Weekly Report - China (24 April - 3 May 2020)

INDEX

Subject Areas No. of news articles

Module 1 : Economic consequences for China (30)

Chapter 1 - Businesses leaving China for other countries 12
Chapter 2 - Economic consequences for Chinese domestic industry 18

Module 2 : Allegations against China (42)

Chapter 3 : China reported false death toll figures 4
Chapter 4 : China created coronavirus 14
Chapter 5 : Chinese relief material faulty 7
Chapter 6 : China tightens control on media to save its global image 4
Chapter 7 : Chinese actions in Hong Kong, Taiwan & South China Sea 7
Chapter 8 : Backlash against Communist Party of China 6

Module 3 : Cornering of China at international level (35)

Chapter 9 : Sanctions/actions against China by other countries 15
Chapter 10 : Various countries’ deteriorating relations with China 13
Chapter 11 : Problems for Chinese One Belt One Road initiative 4
Chapter 12 : Increased skepticism against China in post-Corona international order 3

Module 4 : Questions over China’s relationship with international institutions (10)

Chapter 13 : WHO-China relationship 7
Chapter 14 : UN-China relationship 3

 
Chapter 1 : Businesses leaving China for other countries

1. COVID19 : PM Modi signals push to attract firms that exit China to India
Key points :
1) PM Modi gives push to capture part of the supply chain that is expected to exit China.
Says, India will exploit the companies’ need to diversify/alter their production plans.
2) Says, India will be made self-dependent in crucial drugs, electronic goods/chemicals.
3) Sharp increase in wages & other factors is pushing companies out of China.
4) India is setting up a single-window platform to allow for Central/State clearances.
Technology is being worked out, following which the platform will be functional. An
investment clearance cell is being set-up.
(Times of India, 1st May, 2020) ​News Link

2. Pandemic speeds up iPhone makers' plans to exit China

Key points :
1) Wistron Corp, one of Apple’s manufacturing partners, said half of its capacity could
reside outside China within a year.
2) Wistron is targeting India along with Vietnam & Mexico
3) Such plans to exit started due to the US-China trade war.
4) COVID19 has cemented those plans.
5) Other Apple partners have similar plans (Hon Hai Precision, Inventec, Pegatron).
​ ews Link
(Straits Times, 30 April 2020)​ N
3. China’s factories suffer without key import - foreign talent
Key points :
1) Various industries are suffering from the insurmountable problem of lack of international
talent, which has drifted away after the COVID19 pandemic
2) The problem is tangibly visible across multiple sectors/industries.
(Financial Times, 28 April 2020)​ N​ ews Link

4. Why The Oil Industry Can No Longer Rely On China

Key points :
1) Pandemic has shown how dangerous it is to rely so heavily on just one country
(China) for international trade and security.
2) Lack of resilience in the global economic system, in terms of production & trade, will
negatively impact China in the future. Next expected development : new Non-Chinese
production centres
(Oil Price, 25 April 2020) ​News Link

5. Tie up with US, UK firms planning exit from China over coronavirus: Gadkari to industry
captains
​ ey points :
K
1) Gadkari has asked India Inc. to tie up with companies leaving China and bring them to
India. Has assured approvals on war footing.
2) He hopes that an investment of Rs.20-25 lakh crore could come into India’s
manufacturing sector.
3) Has asked bodies such as FICCI, Assocham, CII to work together in this.
(Business Today, 24 April 2020)​ N ​ ews Link

6. Coronavirus: China faces fight to hang onto foreign manufacturers as US, Japan, EU make
Covid-19 exit plans
​ ey points :
K
1) Firms from the US, Japan and Europe have been moving manufacturing away from
China.
2) Reasons : rising costs & the impact of the ​US-China trade war
3) New Reason : Coronavirus pandemic. More pressure now to accelerate this, with the
coronavirus highlighting how dependent the world was on goods made in China,
particularly vital ​medical products.
(South China Morning Post, 24 April 2020)​ ​News Link

7. India pays manufacturers to leave China

​ ey points :
K
1) Plans to offer incentives to attract companies looking to shift manufacturing activities
out of China.
2) The Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade is identifying areas in the
country where such activities can be set up.
(New Europe, 23 April 2020)​ N ​ ews Link

8. 1,000 foreign firms mull production in India, 300 actively pursue plan as 'Exit China' mantra
grows
​ ey points :
K
1) 300+ of these companies are pursuing production plans in sectors such as mobiles,
electronics, medical devices, synthetic fabric etc.
2) India’s decision in Sept 2019 to slash corporate tax for both old and new
manufacturers will help.
3) Tax rates, lowest in India compared to countries in Southeast Asia.
(Business Today, 22 April 2020)​ N ​ ews Link
9. Yogi govt ready to offer special package to investors eager to leave China
​ ey points :
K
1) Industrial development & MSME departments have been asked to come up with a
package
2) Matter will be discussed with embassies of different countries.
​ ews Link
(The Week, 17 April 2020)​ N

10. Renault exits Wuhan car venture as months of lockdown to contain coronavirus puts it
beyond any hope of catching up in China
​ ey points :
K
1) A three month lockdown has hurt the car manufacturer.
2) The company will focus on India
3) The company has been struggling in Wuhan since 2018 anyway.
(South China Morning Post, 14 April 2020)​ ​News Link

11. New Data Shows U.S. Companies Are Definitely Leaving China
Key points :
1) Many US firms are leaving China.
2) They’re rethinking about their supply chain, either convincing their Chinese partners to
relocate to Southeast Asia to avoid tariffs or by opting out of sourcing from China
altogether.
(Forbes, 7 April 2020) ​News Link
12. Japan Will Pay Its Firms to Leave China, Relocate Production as Part of Coronavirus
Stimulus Package
​ ey points :
K
1) Earmarked $2.2 billion for helping its manufacturers shift production out of China.
2) China is Japan’s biggest trading partner
3) Japan wants to shift the companies to manufacture in Japan.
​ ews Link
(News 18, 9 April 2020)​ N

 Chapter 2 - Economic consequences for Chinese domestic industry

1. Will coronavirus spell an end to the great Chinese buffet?

Key Points :
1. Various measures propagated such as designated serving spoons, no double-dipping
and individual portions, as part of a new need for safety
2. Typically, a Chinese meal is served in a communal/banquet style. The pandemic will
cause a revolution in food eating/dining habits.
3. This will cause changes in the entire food industry in China.
(The Guardian, 2nd May, 2020) ​News Link

2. COVID19 : PM Modi signals push to attract firms that exit China to India
Key points :
1) PM Modi gives push to capture part of the supply chain that is expected to exit China.
Says, India will exploit the companies’ need to diversify/alter their production plans.
2) Says, India will be made self-dependent in crucial drugs, electronic goods/chemicals.
3) Sharp increase in wages & other factors are pushing companies out of China.
4) India is setting up a single-window platform to allow for Central/State clearances.
Technology is being worked out, following which the platform will be functional. An
investment clearance cell is being set-up.
(Times of India, 1st May, 2020) ​News Link
3. India Cracks Down on Chinese Investment as Mood Turns Against Beijing
Key points :
1) India, latest country to restrict Chinese investment.
2) Fears that Chinese state-backed entities will swoop in to buy Indian companies
weakened by the coronavirus.
3) Japan announced a $2 billion subsidy program to get Japanese companies
to relocate production from China to Japan.
4) To prevent ‘opportunistic takeovers’
5) Wake up call was buying of 1.75 % stake in hdfc by china and the pharmaceutical
ingredients for which India depended on China
(Foreign Policy, 28 April 2020) ​News Link

4. GlobalData suggests potential damage to China’s Tourism Brand Image

Key Points :
1) GlobalData, a leading data analytics company, predicts China as a tourist destination
will take a long time to recover from COVID-19 as its brand image must be restored.
2) The spread of the virus has severely damaged the brand image of the country severely.
(​Australian Leisure Management, 27 April 2020) ​News Link

​ hina steel sector slows growth due to coronavirus outbreak

5. C
Key points :
1) Production has slowed and prices have slumped in the Q1 of the year.
2) Major steelmakers have suffered losses of over 5% in Q1
(​Hellenic Shipping News Finance, 27 April 2020)​ ​News Link

​ hina steel sector slows growth due to coronavirus outbreak

6. C
Key points :
1) China Steel Corp, China’s largest steelmaker, yesterday posted pre tax losses of
US$16.94 million for March, leading to first-quarter losses of NT$2.57 billion
2) Reason for losses : dwindling shipments & lower prices amid the COVID-19
pandemic, high costs associated with raw materials such as iron ore and coking coal
3) US-China trade war also has a role in this
(​Taipei Times, 27 April 2020) ​News Link

7. China’s Second-Quarter Rebound Already Losing Steam, Data Show

Key points:

1) Recovery from Q1 economic downturn depends on global/domestic demand

rebounding. This has however, remained weak. Uncertainty and possibility of global
recession looms large
2) Confidence of small/large Chinese companies remains shaken.
3) Sales remain sluggish, drop in exports, deterioration in external demand.
(Bloomberg, 25 April 2020) ​News Link

8. Chinese cinemas ‘on their knees,’ reduced to selling popcorn

Key Points :

1) Release of severalChinese movies postponed due to theatre closures China’s top

theatre chain Wanda Film Holding has reported losses of around $92 million.
2) Multiple other theatre chains, distributors, producers have faced huge losses.
Recovery expected in Q2 or Q3. Uncertainty in the industry due to no indication from
the Chinese government over reopening of the theatres.
4) Many small operators on the brink, says a PwC study. More popularity of online
streaming platforms has caused additional problems for the traditional Chinese movie
industry. Multiple sources say that cinema owners have been reduced to selling
popcorns without movies and offering their sites for wedding shoots.
(South China Morning Post, 25 April 2020) ​News Link
9. U.S. Pressures China To Close Wet Markets Thought To Be Source Of COVID-19
Key points:

1) Following a virtual meeting of the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast

Asian Nations (ASEAN), US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cited a connection
between ​pathogens that jump from animals to humans​ and the traditional Chinese
markets, where vendors in small, tightly packed stalls sell vegetables, live fish and
meat.
2) "WHO's position is that these markets should be allowed to reopen only if they
conform to stringent food safety and hygiene standards," Tedros said last Friday.
(NPR.org, 23 April 2020) ​News Link

10. More Americans have negative views of China than ever before: poll
Key Points :
1) 66% of Americans have negative views of China
2) Reasons : trade deficit with China, job losses to China, Communist country, human
rights violations, coronavirus pandemic.
3) Republicans dislike China more than Democrats do.
(New York Post, 22 April 2020)​ ​News Link

11. China's virus-hit economy shrinks for first time in decades.

Key Points :
1) China's economy shrank for the first time in decades in the Q1 of the year, as the
virus forced factories and businesses to close.
2) Chinese economy contracted 6.8%
3) This is the first time China has seen its economy shrink in Q1 of the year since it
started recording quarterly figures in 1992.
4) This GDP contraction might translate into permanent income losses, reflected in
bankruptcies across small companies and job losses.
(BBC, 17 April 2020) ​News Link

12. Will the pandemic permanently change people's dining habits?

Key points :
1) Multiple people have stopped going outside their homes for dining/eating.
2) Hygiene conditions, in the wake of coronavirus pandemic, have become an important
factor in the minds of consumers
3) However, some people state that eating more at home than at restaurants is a short
term change and not a long term one.
​(China.org, 19 April 2020) ​News Link

13. EU puts anti-dumping duties on stainless steel from China, Indonesia and Taiwan
Key points :
1) The duties will help the EU steel industry recover, helping it ensure fair conditions in
its trade with Chinese steel companies.
2) Investigation into the matter had begun after a complaint was lodged by by the
European Steel Association on behalf of EU producers.
​ ews Link
(Reuters, 11 April 2020)​ N

14. How COVID-19 Will Transform the Fresh Food Industry in China
Key points :
1) Chinese businesses might soon encounter whereby consumers in the country are
more wary of the sourcing and distribution of their meat products and other food
supplies.
2) Change necessary in supply chain - industrial farming, processing, storage etc.
3) Unlikely that fresh food markets/wet markets will flourish in the long run because
many young and middle-age consumers’ preferences are changing due to hygiene
factors primarily and the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
(China Briefing, 8 April 2020) ​News Link
15. China and its exotic-animal wet markets are incubators of human diseases like coronavirus
Key points :
1) Living closely with animals, in particular animals that can share their diseases with
humans
2) Centuries-old tradition of eating strange animals and/or using them for medical
purposes, combined with unsanitary conditions, creates a uniquely fecund
environment for human sickness.
3) China must end its dangerous practices​.
(USA Today, 8 April 2020) ​News Link

16. Pandemic likely to permanently change dining habits of Asian consumers, a study says
Key points :
1) Asian consumers are expected to eat less out and more at home as Covid-19
changes attitudes and behaviours of consumers.
2) In China, 86 per cent of those polled said they would eat at home more often than
before the outbreak.
3) Social distancing, resulting as a consequence of coronavirus pandemic, has played a
dominant role in adapting consumers to not dining out of homes.
(South China Morning Post, 6 April 2020)​ ​News Link

17. Slowing global demand due to coronavirus hits China's manufacturing sector in April, two
sets of data show
Key Points :

