Xu Zhangrun, a professor in Beijing is one of the few Chinese academics who took on Xi Jinping. A week back, the Chinese police detained Xu Zhangrun only to release him six days later.

“The coronavirus epidemic has revealed the rotten core of Chinese governance,&nbsp;I can all too easily predict that I&nbsp;will be subjected to new punishments, indeed, this may well even be the last thing I write,”&nbsp;Zhangrun said as he dared to speak out against Xi Jinping in China which is a&nbsp;crime in the eyes of the Chinese state.

The Chinese police showed up at the door of Xu Zhangrun who is&nbsp;a&nbsp;prominent Chinese academic at Beijing’s Tsinghua University.

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Xu Zhangrun saw his detention coming and quickly&nbsp;packed few pairs of underwear and a toothbrush in a small bag. He was taken away by Chinese authorities on&nbsp;July 6.

Xu had feared the worst but&nbsp;after his words caught the attention of the world,&nbsp;Chinese authorities released him within a week.

Xu Zhangrun gained prominence in 2018 as a critique of Xi Jinping. He blamed the Chinese president of stifling debate. Chinese authorities issued warnings against Xu and&nbsp;he was suspended from the university but&nbsp;he continued to document the growing disquiet within China.

This essay in Mandarin was the last straw for the Communist Party&nbsp;titled "When fury becomes fear".&nbsp; The essay was translated in English by historian Geremie R Barme.&nbsp;It doesn’t name Xi Jinping&nbsp;but&nbsp;uses arcane terms to take on the supreme leader.

Xu calls Xi Jinping the axle and&nbsp;blames him and the “cabal” that surrounds him for the coronavirus outbreak.

The merciless criticism continues throughout the essay: “The bureaucratic and governance system of China that is now fully on display is one that values the mediocre, the dilatory&nbsp;and the timid. A similar political malaise infects every province and the rot goes right up to Beijing.”

Xu Zhangrun was first placed under house arrest for those words but was quietly released on Sunday. While China hasn’t confirmed his release,f riends of Xu have told the international media that he is back home.

The charges against him were never specified but a report quotes his wife saying that Xu was accused of soliciting prostitution.

China has used similar pretexts in the past to discredit critics of the government.&nbsp;Xu Zhangrun has been released for now&nbsp;but the Communist Party hasn’t stopped censoring criticism and punishing the dissenters.

At least four citizen journalists were detained recently for exposing the failures of China in tackling the coronavirus crisis.

Xu Zhangrun, a professor in Beijing is one of the few Chinese academics who took on Xi Jinping. A week back, the Chinese police detained Xu Zhangrun only to release him six days later.

Xu Zhangrun, a professor in Beijing is one of the few Chinese academics who took on Xi Jinping. A week back, the Chinese police detained Xu Zhangrun only to release him six days later. “The coronavirus epidemic has revealed the rotten core of Chinese governance, I can all too easily predict that I will be subjected to new punishments, indeed, this may well even be the last thing I write,” Zhangrun said as he dared to speak out against Xi Jinping in China which is a crime in the eyes of the Chinese state. The Chinese police showed up at the door of Xu Zhangrun who is a prominent Chinese academic at Beijing’s Tsinghua University. Xu Zhangrun saw his detention coming and quickly packed few pairs of underwear and a toothbrush in a small bag. He was taken away by Chinese authorities on July 6. Xu had feared the worst but after his words caught the attention of the world, Chinese authorities released him within a week. Xu Zhangrun gained prominence in 2018 as a critique of Xi Jinping. He blamed the Chinese president of stifling debate. Chinese authorities issued warnings against Xu and he was suspended from the university but he continued to document the growing disquiet within China. This essay in Mandarin was the last straw for the Communist Party titled "When fury becomes fear". The essay was translated in English by historian Geremie R Barme. It doesn’t name Xi Jinping but uses arcane terms to take on the supreme leader. Xu calls Xi Jinping the axle and blames him and the “cabal” that surrounds him for the coronavirus outbreak. The merciless criticism continues throughout the essay: “The bureaucratic and governance system of China that is now fully on display is one that values the mediocre, the dilatory and the timid. A similar political malaise infects every province and the rot goes right up to Beijing.” Xu Zhangrun was first placed under house arrest for those words but was quietly released on Sunday. While China hasn’t confirmed his release,f riends of Xu have told the international media that he is back home. The charges against him were never specified but a report quotes his wife saying that Xu was accused of soliciting prostitution. China has used similar pretexts in the past to discredit critics of the government. Xu Zhangrun has been released for now but the Communist Party hasn’t stopped censoring criticism and punishing the dissenters. At least four citizen journalists were detained recently for exposing the failures of China in tackling the coronavirus crisis.

