Posted on 03/20/2020 3:17:45 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
Beijing (AFP) - With millions of face masks, low interest loans and teams of medical experts, China is trying to paint itself as a Good Samaritan while deflecting criticism over its initial missteps in handling the coronavirus.
Beijing has showered struggling European nations with aid as part of a diplomatic charm offensive.
In recent weeks, it has also donated hundreds of thousands of surgical masks and test kits to the Philippines and Pakistan, sent teams of medics to Iran and Iraq, and extended a $500 million loan to help Sri Lanka combat the virus.
While COVID-19 first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December, Beijing says it has now curbed its spread, with domestic cases dwindling to zero Thursday.
But as other governments now scramble to cope with the pandemic, China is sending masks, medical supplies and experts.
President Xi Jinping pledged assistance to hardest-hit Italy and Spain in phone calls with their prime ministers, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
Two Chinese medical teams were sent to Italy in a high-profile show of solidarity with the earliest European Union partner in Xi's massive "Belt and Road" infrastructure project.
(Excerpt) Read more at france24.com ...
SNEAKY RAT BASTARDS inch there way back with a diplomatic charm offensive. You cant tell me that this is not a planned offensive against the west. They need to be crushed when all of this is over, START BY BUYING AMERICAN, lets put them back in the toilet where they belong.
It didn’t even need to be ginned up in a lab.
Smallpox was weaponized a couple of centuries ago.
Yeah. That sounds about right.
Re: China’s initial missteps
LOL!
Those “missteps” include allowing 500,000 Chinese to fly into the USA, and 100,000 Chinese to fly into northern Italy - AFTER the Communist Party knew about the epidemic in Wuhan.
That's all you need to know.
Does not matter where the virus came from nor does China's rationale or motive for lying matter. All that matters is that they did it and that, because they lied, the world is in a heck of a mess that could otherwise have been prevented
China lied, people died. So did the world economy
Bottom line
If I remember correctly, There are only 2 samples of the smallpox virus still in existence. One in the USA and one is Russia.
(Now this info is several years old, they may have decided to destroy those cultures and totally eradicate the disease by now)
In times of crisis, you learn who your 'real friends' are; others may just be 'hangers on' and not trustworthy.
And remember who stood with you, because you don't know when you will encounter a new crisis, and will need trusted friends.
History has a habit of repeating itself.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.