1) Slow export demand. Analysis of various readings show that the recovery in demand
was weaker than the recovery in production.
2) Public sector of the country is facing a higher burden.
(CNBC, 29 April 2020)​ ​News Link

18. Wuhan Rent Protest Shows Unrest Brewing in China After Lockdown
Key Points :

1) Protests in Wuhan, epicentre of Coronavirus, against the government. Demand raised

for cutting the rent. Protesters held placards with ‘Can’t survive’ ‘Exempt rental for a
year or refund the lease’.
2) Complaint : no business since the outbreak. Despite lifting of the lockdown, certain
restrictions on traffic/movement continue. Protesters were assaulted by police.
3) Protests also reported in neighbouring Hubei & Jiangxi province between civilians &
cops over a border closure district. Violent clashes.People were refrained from
crossing the bridge. Hubei residents were stopped from exiting the province which led
to heavy sloganeering, physical altercations & vandalism.
(Bloomberg, 10 April 2020)​ ​News Link

 Chapter 3 : China reported false death toll figures

​ hina coronavirus cases may have been four times official figure, says study
1. C
Key points :
1) Study conducted by researchers at Hong Kong University’s School of Public Health
2) China has used a very narrow definition of coronavirus disease in calculating the
death toll from the virus.
(The Guardian, 23 April, 2020) ​News Link
 ​ oronavirus: Why China's claims of success raise eyebrows
2. C
​ Key points :
1) Chinese figures cannot be trusted. Firstly, China has a history of secretive data
keeping.
2) Secondly, it covered up the virus initially. Thirdly, the National Health Commission of
China issued seven different versions of the definition for COVID19.
3) This amounts to changing goalposts.
(BBC, 7 April 2020)​ ​News Link

3. China Pushes for Quiet Burials as Coronavirus Death Toll Is Questioned

​ Key points :
1) China maintains strict surveillance over burial of people dying from the virus.
2) This surveillance, say the deceased people’s relatives, arouses suspicions of Chinese
govt’s attempts to control the narrative over the number of deaths etc.
(New York Times, 3 April 2020)​ ​News Link

​ uhan's death toll could be astronomically higher than the Chinese government has
4. W
reported, some residents say
​ Key points :
1) Residents report an increase in the shipment of urns (pots used to store ashes of the
deceased person) to the city's 8 funeral homes.
2) Also, the incinerators have been working round-the-clock.
(Business Insider, 31 March 2020) ​News Link

 
Chapter 4 : China created coronavirus

1. China Opposes Any Probe Into COVID-19 Origin

Key Points :

1) Opposes Any arbitrary probe. Says, the world is demanding a probe on presumption
of guilt and the demand for a probe is political.
2) China proclaims that the US and the world are targeting it and want to build selective
evidence to support a theory of China’s deliberate faults, through the probe.
(Kalinga TV, 30 April 2020)​ ​News Link

2. How China locked down internally for COVID-19, but pushed foreign travel
Key Points :

1) Foreign travel pushed till March in China, evidence suggests.

2) China locked down its own cities but it spread travel and the virus violently throughout
the world.
(Economic Times, 30 April 2020)​ ​News Link

3. China is making the most of the coronavirus to dislodge the US as the world’s main
superpower.
Key Points:

1) China is aggressively pushing its foreign policy agenda.

2) Enforcing sovereignty over the South China Sea, control in Hong Kong.
3) China created two new districts for cities on Yongxing Island. China using struggling
national debts to gain assets in Africa.
(Business Insider, 29 April, 2020) ​News Link

4. How China is ruthlessly exploiting the coronavirus pandemic it helped cause.

Key Points :

1) Beijing is taking advantage of the chaos to pursue its long-term foreign policy goals
more aggressively.
2) Amid all this, China has launched a global disinformation campaign to deflect blame
for the virus onto other countries.
(Vox, 28 April 2020) ​News Link
5. China lab rejects COVID-19 conspiracy claims, but virus origins still a mystery
Key Points :
1) Conspiracy theories were fuelled by a widely read scientific paper from the Indian
Institute of Technology, since withdrawn, claiming that proteins in the coronavirus
shared an “uncanny similarity” with those of HIV.
2) Chinese unsure and step back when asked if the lab would share the data for
international investigation and cooperate in future.
(Reuters, 28 April 2020)​ N​ ews Link

6. China tried to patent potential coronavirus drug Remsvidir the DAY AFTER Beijing
confirmed virus was transmissible between humans
Key Points :
1) On January 21, a patent for commercial use of Remdesivir – a drug initially created
by an American pharmaceutical firm to fight ebola – was filed in China.
2) The application was made by Wuhan Institute of Virology, the top-secret
bio-laboratory at the centre of concerns about a possible leak of the disease from its
research on bats, and the country’s Military Medicine Institute.
(Mail Online, 25 April 2020)​ ​News Link

7. China pressured EU to drop COVID disinformation criticism: sources

Key Points :

1) China sought to block a European Union report alleging that Beijing was spreading
disinformation about the coronavirus outbreak, according to four sources and
diplomatic correspondence reviewed by Reuters.
2) The report was released, albeit with dilution in its tone of allegations against China.
3) This is being seen as a balancing act by the EU.
4) A senior Chinese official had contacted the EU before the release and told it that the
criticism in the report will not help in cooperation.
(Reuers, 25 April 2020) ​News Link

8. Coronavirus: Tory MPs to examine 'rise of China’

Key Points :

1) "Beijing's long pattern of information suppression has contributed to the unfolding crisis.
The (Chinese Communist) Party are now using the current emergency to build
influence around the world." said the Tory group, headed by Tom Tugendhat
2) The group alleged that Communist Party of China has falsified data to prioritize its
survival over that of the Chinese people/citizens.
(BBC, 25 April 2020) ​News Link

9.China reportedly lobbied the EU to dial down criticism of its Covid-19 disinformation
campaigns.
Key Points :

1) The lobbying campaign proves that the Chinese government is attempting to control
narratives to defend its reputation, after failing to restrict coronavirus and to alert other
countries of the threat.
2) The report was put out by the European External Action Service’s Strategic
Communications division, that analyzes disinformation campaigns that affect the EU.
(Vox, 25 April 2020)​ ​News Link

10. China bristles at Australia’s call for investigation into coronavirus origin.
Key Points :

1) Beijing warns of a deterioration in relationship.

2) Australian PM has defended the decision of conducting the investigation.
3) Suggested allies to employ individual investigators rather than relying on WHO.
4) China threatens economic coercion/consequences.
(The Guardian, 25 April 2020)​ ​News Link
11. Nikki Haley launches petition urging Congress to investigate China over coronavirus crisis.
Key Points :
1) Nikki Haley also asks to crack down on communist governments around the world.
2) ‘Stop Communist China’ petition has been launched through her advocacy group
‘Stand for America’.
3) Accuses WHO of believing China despite it having evidence on the contrary.
(Fox, 23 April, 2020)​ ​News Link
12. The Wuhan Virus Is Finally Awakening Europe To China’s Imperialism
Key Points :
1) Chinese distribution of masks - imperialism in the form of Trojan Horse and not a sign
of friendship or humanitarian aid.
2) The world has to be wary of Chinese help and has take to see the sinister motives of
China behind the move to ‘help’ other nations.
(The Federalist, 21 April 2020)​ ​News Link

13.Covid-19 virus accidentally leaked by an intern in China: Fox News report claims
Key Points :
1) Fox News report that said the coronavirus may have been accidentally leaked by an
intern working at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.
2) “Patient zero” worked at the laboratory. The lab employee was accidentally infected
before spreading the disease among the common people outside the lab in Wuhan
city.Wuhan wet market never really sold bats.
3) It was a setup established by China to shift the blame from the laboratory.
​ ews Link
(The Hindu, 18 April 2020)​ N

​ April
14. ‘Biological Chernobyl’: How China’s secrecy fueled coronavirus suspicions – 17th
2020
Key Points :
1) America’s intelligence agencies aren’t dismissing the idea outright; they’ve been
examining the theory for months, said people briefed on the intelligence, and the
congressional intelligence committees have been asking various agencies if hard
evidence exists to support it.
2) “You can see how the Chinese Communist Party has continued to lie about this from
the very beginning, as if they have something to cover up,” the senator said. “If that’s
the case, it really is the biggest, the costliest, the most deadly cover-up in the history
of mankind.
(Politico, 17 April 2020)​ ​News Link

 
Chapter 5 : Chinese relief material faulty

1. Entire UK order of 250 Chinese ventilators ditched over danger to lives

Key Points :

1) Doctors found breathing kits were so badly made they feared they could kill patients
2) All of them were found dangerous.
3) Oxygen supply in the devices was variable and unreliable, their build quality was
basic
4) Designed for ambulances, not hospitals.
(The Guardian, 1 May 2020)​ ​News Link

2. Irresponsible to call Chinese test kits "faulty": Chinese Spokesperson

Key points :

1) Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) asked states to stop using

the rapid antibody test kits and return them to the manufacturers in
China.
2) This was called irresponsible by the Chinese Embassy’s
Spokesperson.He called this preemptive prejudice.
(The Hindu, 28 April 2020) ​News Link
3. Countries criticize China for sending – and resending – faulty coronavirus test kits, supplies
Key Points :
1) Spain has cancelled its order of 640,000 test kits because the kits are incapable of
testing accurately. Their quality is ubstandard.
2) Netherlands says that the masks it has received from China are faulty as they do not
filter air properly.
3) Czech Republic has found multiple faults in the thousands of testing kits it has
received from China.
4) Australia has found faults in the masks received from China.
5) Scientists from Georgia, Turkey, Slovakia & Britain, too have complained about the
testing kits received from China.
(Fox News, 23 April 2020) ​News Link

4. Canada: 1 million respirators acquired from China unfit for coronavirus fight
Key Points :
1) Country’s Health Authority says one million KN95 respirators acquired from China
have failed to meet federal standards.
2) Also, multiple airplanes sent to China to pick relief material returned empty handed
due to severe transportation delays etc, something that the Chinese authorities have
disputed.
(Politico, 23 April 2020)​ ​News Link

5. ​COVID-19: India suspends use of Chinese test kits.

Key Points :
1) ICMR suspends use of rapid testing kits imported from China, citing
inaccuracy in results. Too much variation in results.
(AA, 22 April, 2020) ​News Link

6. Coronavirus: US university stops using Chinese testing kits after some found to be
contaminated
​Key Points :
1) University of Washington School of Medicine says a small percentage of vials
changed colour which is an indication of bacterial growth.
2) It had airlifted tens of thousands of kits from the Shanghai factory.
3) Laboratory testing has confirmed the presence of bacteria in the vials.
(South China Morning Post, 21 April, 2020)​ ​News Link

7. Thousands of CONTAMINATED Chinese-made coronavirus testing kits are recalled

but some have already been used in US
Key Points :

1) Washington state in the US has withdrawn 12,000 coronavirus test kits bought from
China, after they have been found contaminated.
2) The state’s Department of Health complained of “unusual color in the kits.
(The Sun, 21 April 2020)​ ​News Link

 
Chapter 6 : China tightens control on media to save its global brand/image

1. Time may be ripe for China to invade Taiwan

Key Points :
1) China has recently deployed fighter jets and nuclear-capable bombers near Taiwan.
2) Vacuum opened in the South China Sea near Taiwan strait.
3) The US has jumped in. Taiwan is of military importance to it, though it has no rights .
4) Taiwan, weak, may not be able to withstand the attack.
(Asia Times, 28 April 2020)​ ​News Link
2. Chinese internet users who uploaded coronavirus memories to GitHub have been arrested
Key Points :

1) A group of volunteers in China who worked to prevent digital records of the

coronavirus outbreak from being scrubbed by censors are now targets of a
crackdown.
2) They were accused of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” a commonly
used charge against dissidents in China
(Quartz, 27 April 2020)​ ​News Link

3. China tries to boost its COVID-19 containment reputation through censorship and
diplomatic pressure
Key Points :

1) Beijing is taking steps to control the narrative of the virus outbreak.

2) This includes both domestic censorship and international diplomacy, where pressure
has been applied to tamp down criticism and boost positive portrayals of China’s
handling of COVID-19.
3) Chinese authorities are closely observing investigation calls around the world and are
expressing anguish at the same.
(Sup China, 27 April 2020)​ ​News Link

4. Doctor in China Punished for Criticizing Hospitals Using Unproven Drugs on

Virus Patients
Key Points :

1) The deputy director of a hospital at the epicenter of the CCP virus

outbreak in China was recently demoted after he criticized the treatments
being used for virus patients in Chinese.
2) Yu emphasized that a medicine can only be used after repeated testing,
such as in vitro experiments, animal experiments, clinical trials, and so
on.
(The Epoch Times, 27 April 2020)​ ​News Link

 Chapter 7 : Chinese secret actions in Hong Kong, Taiwan & South China Sea

1.​ ​Hong Kong arrests and Taiwan flybys: China advances its interests during Covid-19 crisis
Key Points :
1) China has been accused of using the coronavirus pandemic as an excuse to take
provocative actions, including expansions in the South China Sea, crackdowns on
activists in Hong Kong and further detention of activists in the mainland.
2) Some analysts have suggested Beijing is ​sending a message that China’s aggressive
foreign policy is still business as usual​, or t​ esting its adversaries for weaknesses​.
(The Guardian, 26 April 2020​)​ N ​ ews Link
2. Tensions between US & China heighten over Taiwan
Key Points :
1) A US naval warship sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait for the second time in a
month.
2) The US termed it as a routine tour in accordance with international law.
3) China has conducted similar exercises, terming them as routine too
4) The US has always been concerned over China’s control over Taiwan.
(The Eurasian Times, 25 April 2020)​ ​News Link
3. Hong Kong bookstore under attack in China reopens in Taiwan
​Key Points :

1) Owner of a bookstore that houses texts critical of the Chinese leadership reopened
his shop in Taiwan after fleeing Hong Kong due to legal troubles.
2) The opening and accompanying news conference came days after Lam Wing-kee
was splattered with red paint by a masked man while sitting alone at a coffee shop in
Taiwan.
3) Lam suffered no serious physical injuries and showed little sign of the attack other
than a red tint to his hair.China’s leaders don’t want to allow a bookstore selling
tomes that would “make them uncomfortable or impact on their political power,” Lam
told journalists.
(Spectrum News, 25 April 2020​)​ N ​ ews Link
4. World busy with Covid-19, Beijing pushes South China Sea agenda
Key Points :
1) A US warship sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait on a “routine” transit for the
second time in a month, the US military said on Friday, hours after US Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo accused China of taking advantage of the world’s focus on the
Covid-19 pandemic to push its territorial ambitions in the South China Sea.
2) Beijing is pushing to envelope the South China Sea.
(Hindustan Times, 24 April 2020)​ ​News Link

5. Hong Kong and Taiwan face rising dangers from China

Key Points :
1) China has increased its crackdown on people of Hong Kong. Various activists have
been arrested.
2) Pandemic serves as a distraction to strike pro-democracy protesters.
3) Crushing the dissent in Hong Kong is more necessary to Xi’s rule now than before
the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
4) Xi’s internal political crisis apparently also has driven his ​recent moves toward
Taiwan​. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has increased its activities around the
democratic, self-ruled island.
(The Hill, 24 April 2020)​ ​News Link

6.China’s Hidden Crackdown in Tibet

Key Points :
1) The officials told monks that the building was not allowed. The next day, April 2,
police arrived with a bulldozer and razed it to the ground.
2) When the abbot of the monastery appealed against the destruction, he was beaten,
and he and two other monks were threatened with imprisonment.
3) The coronavirus pandemic has enabled these strategies to be fully tested. Phone
apps previously used to track Tibetans’ every movement were used for contract
tracing, and measures to immediately cut communications.
(The Diplomat, 22 April 2020)​ ​News Link

7. Tensions between US & China heighten over Taiwan

Key Points :
1) For nearly half a century, the People’s Republic of China has effectively blocked
Taiwan from joining the WHO.
2) Despite never having exercised authority over the island, the Chinese Communist
Party (CCP) officially considers Taiwan part of its territory, and forces international
organizations—including the United Nations and its agencies like the WHO—to affirm
its view.
(The Nation, 3 April 2020)​ ​News Link
 Chapter 8 : Backlash against Communist Party of China
1. Coronavirus Diplomacy : How China’s Red Cross Serves the Communist Party
Key Points :
1) China’s Red Cross has been built, funded and directed by the Chinese Communist
Party​.
2) Pitting the group’s goal of helping people against the party’s interests in maintaining
control over society.
3) Aid was bought late and when bought, they prioritized local officials over health care
workers.
4) Allows Beijing to determine how the money is spent and ensures the state gets
credit for good deeds.
(New York Times, 28 April 2020)​ ​News Link

2. Letter: The Communist Party of China is somewhat responsible for COVID-19

Key Points :

1) We need to separate Communist Party of China from the Chinese people.

2) The latter are a victim of CPC’s totalitarian policies and the recent COVID19
epidemic that could’ve been prevented had the CPC not concealed info on the
same.
(Deseret News, 27 March 2020)​ ​News Link

3. ​Blame the Chinese Communist Party for the coronavirus crisis

Key Points :

1) Human rights activists call the Communist Party of China to be the biggest of all
viruses.
2) Party concealed vital info on COVID19.
3) Those who’ve criticized the Party and the Government for its negligence/actions
have been imprisoned.
(Catholic News Agency, 24 April 2020)​ ​News Link

4. Coronavirus : The Chinese Communist Party should not be forgiven

Key Points :

1) Allows Beijing to determine how the money is spent and ensures the state gets
credit for good deeds.
2) In December 2019, when the now martyred Dr. Li Wenliang and his medical
colleagues first raised the alarm about the coronavirus, the Party—in typical
autocratic mode—is believed to have censored the emerging facts and repressed
the whistle-blowers, forcing them to ‘confess’ to anti-social behaviour.
3) In doing so they lost a precious month when they could have alerted the world to the
impending danger.
(CityAM, 20 April 2020)​ ​News Link

5. ​CPC’s culture of corruption and repression has cost lives around the world
Key Points :

1) Had CPC reported figures earlier, the global pandemic could’ve been controlled.
2) A study by University of Southampton has suggested that the pandemic could’ve
been down by around 95%
(The Globe and Mail, 14 April 2020)​ ​News Link

6. ​Blame the Chinese Communist Party for the coronavirus crisis

Key Points :

1) Communism is a grave threat to the entire world. Party lied and censored
information about COVID19 that led to the global pandemic. Whistleblowers were
silenced by the party.
(USA Today, 5 April 2020)​ ​News Link
 Chapter 9 : Sanctions/actions against China by other countries

1. ​Pressure mounts on Trump to “drop the hammer” on China

Key Points:
1) 1. Trump wants to retaliate against China.
2) 2. Mike Pompeo and other Republican senators are also keen on cornering
3) and castigating China.
4) 3. One idea other consideration is to strip China of its sovereign immunity
5) status under US Law.
6) 4. This will allow the US government and private citizens to sue China on
7) US territory
(Vox, 1 May 2020) ​News Link

2. China firms mull filing counter cases, as they fear ‘anti-China’ politics.
Key Points :

1) Concerns in China that Chinese companies operating/situated overseas could be

impacted due to ‘anti-China’ politics, of which legal petitions are a part.
2) Many Chinese factories are seeing widespread declines in export orders, delays,
cancellations etc. Some face risk of going bankrupt. In Q1, Chinese total exports
dropped by 11.4% year on year
3) Deteriorating external environment : risk for Chinese economy.
4) To help Chinese businesses handle potential disputes over business contracts, the
China Chamber of International Commerce, which represents 246,000 Chinese
companies, & Beijing-based Deheng Law Group have published a series of legal
guidelines for companies to follow in an international business dispute, including
legal procedures in the US and other markets.
(Global Times, 24 April 2020) ​News Link

​ mart Sanctions for China

3. S
Key Points :
1) The United States has a great deal of untapped economic leverage over China.
2) How economic sanctions were brought against South Africa in 1980s against
Apartheid like disinvestment.
3) China should be treated with the same model of the 1980s in the 2020s.
4) Chinese firms prove their accounting standards cannot be trusted.
5) Plans of major disinvestments being followed as many in the US like senators
opposing working with China.
6) Applying stringent rules on accounting standards for Chinese firms.
(Am Greatness, 23 April 2020) ​News Link

4. Mumbai lawyer sues China for $2.5tn over the coronavirus outbreak
​Key Points:

1) Ashish Sohani approached International Criminal Court in Netherlands on 14 April

arguing that China's attempts at downplaying the contagion was "treason against
humanity"
2) Sued Xi Jinping, 4 other govt officials for criminal negligence, wilful suppression of
information.
3) Demands compensation for loss of lives & economic damage to Indian govt &
people of India.
4) Case not for biological warfare but for negligence. Says, ‘intention of warfare’’ is
difficult to prove.
(Live Mint, 22 April 2020) ​News Link
 ​ issouri Sues China, Communist Party Over The Coronavirus Pandemic
5. M
Key Points:

1) Missouri’s Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed the lawsuit alleging hiding of info that
led to loss of life & economy.
2) Case against China, three government ministries, two local governments, two
laboratories and the Chinese Communist Party
3) Case is unusual & most judges would find that they don't have jurisdiction over a
matter between a U.S. state and a sovereign nation. China will be protected by its
sovereign immunity.
4) Schmitt’s counter : In the law, there’s an exception for commercial activity and labs
and hospitals are commercial ventures. He's also counting the Chinese Communist
Party as a nonstate actor, which he says fortifies his legal argument.
(NPR, 21 April 2020)​ ​News Link

6. International law experts blame China over virus damage

Key Points :

1) Under International Law, China is responsible for the Act of Omission .

2) Question is how to get any reparation
3) Sanctions against China have to be legal under World Trade Organization (WTO)
4) Which can be based on health concerns not punishing China for wrongful actions.
(AA, 20 April 2020) ​News Link

7. Former Liberal justice minister urges sanctions against Chinese officials who covered up
early COVID-19 outbreak
​ ey Points:
K

1) Former Liberal justice minister Irwin Cotler, a leading international champion of

human rights, is blaming the Chinese government for the scale and spread of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
2) Mr. Cotler is urging Canada to impose Magnitsky-style sanctions on Chinese
officials who mistreated or silenced whistleblowers, including medical staff and
citizens, in the early days of the pandemic.
(The Globe and Mail, 16 April 2020) ​News Link

8. ​Travel restrictions on China due to COVID 19

Key Points:

1) This is a global tracker mapping the countries that have imposed some form of
travel restriction against China as of April 3.
2) Kind of restrictions : border closures, entry/exit bans, visa restrictions, flight
suspensions, flight suspensions.
3) Contains names of 96 countries that have imposed travel restrictions against China
(Think Global Health, 6 April 2020)​ N ​ ews Link

9. The International Council of Jurists (ICJ) and All India Bar Association (AIBA) have filed a
complaint in the UNHRC seeking reparations from China over the global spread of coronavirus
Key Points:

1) Petition accuses China of inaction/negligence & asks for setting China's legal liability
for committing ‘grave offences against humanity’.
2) Demands adequate compensation to the international community, especially India
3) Accuses China of developing a bio-weapon in a Wuhan Lab
4) Basis for demanding compensation - serious physical, psychological, economic &
social harm caused to various countries
(Business Today, 4 April 2020)​ N ​ ews Link
10. Taking China to the International Court of Justice over COVID-19
Key Points:
1) Scholars claim that China’s conduct w.r.t COVID-19 violates International Health
Regulations, particularly the obligations of timely notification and information-sharing
in Articles 6 and 7. Had China complied with these obligations, there would arguably
be​ ​exponentially fewer cases.
2) They believe China “can and should be sued for the enormous damages
3) However, these scholars fail to identify a jurisdictional basis for an international
court/tribunal to hold China responsible for these violations. Dispute settlement
mechanism in Article 56 of the International Health Regulations provides for
arbitration only in the event that China consents, which, needless to say, is very
unlikely.
4) Thus, on the whole, the legal case against China at international level is a challenge
in itself. No clear consensus exists on the possibility of a country suing China.
(EJI Talk, 2 April 2020) ​News Link

11. A $20 trillion lawsuit has been filed in the US by American lawyer Larry Klayman and his
advocacy group Freedom Watch along with Texas company Buzz Photos against China over
the coronavirus outbreak
Key Points:
1) Against Chinese govt & army, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Director of the institute,
Army’s Major General Chen Wei
2) Accusation : China developed bio-weapon, conspiracy to cause death/injury to US
citizens and cause international terrorism
3) Amount of lawsuit : $20 trillion (which is bigger than the size of China’s GDP)
(Business Today, 2 April 2020) ​News Link

12. ​40+ people have filed complaint, in UP’s Lakhimpur, against China’s President Xi Jinping
over coronavirus situation
Key Points:
1) Several migrants from Nepal are also included in the list of those who’ve filed the
complaint
(Economic Times, 1 April 2020) ​News Link

13. ​US lawyer files a federal lawsuit over coronavirus, seeking class-action damages from
China for $32 million U.S. small businesses.
Key Points:

1) Attorney Robert Eglet says that China hid info ​about the outbreak and that U.S.
small businesses should receive billions of dollars in damages. The case seeks
class-action status for 32 million businesses for lost income and profits.
2) Case filed on behalf of 5 Las Vegas businesses.
(US News ,24 March 2020) ​News Link

14. ​Complaint filed against Chinese President Xi Jinping for spreading Coronavirus in Bihar
Court
Key Points:
1) Complainant Sudheer Kumar Ojha has relied upon a book titled 'The Eyes of
Darkness' which was published in 1981
2) He says Xi Jinping spread the virus intentionally to harm the Indian economy.
3) As per the book, a deadly virus named Wuhan 400 was manufactured in a lab in
Wuhan, only to be used as a biological weapon.
(Bar and Bench, 17 March 2020) ​News Link
15. Class Action filed in Baltimore , US Against China Over COVID-19 Outbreak
Key Points:
1) Attorney : Matthew Moore, of Boca Raton, Florida’s The Berman Law Group
2) Plaintiffs : four Florida residents & baseball training center. Case against Chinese
Govt & Health/Emergency departments. Hubei province & Wuhan city
3) Argument Basis : Suit cites various exceptions to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities
Act, such as acts outside the United States dealing with a “commercial activity,” and
for personal injury/death.
4) Allegation : Failure to report/contain the virus, or disclose the actual number of
cases, negligence, emotional distress, public nuisance and strict liability for
“conducting ultrahazardous activity.”
(Law Daily Business Review, 13 March 2020)​ ​News Link

