Overuse makes these threats less credible. Australia has brushed aside warnings of trade sanctions. Instead, it is stepping up support for an independent international inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus. American senators responded to Chinese pressure on Australia with a strongly phrased bipartisan letter of support, signed “in mateship”. Germany has complained that China tried to extort public expressions of gratitude for the provision of medical aid. In Poland, Chinese officials tried the same trick on President Duda. This overbearing, needy approach brings not compliant kowtows, but resentment, leaks and renewed determination.
Countries all over the world are now worrying about the fragility of supply chains that depend too heavily on China.
America is especially reacting. European reflexive anti-Trump attitudes are a problem in organizing action to bolster the justified anger at China.
The pandemic that started in China is giving China more opportunities for China to demonstrate how awful they are and more reason for the rest of the world to pay attention.
Can Trump rally the world in insulating the rest of us from China as much as possible?
I say, buh bye.