Xu Zhangrun: Chinese professor who took on President Xi Jinping

Hong Kong is dying a slow death and self-censorship is now the norm with people looking for ways to leave.

Businesses want to exit and the city has lost its special status around the world.&nbsp;Free speech is dead in Hong Kong with&nbsp;publishers censoring their books.

Raymond Yeung, a publisher in Hong Kong has scrambled to change the draft of a&nbsp;book in the past week. It is called “to freedom”. It is a collection of essays by 50 protesters, lawyers, social workers and people who took part in the pro-democracy protests but now&nbsp;the new security law has stifled freedom of expression.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-hong-kong-is-dying-a-slow-death-313553/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Words like revolution are being replaced with protests.&nbsp;Slogans and passages that advocated freedom&nbsp;for&nbsp;Hong Kong are now being deleted.

Words like "independence" and "revolution" are out of the books in Hong Kong and now&nbsp;something else is going out of Hong Kong -&nbsp;&nbsp;money.

China has moved swiftly to exert greater control over Hong Kong&nbsp;but&nbsp;it has also sacrificed its biggest cash cow.&nbsp;A report claims that Chinese professionals want to move out of Hong Kong and it's not just about the national security law.

China is now tracking down its citizens living abroad and taxing them. They face a tax rate of 45 per cent. Hong Kong has one of the lowest tax rates in the world and that’s the reason why many professionals and businesses prefer to operate from there but&nbsp;the demand for more taxes could force them to leave.

It is a double whammy for China,&nbsp;not only will its tax revenue reduce, businesses leaving Hong Kong will trigger a brain drain too.

China has only created more trouble for itself with the national security law.&nbsp;Hong Kong was vital for the Chinese economy. It was China’s economic gateway to the world,&nbsp;not anymore.

China uses Hong Kong’s currency, equity and debt markets to attract foreign funds. Chinese companies use Hong Kong to expand globally with&nbsp;bulk of FDI&nbsp;into China channeled through the city.

Last year, Chinese companies raised more than $64 billion globally with $35 billion coming&nbsp;through Hong Kong.&nbsp;Chinese banks hold more assets in Hong Kong. They were valued at $1.1 trillion in 2018.

All this was possible because Hong Kong was treated differently but now&nbsp;leading world powers want to treat the city as part of the mainland.

They are slapping sanctions and curbing the flow of funds.

Hong Kong is dying a slow death and self-censorship is now the norm with people looking for ways to leave. Businesses want to exit and the city has lost its special status around the world.

