The Chinese Communist Party propaganda campaign

The deadly virus that is eating the world is postmarked “Chinese Communist Party” (CCP), and it has already caused more disruption than the financial crisis of 2008 and the ensuing Great Recession.

The CCP virus is threatening lives and economies all over the globe. Social distancing and sheltering in place are necessary to slow the spread of the novel pathogen, but they also make a sharp slowdown in economic activity inevitable.

As the global economy craters, the gap between the haves and have-nots is accentuated, as the well heeled pack their bags and escape to safer locations such as the Hamptons and Palm Beach. The limitless resources of the 1 percent ensure they will never go hungry or lack for medical care, even in a pandemic.

In the meantime, ordinary people are panic buying, standing in long lines to stock up on toilet paper, facing financial instability and trying to make ends meet while being told we are all in this together. Mostly, they remain sequestered at home, apart from the occasional pilgrimage to the grocery store, pharmacy, or package store. The CCP virus has crushed the economy and shut down much of American life.

March 19 was the first day on which the CCP reported no new locally transmitted cases of the pathogen since the outbreak of the virus in Wuhan. The CCP congratulates itself on its extraordinary containment measures, limiting the movement of millions of people, and rapid medical response. Will wonders never cease?

The CCP is working hard to scrub its own culpability and turn this crisis into an opportunity. Its leader Xi Jinping now acts as the charitable godfather, dishing out money, medical supplies and equipment to convince the world they are not responsible for the global public health crisis and economic chaos.

The CCP is painting China as a success story and as a friend in a time of dire need. This was after the CCP spread disinformation about the virus, claiming that American soldiers brought the virus to Wuhan last October when they attended the Military World Games. There is no evidence to support this accusation. The CCP is engaged in a massive propaganda campaign to persuade the world they are a model global citizen worthy of trust and respect.

As they say in the Wuhan wet market, famous for its bat soup, this doesn’t smell right.

In the past few weeks, while the rest of the world was busy battling the pandemic, the CCP erected new military bases on reefs in the West Philippine Sea that are claimed by the Philippines, according to Esquire Magazine. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, an intergovernmental organization located at The Hague in the Netherlands ruled unanimously that the CCP’s reclamation activities in the West Philippine Sea were illegal. The Court recognized the Philippines sovereign rights to the contested areas. China ignored the ruling, continues aggressive actions, and stands by its sweeping claim to almost the entire South China Sea.

The CCP plays by its own rules and does so with impunity. A March 20 report by China’s Zinhua news website says the Chinese Academy of Sciences has successfully established two new “research facilities” on the Kagitingan Reef and the Zamora Reef. According to the Zinhua report, these “research facilities” are to study coral reef ecosystems, vegetation ecology, and freshwater conservation.

Of course, these reclaimed islands are equipped with military facilities, including missile systems, naval harbors, and runways to accommodate fighter jets and other aircraft. The CCP is hoping the world will overlook the military angle as it focuses on the global public health crisis.

While the short-term focus is the battle against the coronavirus, the international community should not ignore the existential threat presented by the CCP. This global crisis will last a long time, but not forever. Democratic governments must fundamentally rethink their relationship with the CCP and stop treating them with kid gloves.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *