It Would Be Great to “Make China Pay” for COVID-19, But the Price Could Be High

Doug BandowMany of us hoped that economic liberalization in China would encourage political reform. The country did change dramatically: Maoism was tossed into history ’s trash bin, while personal autonomy and economic opportunity greatly expanded.Unfortunately, with Tiananmen Square the Chinese Communist Party decisively chose repression. Nevertheless, even though the regime remained authoritarian, academics, independent journalists, and others could debate ideas as long as they avoided directly challenging the CCP. The regime ’s control remained somewhat loose, giving hope of long‐​term improvement.Everything changed under Xi Jinping, who has turned the country in an aggressively authoritarian direction. The crackdown has been brutal: widespread religious persecution, a million or more Uighurs in reeducation camps, much tighter internet controls and social media censorship, elimination of independent media, restriction and elimination of academic freedom, and attempt to suppress any independent political thought. The PRC ’s foreign policy also has grown more aggressive, particularly toward Taiwan, Hong Kong, and territorial disputes.Into this volatile environment has come the COVID-19 crisis, which,I note in Foreign Policy online, “has greatly inflamed anti‐​China sentiments in a dangerous and counterproductive way. The Xi Jinping regime responded badly, missing an opportunity to isolate Wuhan early and perhaps prevent the emergence of a ...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs