. No matter who wins the race, Trump’s COVID-19 policy weakens American influence in the world.

For much of Europe, Trump does not seem to remind them of an ally to trust in an emergency.

In their speeches in Geneva on Monday, two top EU leaders: German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, along with the host of the meeting, Swiss President Simonetta Sommaruga, mentioned Trump’s actions to cut funds. for the World Health Organization.

The Swiss said there is not much to expect from the World Health Organization if “its funding is affected or does not exist,” and Merkel supported the World Health Organization saying that COVID-19 alone will not work.

AFP / Scanpix Photo / Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel

AFP / Scanpix Photo / Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel

Trump’s inconsistent reports and inappropriate comments claiming that he was taking unproven and potentially dangerous anti-malaria drugs such as COVID-19 prophylaxis appear to leave European leaders with few options. They may not trust Xping, but they really don’t want Trump to dictate a pandemic strategy.

China is working on three of the eight most promising vaccines and providing personal protective equipment to many nations. European leaders believe that it is better to persuade Xinping to cooperate than to conflict with him.

The UK, for example, was initially upset by China’s lack of transparency: Last month, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who replaced hospitalized Prime Minister Boris Johnson, insisted that China should be held accountable.

But now UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the World Health Organization assembly that there was no need to specifically examine China: “We support the need to review the global response to the situation.”

The European Union on Tuesday expressed its support for the World Health Organization. “This is a time of solidarity, not a time to point the finger or hinder multilateral cooperation,” Virginie Battu-Henriksson, spokeswoman for the Community’s foreign and security policy, told reporters in Brussels.

AFP / Scanpix Photo / Symbol of the World Health Organization

AFP / Scanpix Photo / Symbol of the World Health Organization

Australian lesson

Australia has learned the cost of its support for Trump’s policy. The country’s government, along with the President of the USA. The US has demanded an independent investigation into China and its failure to warn the world of the COVID-19 threat. However, the state took a hit from China. China has thwarted large Australian exports, announcing the introduction of 80.5 percent. rights on barley imported from that country.

Australia’s heavy dependence on trade with China is now making the country vulnerable.

Reuters / Scanpix photo / Donald Trump

Reuters / Scanpix photo / Donald Trump

Chinese authorities vehemently oppose allegations that the coronavirus originated and began to spread mainly in China. The country’s propaganda offers the public various versions that accuse the United States and other western countries of initiating a COVID-19 pandemic.

Xing’s statement that China will spend $ 2 billion to fight the virus after the United States cuts funds for the World Health Organization Dollars, also sends an unequivocal message to the President of the United States. Trump’s pandemic solutions in the international arena provide Xping with opportunities that he had not even dared to dream of.



[ad_2]