Hong Kong is dying a slow death and self-censorship is now the norm with people looking for ways to leave. Businesses want to exit and the city has lost its special status around the world. Free speech is dead in Hong Kong with publishers censoring their books. Raymond Yeung, a publisher in Hong Kong has scrambled to change the draft of a book in the past week. It is called “to freedom”. It is a collection of essays by 50 protesters, lawyers, social workers and people who took part in the pro-democracy protests but now the new security law has stifled freedom of expression. Words like revolution are being replaced with protests. Slogans and passages that advocated freedom for Hong Kong are now being deleted. Words like "independence" and "revolution" are out of the books in Hong Kong and now something else is going out of Hong Kong - money. China has moved swiftly to exert greater control over Hong Kong but it has also sacrificed its biggest cash cow. A report claims that Chinese professionals want to move out of Hong Kong and it's not just about the national security law. China is now tracking down its citizens living abroad and taxing them. They face a tax rate of 45 per cent. Hong Kong has one of the lowest tax rates in the world and that’s the reason why many professionals and businesses prefer to operate from there but the demand for more taxes could force them to leave. It is a double whammy for China, not only will its tax revenue reduce, businesses leaving Hong Kong will trigger a brain drain too. China has only created more trouble for itself with the national security law. Hong Kong was vital for the Chinese economy. It was China’s economic gateway to the world, not anymore. China uses Hong Kong’s currency, equity and debt markets to attract foreign funds. Chinese companies use Hong Kong to expand globally with bulk of FDI into China channeled through the city. Last year, Chinese companies raised more than $64 billion globally with $35 billion coming through Hong Kong. Chinese banks hold more assets in Hong Kong. They were valued at $1.1 trillion in 2018. All this was possible because Hong Kong was treated differently but now leading world powers want to treat the city as part of the mainland. They are slapping sanctions and curbing the flow of funds.

Hong Kong bleeds as China imposes new security law

Xu Zhangrun is an outspoken critic of Xi Jinping and the Chinese establishment. Xu was detained last week. He has been released after six days in police custody. Why is China targeting a professor?

Gravitas: Xu Zhangrun: The Professor who spoke out against Xi Jinping

China on Wednesday said it would retaliate after US President Donald Trump signed into law an act allowing sanctions on banks over Beijing's clampdown on Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong Autonomy Act "maliciously slanders" national security legislation imposed by Beijing on the city, China's foreign ministry said in a statement.&nbsp;

"China will make necessary responses to protect its legitimate interests, and impose sanctions on relevant US personnel and entities," the ministry said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-not-interested-in-china-trade-talks-ends-hong-kong-preferential-status-313332">Trump not interested in China trade talks, ends Hong Kong preferential status</a>

Earlier, Trump said he ending trade preferences for Hong Kong and signed into law an act that authorises sanctions on banks over China's clampdown in the international finance hub.

Trump announced that he had issued an executive order, which was not immediately released, in Hong Kong as he predicted decline for the restless city, on which Beijing recently imposed a tough new security law.

"Hong Kong will now be treated the same as mainland China, no special privileges, no special economic treatment and no export of sensitive technologies," Trump said in the White House Rose Garden.

Trump also said he had signed into law the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, which passed quickly in Congress earlier this month as Beijing pushed ahead with the security law.

The new US law authorises sanctions against Chinese officials and Hong Kong police are seen as infringing on the city's autonomy -- and, crucially, any banks that make significant transactions with them.

China on Wednesday said it would retaliate after US President Donald Trump signed into law an act allowing sanctions on banks over Beijing's clampdown on Hong Kong.

China on Wednesday said it would retaliate after US President Donald Trump signed into law an act allowing sanctions on banks over Beijing's clampdown on Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Autonomy Act "maliciously slanders" national security legislation imposed by Beijing on the city, China's foreign ministry said in a statement. "China will make necessary responses to protect its legitimate interests, and impose sanctions on relevant US personnel and entities," the ministry said. Also read: Trump not interested in China trade talks, ends Hong Kong preferential status Earlier, Trump said he ending trade preferences for Hong Kong and signed into law an act that authorises sanctions on banks over China's clampdown in the international finance hub. Trump announced that he had issued an executive order, which was not immediately released, in Hong Kong as he predicted decline for the restless city, on which Beijing recently imposed a tough new security law. "Hong Kong will now be treated the same as mainland China, no special privileges, no special economic treatment and no export of sensitive technologies," Trump said in the White House Rose Garden. Trump also said he had signed into law the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, which passed quickly in Congress earlier this month as Beijing pushed ahead with the security law. The new US law authorises sanctions against Chinese officials and Hong Kong police are seen as infringing on the city's autonomy -- and, crucially, any banks that make significant transactions with them.

China pledges retaliation against US over Hong Kong sanctions

US President Donald Trump has shut the door on “Phase 2” trade negotiations with China, saying he does not want to talk to Beijing about trade because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I’m not interested right now in talking to China,” Trump replied when asked in an interview with CBS News whether Phase 2 trade talks were dead.

