Chinese Silence Following Trump’s Covid-19 Warning

In a video posted to Twitter on October 8, President Donald Trump, who has just returned to the White House after four days of Covid-19 treatment at the hospital, stated that China will “pay a heavy price for what it is. “. he has done with the world and with us ”. This is the second warning video sent by Trump to Beijing in 24 hours.

Both videos of President Trump were filmed against the White House campus. This is part of a series of tweets, videos and articles published by the president in recent days, as he seeks to build the image of a leader who returns to work after his convalescence.

Then Trump appeared on Fox Business on October 9 and sent a message to China.

“They want me to be happy,” Trump said, referring to the Chinese regime.

“Because they know I get mad when it comes to them and I’m sick of them. Everything we have to endure, regarding Covid, the Chinese virus, is up to them. Take a look at the other illnesses we’ve experienced from them, this isn’t the first time, “Trump emphasized.

President Trump’s message was also echoed by his “deputy general,” Vice President Mike Pence, during a debate with Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris on the night of October 7.

“China is responsible for Covid-19, and President Trump is not satisfied with that. He made it clear and he will make it clear once again today, ”said Mr. Pence.

“China and the World Health Organization have been dishonest with the American people. They did not allow our people to enter China to obtain information on Covid-19 until mid-February, ”added Mr. Pence.

Pence also said President Trump will continue to be tough on China because Beijing “has been using the United States for decades.”

Chinese silence

China’s Foreign Ministry did not comment on the remarks made by US officials. Chinese state media also made almost nothing of Trump’s warnings. The Global Times, a sub-post of the People’s Daily, the spokesperson for the Communist Party of China, covered the video of President Trump, but has edited his comments on China.

Senior Chinese officials have repeatedly stated that Beijing will not “dance to the rhythm of American dance” and will not enter the path of a “new Cold War.”

Chinese academics argue that Beijing should adopt an asymmetric tactic to deal with the harsh policies of the Trump administration, thus avoiding retaliation.

Although Trump has repeatedly made harsh comments to China, analysts say extreme actions such as a military campaign are less likely to occur.

“It is difficult to say that China should be responsible. The relationship between the United States and China has never been as bad as it is now, but war is unlikely to occur, “said Pang Zhongying, an international relations analyst at Hai Duong University in China.

According to Pang, many employees of the Trump administration and their electoral team have Covid-19. This has limited the ability of the head of the White House to crack down on China.

However, Pang admits, Trump may view his own Covid-19 as a serious problem and change his view of China.

Michael Hirson, a China analyst at Eurasia Group, said President Trump’s victim of a virus he calls the “Chinese virus” could deepen sentiment of “hatred.” Beijing. This scenario is more likely to happen if Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden wins. At that point, President Trump will seek to blame China and push for tough measures in the final two months of his term.

“If the president faces serious health consequences from the virus, dissatisfaction with China will inevitably increase and last longer,” said Hirson, who served as a representative of the Treasury Department in Beijing, said.

President Trump contracted Covid-19 last week and was quickly hospitalized. Since then, more than 30 senior advisers and White House staff have also hired Covid-19.

Until the end of February, before the pandemic hit the United States, Trump repeatedly praised China and President Xi Jinping for their efforts to control the epidemic. In May, however, Trump got tougher on China and began calling Covid-19 “the Chinese virus.”

Since this summer, when cases have exploded in the United States, President Trump has openly criticized China. In his first debate with rival Joe Biden on September 29, Trump bluntly called Covid-19 a Chinese plague.

According to Shi Yinhong, an expert on US-China relations in Beijing, said this relationship will not deteriorate quickly.

“I don’t see any significant escalation from President Trump’s comments, although Trump could impose more sanctions on issues like the South China Sea, Hong Kong and Xinjiang. . You can increase diplomatic support with Taiwan or send more senior officials here, ”said expert Shi.

Other possible options the Trump administration could take include stepping up enforcement of the law against Chinese intrusions or imposing additional market barriers on Chinese companies doing business. In America. These measures could last until January next year, even if Trump loses in the presidential election, according to Shi.

However, Shi said the United States needs more time to apply the sanctions, directly related to China’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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