Wednesday, March 18, 2020

China’s Venomous Critics Embarrass Themselves as COVID-19 Now Tests West Governments
By Mario Cavolo
Global Times
2020/3/18 21:38:41

Gui Haiyan (1st L) from Guangzhou KingMed Diagnostics Group Co., Ltd. conducts detections at the clinical laboratory of the Leishenshan (Thunder God Mountain) Hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province on March 4. The laboratory brought together medical personnel from different hospitals and medical testing institution, most of whom are female. Their work is to test samples collected from COVID-19 patients and provide diagnostic information for doctors. Photo: Xinhua

The world is now being forced to recognize the excellent response and results achieved by China, South Korea and Singapore in recognizing and responding to the COVID-19 outbreak. While no country can perfectly execute governance, we are now experiencing a transformative moment in history when one-party government systems are revealing their advantages. This has come to both the great comfort and chagrin of many around the world.

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Wuhan on March 10, sending a clear signal to China and the world that the situation in the city where the outbreak was first detected is well under control and moving toward complete success.

China put itself on a wartime footing, and the tragic nightmare in Wuhan was faced down in a few short weeks. Xi's visit sent a message of accomplishment, of pride and joy, of sacrifice and unity to the people of Wuhan and the nation that has succeeded in avoiding a great disaster. China is showing the world that the virus can be beaten. 

Meanwhile, many people outside China remain stuck in a mind-set that sees the pandemic as an opportunity to trot out well-worn anti-China propaganda. They refuse to acknowledge China's achievement.

Shortly after Xi's Wuhan visit, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that all of Apple's stores in China would reopen. Apple's announcement sends a strong message and reinforces Xi's Wuhan message that China has emerged from the epidemic quicker and stronger than expected. Apple is now back on track in China and showing the world where its future lies. This news served to drive home the point that China is a role model of unity, sacrifice and economic recovery, and an invaluable case study for other countries as the virus outbreak bears down on them. 

Amidst this encouraging landscape, along came Kyle Bass of Hayman Capital Management, hedge fund fame who made a fortune from the 2008 financial crisis and then lost a huge chunk of it betting against China's RMB. It should be no surprise to find Bass vilifying Cook soon after the Apple CEO's announcement, tweeting "@tim-cook has sold his soul to the evil of the Chinese communist party... despicable for encouraging and participating in massive human rights violations."

I have yet to read anything from Bass condemning human rights violations in the US, such as the disgraceful 500,000 plus homeless people, including entire families, women, young children, the mentally ill, the drug addicted and even war veterans.

While these citizens helplessly roam US streets, where is a compassionate response from Wall Street billionaires, or politicians who feed from the hands of poisonous Washington lobbyists?

Such political bias and interests, as revealed by the attack on Cook, shows how out of touch China's venomous critics really are. The disturbingly bright side of the story is how the COVID-19 crisis is shining a light on their hypocrisy.   

Do these people have no shame, or sense of responsibility for the state of their own country? They've forgotten the true values of their oft-trumpeted morally superior democratic way. They have no feelings for the people left behind in the society from which they — the corporatists, elites, oligarchs and vulture capitalists — were able to extract their billions and let millions along the way descend into squalor and declare it "not their problem." 

Meanwhile, China moves forward, beyond the virus tragedy, with renewed capability that the West can only hope to achieve. China is now compassionately extending a hand to many countries which desperately need assistance.

Despite all that it has done, China will still face anti-China critics, Cold War-like propaganda and nasty tweets. Yet, the Chinese people don't care. It seems Tim Cook doesn't either.

The author is author, advisor & CEO, M Communications Group. He has lived in China for 21 years. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn

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