“We made a great trade deal,” Trump said, of the Phase 1 agreement signed in January. “But as soon as the deal was done, the ink wasn’t even dry, and they hit us with the plague,” he said, referring to the novel coronavirus, which first emerged from the Chinese city of Wuhan.

In another discursive news conference dominated by attacks on his domestic rivals, Trump on Tuesday declared himself to be the toughest president ever on China, which has emerged as a top nemesis in November elections.

He also said he was ending trade preferences for Hong Kong and signed into law an act that authorises sanctions on banks over China's clampdown in the international finance hub.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-more-white-people-than-blacks-are-killed-by-us-police-313331">Also read |&nbsp;Trump says 'more white people' than Blacks are killed by US police</a>

Trump announced that he had issued an executive order, which was not immediately released, on Hong Kong as he predicted decline for the restless city, on which Beijing recently imposed a tough new security law.

"Hong Kong will now be treated the same as mainland China -- no special privileges, no special economic treatment and no export of sensitive technologies," Trump said in the White House Rose Garden.

Trump also said he had signed into law the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, which passed quickly in Congress earlier this month as Beijing pushed ahead with the security law.

The new US law authorises sanctions against Chinese officials and Hong Kong police seen as infringing on the city's autonomy -- and, crucially, any banks that make significant transactions with them.

For months, Trump has blamed China for sending the coronavirus to the United States, saying that China must be “held accountable” for failing to contain the disease. The pandemic has taken a stiff toll on the US economy, endangering Trump’s hopes for re-election in November.&nbsp;

China pledged to increase purchases of US farm and manufactured goods, energy and services by $200 billion (159 billion pounds) over two years as part of the Phase 1 trade deal, but Trump has said the pandemic changed his views on the agreement.&nbsp;He said he has no plans to talk with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-rescinds-order-that-would-have-seen-foreign-students-deported-313330">Also read |&nbsp;US rescinds order that would have seen foreign students deported</a>

Trump has stepped up pressure on China on multiple fronts, especially on the coronavirus pandemic, news of which Beijing suppressed when the illness first emerged in Wuhan.

Critics both at home and abroad accuse Trump of seeking to divert from criticism of his own handling of COVID-19 in the United States, which has suffered by far the highest death toll of any country.

On Monday, Pompeo also stepped up the tone on the dispute-rife South China Sea, declaring most of Beijing's claims to be illegal.

The Trump administration also last week slapped sanctions on senior Chinese officials over the incarceration of more than one million Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims.

(with inputs from agencies)

US President Donald Trump has shut the door on “Phase 2” trade negotiations with China, saying he does not want to talk to Beijing about trade because of the coronavirus pandemic.

US President Donald Trump has shut the door on “Phase 2” trade negotiations with China, saying he does not want to talk to Beijing about trade because of the coronavirus pandemic. “I’m not interested right now in talking to China,” Trump replied when asked in an interview with CBS News whether Phase 2 trade talks were dead. “We made a great trade deal,” Trump said, of the Phase 1 agreement signed in January. “But as soon as the deal was done, the ink wasn’t even dry, and they hit us with the plague,” he said, referring to the novel coronavirus, which first emerged from the Chinese city of Wuhan. In another discursive news conference dominated by attacks on his domestic rivals, Trump on Tuesday declared himself to be the toughest president ever on China, which has emerged as a top nemesis in November elections. He also said he was ending trade preferences for Hong Kong and signed into law an act that authorises sanctions on banks over China's clampdown in the international finance hub. Also read | Trump says 'more white people' than Blacks are killed by US police Trump announced that he had issued an executive order, which was not immediately released, on Hong Kong as he predicted decline for the restless city, on which Beijing recently imposed a tough new security law. "Hong Kong will now be treated the same as mainland China -- no special privileges, no special economic treatment and no export of sensitive technologies," Trump said in the White House Rose Garden. Trump also said he had signed into law the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, which passed quickly in Congress earlier this month as Beijing pushed ahead with the security law. The new US law authorises sanctions against Chinese officials and Hong Kong police seen as infringing on the city's autonomy -- and, crucially, any banks that make significant transactions with them. For months, Trump has blamed China for sending the coronavirus to the United States, saying that China must be “held accountable” for failing to contain the disease. The pandemic has taken a stiff toll on the US economy, endangering Trump’s hopes for re-election in November. China pledged to increase purchases of US farm and manufactured goods, energy and services by $200 billion (159 billion pounds) over two years as part of the Phase 1 trade deal, but Trump has said the pandemic changed his views on the agreement. He said he has no plans to talk with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Also read | US rescinds order that would have seen foreign students deported Trump has stepped up pressure on China on multiple fronts, especially on the coronavirus pandemic, news of which Beijing suppressed when the illness first emerged in Wuhan. Critics both at home and abroad accuse Trump of seeking to divert from criticism of his own handling of COVID-19 in the United States, which has suffered by far the highest death toll of any country. On Monday, Pompeo also stepped up the tone on the dispute-rife South China Sea, declaring most of Beijing's claims to be illegal. The Trump administration also last week slapped sanctions on senior Chinese officials over the incarceration of more than one million Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims. (with inputs from agencies)

Trump not interested in China trade talks, ends Hong Kong preferential status

President Xi Jinping’s China has been increasingly pushing its agenda beyond its borders and testing how far it can go to exert its influence within the sovereign borders of its democratic trade partners. This has only led the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to gradually alienating its counterparts in the highly contested Indo-Pacific region. &nbsp;

Whether its Beijing’s heightening aggression in the East and South China Seas, its Galawan border stand-off with India, or most recently, its thinly-veiled threats against Australia, China is looking to map the future in Asia and the Pacific.&nbsp;

In this scenario, Australia has emerged as a global case study in Chinese influence and coercion, and has come into focus as the world looks to see how it will assume the role and responsibility of responding to the calculated Chinese interference in its political activity.&nbsp;

Sino-Australian Relations: A Time of Friction&nbsp;

On a macro level, China-Australia relations can be best categorised by advantageous yet asymmetric economic interdependence. China is Australia’s biggest trade partner and consequently, a critical and valuable link for the Australian economy.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Despite deep economic ties, both states are radically different from each other in terms of culture and political values. Hence, both states have shared a complex relationship fraught with tensions, particularly in recent years.&nbsp;

For instance, a 2019 New York Times report revealed that the Chinese consul general conducted a meeting with almost 100 Australian residents of Chinese descent to mobilise them to help shape public opinion in the country. This involved reporting any critics to the consulate, holding coordinated rallies in Beijing’s support and masking any images of protests in China.&nbsp;

The incident is merely one example of Chinese attempts to exert its influence domestic policies and public opinions - whether openly or discreetly - in service of its national interest.&nbsp;

Australian policymakers are routinely lobbied by Chinese officials in secret and Australian businessmen coerced into acting favourably towards China at the threat of dire economic consequences. Additionally, there have also been reports of the Chinese government suppressing its critics through defamation lawsuits and furthering its agenda through advertisements, financing pro-China research institutes and advancing sympathetic politicians.&nbsp;

Australia’s move to limit such coercion through legislation was promptly met with ‘punishment’ on the economic front. Major trade deals stalled and Australian exports and imports suffered from delays. More recently, as tensions peaked between the two states, China imposed a whopping 80.5 per cent tariff on Australian wheat and barley - possibly in retaliation to the democratic nation’s call for an independent investigation into the origins and early management of the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Just this week, Australia condemnation of China’s national security law in Hong Kong and the subsequent grant of over 10,000 visa holders a five-year extension and a pathway to permanent residency in a measure just short of a humanitarian intake. The move sparked outrage in China as the CCP promised: “consequences” for “gross interference” in China’s internal affairs.&nbsp;

With Australian intelligence repeatedly raising warnings of an increasingly dominant China, and the Sino-Australian relations only becoming more fraught with Australia’s actions under Morrison’s leadership, it has become vital for Australia to reconsider its grand strategy in relation to China.&nbsp;