 Chapter 10 : Various countries’ deteriorating relations with China

1.​Trump claims China will ‘do anything’ to stop his re-election as coronavirus row escalates.
Key Points:
1) Looking for different options in terms of consequences with Beijing :Trump
2) Claimed China wants Joe Bidden to win
3) Claims China using public relations to look innocent.
(The Guardian, 30 April 2020) ​News Link

2. 'They owe trillions' – Steve Bannon says China must be held accountable for coronavirus
spread
Key Points:
1) Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon
2) Sharply vocal against China.
3) Blamed the Communist Party clearly.
(CNBC, 30 April 2020) ​News Link

3.China bristles at Australia’s call for investigation into coronavirus origin.

Key points:
​ f a bitter relationship.
1) Beijing warns​ o
2) Australian PM open critique, calling out for investigation.
3) Suggested allies to employ individual investigators rather than WHO
4) ​China giving threats of economic coercion
(The Guardian, 29 April 2020) ​News Link

4. ​ Europe is worried about Chinese corporate takeovers tied to Covid-19

Key Points:
1) ​Europe enters recession, like it was seen after 2008 crisis
2) ​European institutions warning members to prevent Chinese buying spree.
3) ​NATO Deputy Secretary General also became vocal on the issue.
4) ​Similar spree happened on 2008 and 2016 by Chinese
5) Chinese Cosco Shipping ports took stake in Piraaeus and now owns in Belgium
and Spain
(Quartz, 29 April 2020) ​News Link

5. COVID-19: A ‘Reckoning’ for UK-China Relations.

Key Points:
1) The UK has been the most eager partner to Beijing in the last few years.
2) COVID 19 a turning point in the relationship.
3) Threat to bilateral links as the UK starts softly blaming China for not being vocal.
(The Diplomat, 29 April 2020) ​News Link
6. Africa cannot buy the silence of the continent
Key Points:
1) Mass scale discrimination against Africans in Guangzhou.
2) African governments are timid in reaction because China has been their single
greatest creditor.
3) Shadow of COVID 19 fueling high arrests of Africans, racism on heights.
(The Diplomat, 28 April 2020) ​News Link

7. Australia called 'gum stuck to China's shoe' by state media in coronavirus investigation
stoush
Key Points:
1) ​Australia is the most vocal critic of China , hence facing a lot of backlash.
2) Chinese diplomat puts up threatening questions like ​ ​‘Why should we drink
Australian wine? Eat Australian beef?’
3) Chinese diplomat calling it political manoeuvre.
4) Australia is still standing strong on the point made.
(The Guardian, 28 April 2020) ​News Link

8. ​Germany says China sought to encourage positive COVID-19 comments

Key Points:
1) Chinese diplomats approached German government officials in an attempt to
encourage them to make positive statements on how Beijing is handling the
coronavirus pandemic
2) The German government is aware of individual contacts made by Chinese diplomats
3) The letter was dated April 22 and was sent to Green Party member of parliament
Margarete Bause
(National Post, 26 April 2020)​ News Link

9. China’s nationalism might work at home, but it’s causing upset on the world stage : experts
Key Points;

1) Authorities rely on nationalism as part of legitimation strategy at home.

2) This strategy risks derailing national rejuvenation.
3) Fake news including articles about countries wanting to return back to china being
spread through chineses messengers like wechat and weibo.
(South China Morning Post, 26 April 2020)​ ​News Link

10. China's Africa outreach frays, nations threaten to cut economic links
Key Points:
1) Africa and China have run into rough waters.
2) China forced coronavirus testing on African nationals and students.
3) Several africans left homeless after they were sent out of hotels and rental homes.
4) Tanzanian President John Magufuli has cancelled the $10 billion Chinese loan
agreement signed by his predecessor Jakaya Kikwete.
(Business standard, 25 April 2020) ​News Link

11. China pressured EU to drop COVID disinformation criticism: sources

Key Points:
1) China sought to block a European Union report alleging that Beijing was spreading
disinformation about the coronavirus outbreak
2) Report had initially been slated for release on April 21 but was delayed after
Chinese officials picked up on a Politico news report that previewed its findings.
(Reuters, 25 April 2020)​ ​News Link
12. China promoting US lockdown protests, spreading coronavirus misinformation online
Key Points:
1) During the early stages of the outbreak in the United States, Chinese agents
reportedly sent text messages to Americans warning the government would soon
impose a nationwide lockdown with little notice to prepare, The New York Times
reported, citing six U.S. intelligence officials from six separate agencies.
2) Research conducted by the Alliance for Securing Democracy found “Beijing is
increasing its presence on western social media platforms and taking a more
confrontational approach to information manipulation that draws on Russia’s tactics.”
(Fox News, 23 April 2020) ​News Link

13. Trade between China and Africa dropped 14% in the first quarter and could get worse
Key Points:
1) China bound exports from Africa slowed by 17.5% in the first quarter.
2) China started coming out of the virus at the end of the quarter whereas the
quarantine and curfew began in Africa in the second quarter.
3) China -Africa trade is heavily imbalanced with large deficit
(Quartz, 23 April) ​News Link

 Chapter 11: Problems for Chinese One Belt One Road initiative

1. Corona or OBOR, World Has To Be Wary of China

Key Points :
1) Italy, caught in political instability and economic morass for the last few years,
signed the OBOR agreement in 2019 that opened the door to the Chinese and the
pandemic followed.
2) Lombardy and Tuscany have most chinese workers on the project.
3) Lombardy has been affected the most.
4) Similar became the case with Iran who signed OBOR IN 2019 after being pushed by
the Trump administration.
(The Siasat Daily, 29 April 2020)​ ​News Link

2. ​How Covid19 Pandemic has reset international relations

Key Points:
1) US paying for its manufacturing units to return back
2) India needs to establish diplomatic ties with Germany, South Korea and Japan.
3) The Chinese and the Russians will use this opportunity to gain space in the
international arena to gain their dominance in the Middle East and Africa
4) OBOR will have to be contested by the US and its limited allies
(Financial Express, 27 April 2020) ​News Link

3.Expert warns of dark future for China's OBOR projects amid COVID-19 outbreak
Key Points:
1) Baseer Naved , and environmentalist in Hong Kong expresses concerns for
environmental damages
2) Environmental negligence and no Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) can
prove fatal to the world which has already started showing by the pandemic.
(ANI News,26 March 2020) ​News Link

