Name: China outplayed the world on the day it was meant to face a reckoning over its coronavirus response
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China outplayed the world on the day it was meant to face a reckoning over its coronavirus response

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Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification.An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders. It often indicates a user profile.Redeem nowSign up for our newsletter to receive our top stories based on your reading preferences — delivered daily to your inbox.Something is loading.China was meant to face a reckoning this week over its early response to the coronavirus outbreak, outnumbered in public by dozens of angry nations at the World Health Assembly. Instead, it ended up outplaying the world.At Monday's , countries were meant to vote on a draft motion, proposed by Australia, that would have begun an investigation into the source of the novel coronavirus and China's role in the outbreak.It likely would have cast an unflattering light on China's early inaction and its suppression of information, which cost valuable days of preparation.But that motion didn't even make it to the table.Instead, the assembly was presented with a from the European Union that called for a review on "lessons learned," with few specifics.In other words, the new version does not call for an investigation into the origins of the virus in China. At no point does it mention China or Wuhan, the city where the first cases were found.Read more:&nbsp;More than 110 WHO member states had on Monday.As it became clear that the motion was going to pass, China reversed its earlier opposition and embraced it instead. It with no objections.President Xi Jinping on Monday also gave a to the assembly in which he:"China supports the idea of a comprehensive review of the global response to COVID-19," Xi said, "after it is brought under control to sum up experience and address deficiencies" (emphasis added).Dozens of nations still have outbreaks, meaning this criterion is unlikely to be met anytime soon, especially with . Many countries that eased restrictions, including Germany and China, had to .The WHO investigation "should be based on science and professionalism, led by WHO, and conducted in an objective and impartial manner," Xi said.The omission of the word "independent" is telling, .Carrying out independent investigations in China is notoriously difficult, especially if it could embarrass the ruling Communist Party.When international bodies demanded access to , home to the beleaguered Uighur Muslims, China gave and forbade researchers and journalists from investigating independently.If this is a glimpse of what a coronavirus investigation would look like, the world will struggle to hold China to account.The extra $2 billion almost matches WHO's entire annual program budget for 2019, . It means China is WHO's largest financial contributor.The top contributor used to be the US. But President Donald Trump earlier this year withdrew $400 million in funding to protest what he said was WHO leadership's "China-centric" nature.On Monday, a White House National Security Council spokesman, John Ullyot, called the $2 billion injection "a token to distract from calls from a growing number of nations demanding accountability for the Chinese government's failure to ... warn the world of what was coming."Throughout the pandemic, WHO has praised China's response to its outbreak — despite widespread reports of a cover-up — and repeatedly rejected accusations that it is too close to China.The US is reportedly planning to to let poor countries bypass patents to access coronavirus vaccines or therapies.Even early reports of such a move invited accusations that the US cared more for its pharmaceuticals industry than for impoverished countries suffering from COVID-19 outbreaks.The reports followed a public spat when the French drugmaker to give the US priority access to a coronavirus vaccine candidate after pressure from the French government.China, meanwhile, has in recent weeks been crafting an image for itself as a global benefactor in the fight against the virus, rather than the country where the virus originated.It has sent medical supplies around the world, and Xi pledged on Monday to start an exchange with 30 hospitals in Africa and to help accelerate the construction of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters.Experts have , but it is undeniable that China is making a play for global leadership when few other nations seem willing.As China made grand pledges at the World Health Assembly, Trump went on the offensive.He rejected an invitation to speak at the assembly, instead sending Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, who went on to blame WHO for failing to warn the world about COVID-19 in the pandemic's early days."In an apparent attempt to conceal this outbreak, at least one member state made a mockery of their transparency obligations, with tremendous costs for the entire world," , clearly referring to China.As , the fact that Trump declined to speak at the assembly — while Xi did — showed that the US was pulling away from its responsibilities on the world stage.Late Monday, Trump tweeted a he had sent WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in which he threatened to make the "temporary freeze of United States funding to the World Health Organization permanent and reconsider our membership in the organization."Trump also accused WHO of favoring China and censured it for not praising his response to the US's outbreak.China as an attempt to smear it and shift focus away from Trump's mishandling of the US crisis.The contrast was clear. China was given an opportunity to, however cynically, present itself as a calm, peaceful leader. Meanwhile, the US appeared petty and reluctant to engage.It is not hard to see China angling to fill the power vacuum Trump is leaving at WHO — which could help the country walk away relatively unscathed from the pandemic that began inside its borders.Sign up for notifications from Insider! Stay up to date with what you want to know.Subscribe to push notificationsAn icon in the shape of a lightning bolt.Keep readingIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification.

Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification.An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders. It often indicates a user profile.Redeem nowSign up for our newsletter to receive our top stories based on your reading preferences — delivered daily to your inbox.Something is loading.China was meant to face a reckoning this week over its early response to the coronavirus outbreak, outnumbered in public by dozens of angry nations at the World Health Assembly. Instead, it ended up outplaying the world.At Monday's , countries were...

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China outplayed the world on the day it was meant to face a reckoning over its coronavirus response

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