Devising A New Security Strategy&nbsp;&nbsp;

Australia is faced with an uncomfortable and tremendous challenge of balancing its economic interests with the political uncertainty posed by the overconfident authoritarian power.&nbsp;

China’s approach is one of sticks and carrots: economic prosperity in exchange for obedience, or facing almost certain economic ruination. This leaves Australia with a decision to make: what and how much is it willing to give up in order to confront an assertive China?&nbsp;

Under Scott Morrison, Australia is already proceeding, albeit cautiously, in a manner which suggests that it is willing to confront unprovoked Chinese aggression in Asia and the Pacific. The nation’s actions in response to Chinese assertiveness in Hong Kong, as well as, its advocacy of a COVID-19 investigation are a testament to this.&nbsp;

Even more indicative is Australia’s active participation in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) since its revival in 2017. Paradoxically, China’s far from moderate behaviour has only caused the other players to enhance their level of diplomacy in the security domain. &nbsp;

Australia, India and Japan have been engaging in dialogue at increasingly higher ministerial levels. In a clear sign of bolstering security in the region and balancing China’s growing contention, the countries are partaking in bilateral, trilateral as well as minilateral security arrangements such as joint military and naval exercises. &nbsp;

The Quadrilateral security dialogue is deeply reminiscent of a preparatory dialogue one is likely to see before states engage in coordinated action. If Beijing continues to flex its muscles in the Indo-Pacific security theatre, the QUAD may well expand to include other Southeast Asian countries and develop into a regional security framework.&nbsp;

In Australia, public opinion regarding Beijing is one of deep suspicion already. Many see China as a looming presence which threatens their democratic and humanitarian values and their national security. &nbsp;

In fact, in July, a parliamentary inquiry examining Australia’s vulnerabilities in its supply chain infrastructure, defence and foreign affairs, concluded that the nation needed to urgently re-evaluate the risk associated with an over-reliance on China.&nbsp;

The inquiry, which was prompted by a breakdown in the nation’s supply chains at the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak in China, argued that there was a critical need for Australia to partially decouple its economy and gradually drift away from China if it was to bolster its sovereign resilience. “Although we may hope for reconciliation [with China], the odds favour a partial separation,” said Alan Dupont of The Cognoscenti Group, a geopolitical risk consultancy.&nbsp;

A key angle for consideration, as Australia devises a new strategy for China in the post-pandemic world order, is the role of and its relationship with the US. As US-China relations grow ever-more antagonistic, Australia may no longer be able to sustain a simultaneous trading partnership with China and a security partnership with the US. &nbsp;

As things stand, there is a real possibility that we may soon see a bipolar world order with a China bloc (likely comprising of countries in Southeast Asia, Middle East, Africa and Latin America) and a US bloc (likely consisting of nations in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America).&nbsp;&nbsp;

If such a global order were to emerge, Australia will have to decide where its priorities, and indeed its economic survival, lie. Can it successfully lay the foundations for a prosperous economic future without China? Or will it be forced to recognise its considerable reliance on the Chinese economy and adjust its defence and foreign policies to work within this framework?&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

President Xi Jinping’s China has been increasingly pushing its agenda beyond its borders and testing how far it can go to exert its influence within the sovereign borders of its democratic trade partners.

