Based There seems to be a lot of effort being made by China to control the narrative in the Corona Virus. In terms of getting reporters to say what they want they’ve had some success, mainly because of the principles illustrated by the CNN letter post I had up earlier but also because money talks and bureaucrats and reports are bought cheap.
The fact that media companies see China as a big market helps too. China is very happy to leverage their market to make them act against us, but we aren’t willing to do the same, at least not yet.
It’s been made extremely clear to the world that China can’t be Trusted. Even a few in Iran are questing them (although the official media was quick to clamp down on them. Only those who hate Trump beyond rationality still buy what they sell and even they likely don’t actually believe what they’re saying.
They can keep the scare up for as long as they can but once the virus has peaked in the US they’re pretty much finished. Already Australians have refused to unload Chinese ships. I can’t see any western company going in and those already there are not going to be anxious to stay. By this time next year the words “Made in China” are going to be like “Made in Nazi Germany” or “Free dose of Smallpox with every item.”
The longer China can keep the money flowing to the media and keep the scare on the longer they can delay the inevitable. This is also the moment of greatest danger because if China decides it has nothing to lose there is always a chance that they might go the military route now while they still have own enough of the rest of the world but we also don’t know how bad things actually are in China or how bad this has spread throughout the land.
This is going to be a giant game of chicken until the west can be sure they can replace vital industries. Once vital production is built locally or moved to South America or Vietnam, or India or even Central America. Until then it’s a question of holding China accountable without pushing them to the point of war. Meanwhile during this time China will keep up the pressure online, via paid comments, paid media, and I suspect through paid posts at blogs from people who don’t demand editorial control for money.
China is a face culture. If Trump can play nice enough publicly still calling them out in public but being respectful in direct diplomatic conversations he can keep the string going until we can cut it without a shooting war. I think he’s up to it, meanwhile China will do their best to elect Biden and the Democrats and promise them rich rewards for a deal which lets them make loud noises while conducting business as usual.
It’s Jefferson Davis’ card vs Lincoln in 1864 but like Davis it’s all China really has so they’ll play this hand as long as they can stretch it.
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