Under President Xi Jinping’s tutelage, China has embraced angry idiocy as the cornerstone of its coronavirus public relations strategy.
I am reminded of the line from Shakespeare: “His glassy essence, like an angry ape, plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven as make the angels weep; who, with our spleens, would all themselves laugh mortal.”
Increasingly infuriated that the world is rightly blaming it for the pandemic, the regime in Beijing is lashing out. The ruling Communist Party simply can’t understand why the international community won’t just thank China for its shoddy personal protective equipment exports, absolve Beijing of its obvious culpability for the crisis, and forgive Xi’s epidemic of ensuing deceptions.
Hence, the self-destructive mouth-frothing we’re seeing this week.
For one thing, there is China’s threat to cut off all trade relations with Australia if the government in Canberra keeps pushing for an international inquiry into the coronavirus’s origins. Australia has responded robustly, pledging that it won’t give in to blackmail.
There is China’s outrage at India’s restriction against defective Chinese PPE exports. This restriction, the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi declared, “is unfair and irresponsible” and reflective of “preemptive prejudice.” New Delhi has now restricted Chinese investment as well.
Then, there is China’s ludicrous video message to the Philippines, pledging friendship across the South China Sea. That has sparked Filipino derision for its irony. After all, China is stealing sovereign Philippine waters in that same sea.
Consider also China’s veiled threat on Tuesday to reduce investment in Europe if the European Union decouples from China. These threats are particularly ill-timed in that they coincide with growing EU anger over Chinese disinformation campaigns and defective supplies. Beijing’s arrogance only strengthens the hand of EU leaders who are pushing others to resist Chinese pressure.
Then, there is China’s bungling of the African backlash to its racism. Facing China’s appalling, completely discriminatory mistreatment of black migrant workers, Africans took to social media to express their rage. But humility and responsibility are not words in the Chinese Communist Party dictionary. Instead of apologizing, China publicly dressed down African leaders. Highly dependent on Chinese trade, these leaders have generally fallen into line. African populations, however, have never been angrier at China. The seeds for a future break in relations have been planted.
Beijing’s broader problem? The world has suddenly realized that America is pretty good, after all.
How is Beijing getting this PR shtick so wrong? Because the Communist Party has allowed itself to become too arrogant. Just as his party had assumed its allies would win elections in Hong Kong, Xi had assumed that his pathway to a new Chinese-led international order was secure. He really believed that the world would get into line behind his lies about the coronavirus and his mantra that we’re all in this together.
As the opposite occurs, the walls are closing in on Beijing. So, it has doubled down on that which it knows best: bullying. Except this time, the world has had enough. Faced with immense economic and medical suffering, nations are waking up to the true nature of Xi’s Chinese dream. And slowly but surely, they’re realizing it’s a nightmare.
