Covid diplomacy - anyone else think this is a low blow?

[NearlyAlwaysInsane]

www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-taiwan-idUSKBN2BU0NH

Paraguay claims China offered to supply the vaccine in return for Paraguay stopping its recognition of Taiwan as independent of China.

This is a bit far from the UK, but I was shocked to see this - if true, a brazen, calculating, cold, and frankly horrendous manipulation of this crisis.

Why would I be shocked? Seriously, it's China! 🤷🏻‍♀️

Agree with pp:it's the CCP, why should we be surprised?

I’m more surprised that you’re surprised to be honest.

Well I'm surprised that you're surprised that I'm surprised!

I was living in a world where countries don't try to blackmail each other into political changes through threats of not supplying vaccines. Oh wait. Has anyone told Brussels? That could have been a good idea!

I wish I could still be that naive OP!

Google "belt and road", OP.

@NearlyAlwaysInsane

Well I'm surprised that you're surprised that I'm surprised!

I was living in a world where countries don't try to blackmail each other into political changes through threats of not supplying vaccines. Oh wait. Has anyone told Brussels? That could have been a good idea!

Well, I'm not if your response now surprises me😉 I know what you mean though:part of me yearns for the feelings of a rule book that I grew up. I'm not sure if that was my youth,being in my teens,but it dies feel like with gone from trying to get along in sane boat,to clearly trying to lob others over the side.

I'm not sure it's naive to hope that countries would help each other out.

But then I think of how the rest of Europe stiffed Italy over the migrant crisis when so many were arriving from N. Africa, and perhaps this is just one example of the same ugly pattern.

That's China for you OP. And to think, we copied their policies:
www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/china-covid-lockdown-propaganda

This all plays into the conspiracy theorists thinking on China. Create a virus --> 💣

China has always used these kind of tactics to enforce their national ambitions.

Airlines that list places like Taiwan get banned from operating within China.

Businesses that even look like they MIGHT be critical of the Chinese government and ten thousand government employees whip up a boycott campaign against them.

Australia criticised something or other and now all their exports to China are being targetted.

I will happily defend China's response to covid because as far as I can tell they didn't put a foot wrong and have become a scapegoat for the idiocy of western governments. However, they long ago took over the US mantle as the world's chief bully.

I wouldn't class myself as a conspiracy theorist LizzieMacQueen but can you see why the link I have posted would sound a few alarm bells? China's lack of transparency on this, it's feeding of disinformation, it's unhealthy influencing of - and attempting to bully - the WHO, and its general lack of cooperation with international agencies ... none of these things are imagined. Credible reports about them all are in the public domain.

China didn't put a foot wrong bookworm1632 ? Are you having a laugh?