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Opinion | How close has the coronavirus pandemic brought China and the US to military conflict?
- US President Donald Trump’s provocative rhetoric raises questions about how far he is willing to go in his confrontation with China
- While countries and businesses are reluctant to pick sides, the spectre of a US-China military conflict might force them to
Reading Time:4 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
US President Donald Trump seems to be promoting war with China, but what kind of war does he want? A cold war, a perpetual trade war, a war of words for re-election or something more?
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A new cold war is already unfolding, and pandemic control measures have advanced Washington’s vision of decoupling and strategic repositioning. The trade war appears endless while the war of words is accelerating daily, with Republicans and Democrats competing over who’s tougher on China.
Trump has long blamed China for American problems, but the pandemic provides new opportunities. Contrary to science and intelligence estimates, Trump says he has seen conclusive evidence that the coronavirus leaked from a Wuhan laboratory, whether accidentally or deliberately, and that China misled the world on the source and severity of the outbreak and failed to implement effective controls.
Trump claims this is a Chinese attempt to destroy his presidency and “worse than Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbour”.
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Unsurprisingly, Chinese “wolf warriors” have mirrored US spin with their own blame game narratives. China has bragged of its containment efforts, striking many as poor form, and also promoted conspiracy theories.
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