China’s model of control has been blamed for the coronavirus crisis, but for some it’s looking increasingly attractive
CNNHong Kong CNN — On Sunday, Andrew Adonis, a member of Britain’s House of Lords and onetime cabinet minister, took aim at the idea that the coronavirus pandemic was causing a crisis of capitalism. Even those critics who try to avoid ethnically-tinged labels often speak of a “CPC virus” or “Xi flu,” named after country’s ruling party, the Communist Party of China and its leader, President Xi Jinping, respectively. Writing last month, the European Union’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, said there is an ongoing “global battle of narratives,” in which “China is aggressively pushing the message that, unlike the US, it is a responsible and reliable partner.” In part, Borrell said, this was through highlighting its assistance to other countries, such as by sending medical supplies and experts to aid with the coronavirus response. In a tweet this month, Iran’s foreign minister Javad Zarif praised Beijing for coming to his country’s aid, saying the coronavirus was “deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.” Serbian President Aleksander Vucic was shown on Chinese state broadcaster CGTN kissing the country’s flag as he greeted a support team sent from Beijing. Last month, the Council of Europe warned that Hungary – long the EU’s least democratically inclined member – risked jeopardizing “democracy, rule of law and human rights” in its coronavirus response.