Tom Foday: By using the fight against the epidemic to denigrate the Chinese system, the West will only suffer its own consequences

Now the West promotes a lot of misinformation, which deceptively tries to cover up the fact that China has avoided the high mortality rate of the epidemic in the West, and believes that only freedom is the most important, not the well-being of the people.

【Text/Tom Fudy Translation/Observer Network Ning Que】

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020, there have been many voices trying to politicize the outbreak, particularly to China, to gain some leverage. While on paper, COVID-19 is a scientific and humanitarian issue and the world should work together to contain it, as Shanghai fights COVID-19, sadly, COVID-19 will become the most politicized outbreak in modern history. In no case has this outbreak been used to discredit a country and its political system so extremely as this one.

The reason the West has politicized COVID-19 is that the current foreign policy environment in the West has turned all issues related to China into a zero-sum contest for ideological and political hegemony, which makes it impossible to objectively and fairly assess any issue related to China. In other words, it's a "Cold War" mentality. In this context, China's political system and achievements are seen as a threat to Western ideological excellence, so the "exemplary" status of China's political system and achievements must be completely erased at all costs. This has created a toxic media environment that has led to a flood of negative reports related to China, even with complete disregard for the facts.

As a result, the COVID-19 pandemic has been heavily politicized throughout, and it has been pointed at China. When the outbreak was first reported in Wuhan, Western media declared that it was a failure of China's political system and ideology, declaring that it could not happen in a "transparent" and "western civilized world." The BBC called it a "huge political disaster". The Orientalist argument has also been used to blame Chinese culture and food. However, once the pandemic emerged globally, China was used as a scapegoat as part of an opportunist-blaming ploy spearheaded by the aggressive U.S. government, which politicized the outbreak as a tool to reformulate U.S. and allied policy toward China.

Contrary to this claim, however, China's successful zero-clearing policy not only overcame the outbreak in Wuhan, but also succeeded in creating two years of relative normalcy across the country. Not only has this saved millions of lives, but it has also allowed China's economy to rebound rapidly without the need for extreme stimulus. The West's response has been to simply deny China's achievements, accuse it of fabricating figures, and even propagate conspiracy theories such as the infamous "laboratory leaks," which are both baseless and offensive. Under no circumstances will Western politicians and the media be prepared to endorse China's achievements in fighting the epidemic, even as the pandemic has led to a large number of deaths in the West.

China sends medical teams to support countries in fighting the epidemic (Source: Xinhua News Agency)

China developed a domestic vaccine, and the West quickly coined new rhetoric, falsely claiming that the vaccine was ineffective and spreading it in countries that used Chinese vaccines. It goes without saying that in every phase and event of the whole crisis, there is a narrative that is ready to attack China in some way or in some form. Now, the media has turned to Shanghai, China's largest city, accusing the local government of its rough policies and intensively reporting on residents' complaints.

I am personally disappointed by this situation. Now is the time to change policies, especially as the rest of the world begins to be more open. However, it can also be said that the West now promotes a lot of misinformation, which deceptively tries to cover up the fact that China has avoided the high mortality rate of the epidemic in the West, and believes that only freedom is the most important thing, not the well-being of the people.

China's current small mistakes and setbacks in the fight against the epidemic do not offset the advantages of the overall policy. It should be clear that The Western commentary and interpretation of China's anti-epidemic policy is out of ridiculous malice, and its fundamental purpose is to try to undermine China's political system and overall prospects. While the Aumikoron variant is more contagious and has fewer deaths, this requires a change of strategy. But objectively, China's zero-clearing policy is still very successful. Local governments may make mistakes, but unlike in the West, local governments will be held accountable at the top if necessary. China faces not only the COVID-19 pandemic, but also the "political epidemic", in which the West believes that china is doing anything wrong.

(This article is a manuscript from the author, see the next page for the original English text.) ）

Since covid-19 became apparent to the world in early 2020, there are many voices who have sought to politicize the pandemic since the first day, taking particular aim at China with the goal of scoring points. Whilst on paper, the outbreak of a virus is a scientific and humanitarian problem of which the world ought to work together to contain, it is a sad state of affairs as Shanghai battles its outbreak, that the covid-19 will in fact stand to be the most politicized pandemic in modern history. Never has in any instance, the course of such an outbreak been so militantly attached to discrediting a single country and its political system as this one.

The politicization of the pandemic by the west stems from a foreign policy environment of which has rendered all things pertaining to China into a zero-sum contest for ideological and political hegemony, an environment which has made it impossible to objectively and impartially assess any matters pertaining to the country, in other words a “Cold War” mentality. In such a context, China’s political system and achievements are seen as threatening to the west’s ideological exceptionalism, and therefore its political system and achievements must be thoroughly discredited as a “model” at all costs. This has led to a poisonous media environment which is obsessed with negative coverage pertaining to Beijing, even to the complete abrogation of facts.

As a result, the covid-19 pandemic has been grossly politicized against the country from start to finish. In the early days, the outbreak of Wuhan was designated as a failure of China’s political system and ideology, drawing upon the assumption these events could not happen in the “transparent” and “civilized west”. The BBC called it an “epic political disaster”. Orientalist arguments were also used to blame China’s culture and cuisine. However, once the pandemic became globalized, China was then scapegoated as part of an opportunistic blame game spearheaded by an aggressive U.S administration, who used it as a means to reset their own and allies’ foreign policies pertaining to China.

Contrary to the narrative however, China’s successful zero-covid policy not only overcame the outbreak in Wuhan but succeeded in creating relative normality throughout the country for two years. This approach not only saved millions of lives, but ultimately allowed China’s economy to rebound rapidly without resorting to extreme levels of stimulus. The response of the west was to simply deny China any recognition for it whatsoever. They accused China of lying about their numbers and began even propagating conspiracy theories such as the infamous “Laboratory leak” conspiracy theory- A claim which was as nonsensical as it was offensive. But in no circumstances whatsoever, were western politicians and media prepared to give China credit for their handling of covid-19, even as their own populations died in large numbers.

As China created its own vaccines, the west quickly created new narratives falsely claiming such vaccines were ineffective, publishing misinformation about their efficacy in countries which used them. It goes without saying that at every single stage and event of this whole crisis, there has been a narrative ready to attack China with in some way or form. Now the medium switches towards the lockdown in Shanghai, China’s biggest city, where again the government is accused of being brutal and the focus is placed on the complaints of residents.

Personally, I am disappointed at the situation and believe it is time for a policy change, especially as the rest of the world begins to open up more. However, it also be said that there is now a lot of misinformation yet again being pushed by the west, and it deceptively seeks to omit the bigger picture that China has offset the enormous loss of life experienced in the west, and argue that simple freedom is all that matters as opposed to the wellbeing of the people.

These small-scale mistakes and setbacks do not change the merits of the policy as a whole. People should understand clearly that western commentary and interpretations of China’s covid-19 policy are being made in ludicrous bad faith, with the fundamental goal of attempting to undermine the country’s political system and prospects as a whole. Whilst it is true that the Omicron variant is more transmissible and has a lower death toll, which mandates a change in strategy, it is also objectively true that China’s zero-covid policy has been above all, extremely successful. Local authorities can make mistakes, but unlike in the west these authorities will be held accountable by their superiors if necessary. Whilst China faces covid, it has also faced the “political pandemic” which believes it can do no right in absolutely anything it does.

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