The dreaded COVID-19 has sent global economy into ICU and now the country of incubation is playing the role of a Good Samaritan by donating faulty testing kits apart from sharing its understanding and experience in fighting the novel coronavirus worldwide. The pandemic has not only brought activities around the world to a grinding halt but inflicted unspeakable misery on millions of innocents for no fault of theirs. Countrywide lockdowns widely to be an effective response further accentuates the agony. Those engaged in unorganized sectors are hit hardest and being a health hazard, a lot of restrictions and enforcement became inevitable on the strict medical advice. In addition, IMF’s anticipation of a recession worse than that of 2009 is only validating everyone’s concern ever since the unknown enemy has taken over virtually everything at all spheres of lives.
Each nation is fighting its own battle. However, with more and more credible information available about China’s role in this catastrophe, it’s astonishing why the world has not yet initiated any move to fix the responsibility? Why is the world not contemplating to force China to pay reparations commensurate to the damage it caused to the humanity?
The world economy has hit the rock bottom and it would take ages to recover fully from its impact. Interestingly, China is showing signs of positivity and moving towards normalcy at a pace faster than we can even imagine. The question is how! Reports suggest, China managed to control effectively so much so, the disease never travelled outside the small tiny region within its sovereign territory where as rest of earth soon turned host to the epidemic. It’s also emerging countries like Russia and North Korea are better off not simply in terms of their immunity against the extent of spread but given their recent interactions with China, conspiracy theorists believe the man-made disaster may not be the handiwork of just China but there may be others as partners in crime. However, it’s a matter to be investigated before we reach any conclusion. Even the role of World Health Organization needs to be scrutinized by expanding the scope of investigation as to why the agency was shying away from giving the right information instead it chose to nod its head and believed everything China spoke about the novel coronavirus. Even it was reluctant to characterize the outbreak as pandemic till March 10 by when it has already spread to more than 100 countries. It’s a glaring case in point where the UN health mission has breached its own charter and the very purpose of its formation. It raises a fundamental question like why we need such an organization which has failed to deliver.
It’s hard to believe without any scientific intervention how the disease disappeared in a record time from Wuhan city, where as the entire humanity continues to reel under an unprecedented panic state and not sure for how long more the ordeal would stay. To compound the depression level further, WHO has recently indicated in one of its daily bulletins, vaccines availability is at least 18 months away however curative treatment may be available sooner. Point to be realized people are seeing it as a psychological war where the patient or suspect is seen to have done a crime and imagine the sense of distrust it has brought about to the community life. In other words, more than just a health hazard, it has created a social disorder where one would look at another person with a great deal of suspicion. Be that as it may, can’t help!
Another disappointment at recently held G-20 virtual summit, member countries collectively failed in at least reprimanding China for the grave damage it has caused to the human race. Ironically President Trump was super vocal in supporting China’s effort in containing the epidemic and praised the latter’s offer for support by way of exporting its defective equipment with an urge for tariff reduction by the victim countries. Can’t think of a graver travesty!
Further reports around China’s greed to increase its business interest in Australian distressed business is a huge concern for the Scott Morison government and, rightfully so, and as an immediate interim measure it has indeed instructed its foreign investment approval agency to keep a tab on China’s movement in that direction. This could only be the tip of the iceberg and more such unethical acquisition attempt may be experienced in time to come. It should act like a wake-up call to all vulnerable companies around the globe. While major markets world over has been witnessing historic turbulence, few of the Chinese stocks are actually seeing meteoric rise since Jan’20 particularly those engaged in consumer goods.
Joining the dots, conclusion may safely be drawn, an utterly evil country for fulfilling its commercially expeditious aspirations may go any extent for causing harm indiscriminately as an article of faith however it casts an unwritten obligation on the part of responsible and resourceful nations not only showing solidarity with each other in terms of fighting the virus together but show some spines in teaching a life time lesson to the villain Chinese Communist Party government within the framework of UN charter and global conventions and it may be worth remembering how Germany was held accountable through Treaty of Versailles and made to compensate for the damages occurred to civilians during world wars. The degree of penalty must be so high that it would not only be a befitting deterrent for any such re-occurrence, but also has potential in systematic shattering its ever-cherishing agenda of securing economic supremacy. This can be achieved through multi-pronged and measured strategies not necessarily just diplomatic or economic in nature. Bringing the perpetrators to task may not be a cake walk considering its clout yet quite doable in a globally integrated landscape with strong determination and commitment in pursuit of the sole target of not letting the offender(s) go scot-free.
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