4.OBOR-participating nations pay hefty price for ties with China amid COVID-19 scare
Key Points:
1) Short-sighted and foolish decisions of the leaders of Italy and Iran to enthusiastically
sign up for the OBOR have put them in worse conditions.
2) Presence of Chinese workers in Pakistan for construction under
China-Pakistan-Economic-Corridor (CPEC) - flagship project under the mega OBOR
- has raised concerns of the surge in the number of cases in the country
( Times of India, 20 March 2020) ​News Link
 Chapter 12 : Increased skepticism against China in post-Corona international

order

1.Nations finally wake up to Chinese threat

Key Points:
1) Global order would undergo a total overhaul after the coronavirus pandemic.
2) Most countries have come to realise how China has been allowed to spread its
tentacles without resistance.
3) Japan fired first by setting up a $2.2 billion dedicated fund to help its companies that
opted to shift their production out of China.
4) The EU decided to keep China out of their industrial, agriculture, trade and services
ecosystem.
5) On April 8, the German Cabinet approved tightening of rules against the takeover of
critical infrastructure and enterprises by foreign companies, especially from the US
and China
(New Indian Express, 28 April 2020)​ ​News Link

2.​The Future Is Asian—but Not Chinese

Key Points:
1) The pandemic has raised the stakes of the competition from a struggle for economic
dominance to a contest between rival models.
2) Corona virus originating in Wuhan, has spread across the world. More countries
now realise that the future of the world might be Asian, but not Chinese.
(Foreign Policy, 27 April 2020)​ ​News Link

3.​ ​Wuhan weathered Covid-19. But can it survive what comes next?
Key Points:
1) The citizens of China are left mentally and financially drained
2) With fears rising of a second wave of infections which could cause even more
financial pain across China
3) many people who can no longer go back to what they were doing before the
outbreak
4) Wuhan's experience also shows the deep scars that a lengthy lockdown can have
on a community and the long path back to normality.
5) Bank loans and rents to pay.
(CNN World, 24 April 2020) ​News Link

 Chapter 13 : WHO-China relationship

1.​Trump administration asks intelligence agencies to find out whether China, WHO hid info on
coronavirus pandemic.
Key Points:
1) White House orders the use of communication intercepts, satellite imagery, and
human source reporting to establish an investigation against China and WHO.
2) Tasking sent to National Security Agency and Defense Intelligence Agency
(NBC News, 29 April 2020) ​News Link

2.​China is injecting millions into the WHO as the US cuts funds. Experts say Beijing is trying to
boost its influence over the agency and its 'deeply compromised' chief.
​Key Points:

1) Beijing sees an opportunity to boost its superficial credentials as a global contributor

to the pandemic following the US decision to halt funding to WHO
2) China's latest cash injection comes a week after th​e US announced its cutback.
(Business Insider, 24 April 2020)​ ​News Link
3.​The World Health Organization must stop covering up China’s mistakes
Key Points:
1) On March 11, the WHO provided conflicting and confusing guidance.
2) Instead of attempting independently to verify Chinese claims, the WHO took them at
face value and disseminated them to the world.
3) Meanwhile, China was hoarding personal protective equipment — scaling back
exports of Chinese-made PPE and other medical gear and importing the rest of the
world’s supply.
4) Despite the WHO’s repeated deference to China, the authorities there did not allow
a WHO team to visit until mid-February​.
​ ews Link
(Market Watch, 23 April 2020)​ N

4. Trump Slammed the W.H.O. Over Coronavirus. He’s Not Alone.

Key Points:
1) In Japan, Taro Aso, the deputy prime minister and finance minister, recently noted
that some people have started referring to the World Health Organization as the
“Chinese Health Organization”
2) The W.H.O.’s tardiness or reluctance to call out the problem in full helped those who
wanted to delay difficult decisions.- Paris
(NY Times, 8 April 2020)​ ​News Link

5.​Blaming the WHO and China Is Not Scapegoating

Key Points:

1) China and the WHO centre of world catastrophe and must be held responsible.
2) Without China’s deceit and WHO’s solicitude for Beijing, the outbreak might have
been more limited.
3) WHO committed sins of omission—it lacked independence
4) WHO says its values “reflect the principles of human rights, universality, and equity.”
(Politico, 8 April 2020)​ ​News Link

6.​PIL To Be Filed In Supreme Court Of India against China, Investigation Already Going On The
Role Of WHO, ICJ Can Also Be Approached
​ ey Points:
K

1) Inventiva plans to file PIL in the Supreme Court of India through lawyer Oorja
Bhogal, after the lockdown is over.
2) Demanding legal damages of $1 trillion be deposited in the RBI within 60 days, by
the Chinese govt for the damages caused to & loss of business/economy as well as
financial losses suffered by Indian Govt/citizens.
3) The World Health Organisation has led to mass loss in 195 countries globally.
(Inventiva, 5 April 2020) ​News Link

7.WHO and Its Leader Play China’s Puppets on Coronavirus

Key Points:

1) Beijing has engaged in a widespread propaganda and disinformation campaign to

exculpate itself
2) WHO and its leader are China’s puppets. They’re pawns in in China’s gambit to
reshape international order to its advantage
3) In January WHO chief ,Mr. Tedros announced that Beijing had set “a new standard
for outbreak control” and praised Chinese actions that “bought the world time, even
though those steps have come at greater cost to China itself.”
(The Heritage Foundation, 3 April 2020)​ ​News Link
 Chapter 14 : UN-China relationship

1.China must not shape the future of human rights at the UN

​Key Points:
1) China must not shape the future of human rights at the UN
2) being given the power to influence the investigation of human rights issues around
the world.
3) UN Watch recently revealed that the People’s Republic of China had been selected
to join a special panel tasked with selecting the next group of special rapporteurs.
4) will oversee a whole slew of important human rights issues.
5) will immediately have the power to appoint or nix global investigators on freedom of
speech, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention and health.
(The Conversation, 29 April 2020) ​News Link

2.Hong Kong being watched 'closely' over activist arrests, says UN

Key Points:
1) UN closely watching the processes of arrest of 15 pro democracy leaders in Hong
Kong
2) Arrests widely criticised by US, UK and AUSTRALIA.
3) We remind the Hong Kong government of its obligations under the international
covenant on civil and political rights- UN
(The Guardian, 24 April 2020) ​News Link

3.U.N. Ambassador Says Inaction By WHO, China Would Be 'Unforgivable'

Key Points:
1) American ambassador to the UN asked for full transparency from the UN health
body.
2) Ambassador speaking on President Trump’s line.
3) Justifies a ceiling of funds to the WHO for 90 days as it is very important not only for
the US citizens but also for the world.
(NPR, 15 April 2020)​ N ​ ews Link