By Prof. Engr. Zamir Ahmed Awan
Sino-US tension is leading toward a dangerous stage. We are afraid, it might turn from the exchange of verbal blames into a full-fledged conflict. It might endanger global peace and stability. Human beings are at stake, any armed conflict between two big powers may become a disaster for humankind. The Military power and nature of lethal weapons owned by both countries are terrifying.
Rivalry existed between China and the US for quite a long time. After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the US was against the Communist state and tried its best to defeat Communism in China and re-install Nationalist Government exiled in Taiwan. After its all possible efforts for two decades, it concluded that the US cannot defeat Communism in China. And took major policy shifts, recognized China and extended hands of cooperation and friendship in the 1970s. Established diplomatic relations, cooperation in Science, Technology, education sectors was initiated. Trade, Industrialization, Agriculture sector witnessed huge collaboration. China also launched reforms in 1978 and economic development was visible since the 1980s.
The Chinese economy was growing in double digits in the 1980s, 19890s, and in the 2000s. Chinese economy surpassed the German Economy in 2006 and surpassed the Japanese economy in 2010. China emerged as the second-largest economy. The US was worried that China might surpass the American Economy and may become the largest global economy. President Obama Administration was well aware of these developments and took policy measures to contain China, but in polite manner. Since the President Trump took charge of his office, an aggressive policy toward China was observed. The trade war was launched against China. Diplomatic and political tools were used to contain China and resist its rise.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the Sino-US tension has entered into new heights. Blame games initiated from the US side, and counter blame from the Chinese side. In a recent statement Secretary of State, Mr. Pompeo said: “enormous evidence” showed the virus originated in a lab in Wuhan, China, doubling down on previous claims from US officials and right-wing groups, which have been repeatedly denied by the World Health Organization (WHO) and various scientific experts. Bannon last week said on a US far-right talk show that China committed a “biological Chernobyl” against the United States and advocated the theory the virus originated in the Wuhan Institute of Virology, echoing the recent White House rhetoric.
While the World Health Organization’s emergencies chief said on Monday it has received no evidence from the US government to back up allegations by Trump and Pompeo that the coronavirus could have originated at a laboratory. “From our perspective, this remains speculative,” Dr. Ryan told reporters in Geneva. “We have not received any data or specific evidence from the US government relating to the purported origin of the virus.” The US intelligence agency CIA reported that there was no indication the virus was “man-made or genetically modified”.
Chinese response “Evil Pompeo is want only spewing poison and spreading lies”, the unusual harshly worded commentary on CCTV referred to statements by WHO Executive Director Mike Ryan and Columbia University virologist W Ian Lipkin, who has repeated that all indications are the virus is natural in origin and was not man-made or leaked from a laboratory. “These flawed and unreasonable remarks by American politicians make it clear to more and more people that no ‘evidence’ exists,” the commentary said. “The so-called ‘virus leaked from a Wuhan lab’ hype is a complete and utter lie. American politicians are rushing to shift the blame, cheat votes, and suppress China when their own domestic anti-epidemic efforts are a mess,” it added.
In the past week, CCTV has repeatedly slammed Pompeo as the “common enemy of mankind” and accused him of “spreading a political virus” for his repeated claims that the pandemic originated in a lab. In March, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian pushed the conspiracy theory that the US military may have brought the virus to China.
The blame game entered into a dangerous zone when the American Navy and Military movements were witnessed in the Pacific Ocean region. I am afraid, President Trump can go to any extent to win presidential elections to be held in November 2020. May God protect humankind !
Author: Prof. Engr. Zamir Ahmed Awan – Sinologist (ex-Diplomat), Editor, Analyst, Non-Resident Fellow of CCG (Center for China and Globalization), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan)
(The views expressed in this article belong only to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy or views of World Geostrategic Insights).