China’s actions are increasingly being seen as a threat to world peace. Post coronavirus, the international community’s vigilance of China has increased manifold. And the US is leading this vigilantism, so to say.
In a fresh round of attack on China, the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that the country has deployed 60,000 soldiers at its border with India. He has also said that India ‘absolutely needs the United States to be their ally and partner in this fight’.
Foreign Ministers of the Quad group of countries – Australia, Japan, US, and India met in Tokyo on Tuesday for the first in-depth in-person talks since the coronavirus pandemic began. On his return to the US, Pompeo gave several interviews during which he criticized China’s actions and behavior and categorically said that the tide in the global geo-political order had begun to turn.
And the global tide has indeed began to turn against China as more and more countries are now demanding explanations and accountability from China with regard to the origin and spread of coronavirus. Even a couple of months back, there was news regarding the possibility of coronavirus being man made in a government lab in Wuhan. But that news was hushed hushed due to the censorship of social media at that point of time.
But now, things have drastically changed. With India having banned so many Chinese apps and other countries considering the same, China can no longer afford to resort to censorship of information. Doing so would further tarnish its already damaged reputation. Then, actions of China on Ladakh border and in Taiwan have also invited world censure.
China has been more than vocal about its opposition to any meeting between the quad members, saying that the quad members are in a way plotting against China and deliberately harming its interests. But that hasn’t deterred the quad from deepening mutual cooperation in military and economic spheres and think of new ways and means too look for alternative in the global supply and logistics chain. Right now, the world is overtly dependent on China with regard to global supply and logistics chain.
