In 1992, Bill Clinton ran for U.S. president in part against “tyrants,
from Baghdad to Beijing.” In 2000, then-presidential candidate George
W. Bush made a point in declaring that China was a strategic competitor.
And in 2016, before he became president, Donald Trump accused China of
“raping” America.
But if the last two weeks are any guide, the politics around China in the 2020 election cycle will make previous electoral contests seem like the seasonal flu compared with, say, a global pandemic.
Even before the outbreak of the coronavirus, U.S.-China relations were under serious strain. The fraying of trust on trade, technology, and military deployments has played out as Beijing has expanded its global footprint, raising questions about its ambitions to alter the U.S.-centered international order.
Then came the coronavirus outbreak, originating in the Chinese city of Wuhan, which has sickened more than 2.5 million people and killed over 180,000. Let’s be clear: The Chinese government mishandled the outbreak, delaying its initial response for weeks and withholding information for six inexcusable days.
Read more: Blaming China Helps Nobody Right Now
But if the last two weeks are any guide, the politics around China in the 2020 election cycle will make previous electoral contests seem like the seasonal flu compared with, say, a global pandemic.
Even before the outbreak of the coronavirus, U.S.-China relations were under serious strain. The fraying of trust on trade, technology, and military deployments has played out as Beijing has expanded its global footprint, raising questions about its ambitions to alter the U.S.-centered international order.
Then came the coronavirus outbreak, originating in the Chinese city of Wuhan, which has sickened more than 2.5 million people and killed over 180,000. Let’s be clear: The Chinese government mishandled the outbreak, delaying its initial response for weeks and withholding information for six inexcusable days.
Read more: Blaming China Helps Nobody Right Now
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