President Xi Jinping’s China has been increasingly pushing its agenda beyond its borders and testing how far it can go to exert its influence within the sovereign borders of its democratic trade partners. This has only led the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to gradually alienating its counterparts in the highly contested Indo-Pacific region. Whether its Beijing’s heightening aggression in the East and South China Seas, its Galawan border stand-off with India, or most recently, its thinly-veiled threats against Australia, China is looking to map the future in Asia and the Pacific. In this scenario, Australia has emerged as a global case study in Chinese influence and coercion, and has come into focus as the world looks to see how it will assume the role and responsibility of responding to the calculated Chinese interference in its political activity. Sino-Australian Relations: A Time of Friction On a macro level, China-Australia relations can be best categorised by advantageous yet asymmetric economic interdependence. China is Australia’s biggest trade partner and consequently, a critical and valuable link for the Australian economy. Despite deep economic ties, both states are radically different from each other in terms of culture and political values. Hence, both states have shared a complex relationship fraught with tensions, particularly in recent years. For instance, a 2019 New York Times report revealed that the Chinese consul general conducted a meeting with almost 100 Australian residents of Chinese descent to mobilise them to help shape public opinion in the country. This involved reporting any critics to the consulate, holding coordinated rallies in Beijing’s support and masking any images of protests in China. The incident is merely one example of Chinese attempts to exert its influence domestic policies and public opinions - whether openly or discreetly - in service of its national interest. Australian policymakers are routinely lobbied by Chinese officials in secret and Australian businessmen coerced into acting favourably towards China at the threat of dire economic consequences. Additionally, there have also been reports of the Chinese government suppressing its critics through defamation lawsuits and furthering its agenda through advertisements, financing pro-China research institutes and advancing sympathetic politicians. Australia’s move to limit such coercion through legislation was promptly met with ‘punishment’ on the economic front. Major trade deals stalled and Australian exports and imports suffered from delays. More recently, as tensions peaked between the two states, China imposed a whopping 80.5 per cent tariff on Australian wheat and barley - possibly in retaliation to the democratic nation’s call for an independent investigation into the origins and early management of the COVID-19 pandemic. Just this week, Australia condemnation of China’s national security law in Hong Kong and the subsequent grant of over 10,000 visa holders a five-year extension and a pathway to permanent residency in a measure just short of a humanitarian intake. The move sparked outrage in China as the CCP promised: “consequences” for “gross interference” in China’s internal affairs. With Australian intelligence repeatedly raising warnings of an increasingly dominant China, and the Sino-Australian relations only becoming more fraught with Australia’s actions under Morrison’s leadership, it has become vital for Australia to reconsider its grand strategy in relation to China. Devising A New Security Strategy Australia is faced with an uncomfortable and tremendous challenge of balancing its economic interests with the political uncertainty posed by the overconfident authoritarian power. China’s approach is one of sticks and carrots: economic prosperity in exchange for obedience, or facing almost certain economic ruination. This leaves Australia with a decision to make: what and how much is it willing to give up in order to confront an assertive China? Under Scott Morrison, Australia is already proceeding, albeit cautiously, in a manner which suggests that it is willing to confront unprovoked Chinese aggression in Asia and the Pacific. The nation’s actions in response to Chinese assertiveness in Hong Kong, as well as, its advocacy of a COVID-19 investigation are a testament to this. Even more indicative is Australia’s active participation in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) since its revival in 2017. Paradoxically, China’s far from moderate behaviour has only caused the other players to enhance their level of diplomacy in the security domain. Australia, India and Japan have been engaging in dialogue at increasingly higher ministerial levels. In a clear sign of bolstering security in the region and balancing China’s growing contention, the countries are partaking in bilateral, trilateral as well as minilateral security arrangements such as joint military and naval exercises. The Quadrilateral security dialogue is deeply reminiscent of a preparatory dialogue one is likely to see before states engage in coordinated action. If Beijing continues to flex its muscles in the Indo-Pacific security theatre, the QUAD may well expand to include other Southeast Asian countries and develop into a regional security framework. In Australia, public opinion regarding Beijing is one of deep suspicion already. Many see China as a looming presence which threatens their democratic and humanitarian values and their national security. In fact, in July, a parliamentary inquiry examining Australia’s vulnerabilities in its supply chain infrastructure, defence and foreign affairs, concluded that the nation needed to urgently re-evaluate the risk associated with an over-reliance on China. The inquiry, which was prompted by a breakdown in the nation’s supply chains at the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak in China, argued that there was a critical need for Australia to partially decouple its economy and gradually drift away from China if it was to bolster its sovereign resilience. “Although we may hope for reconciliation [with China], the odds favour a partial separation,” said Alan Dupont of The Cognoscenti Group, a geopolitical risk consultancy. A key angle for consideration, as Australia devises a new strategy for China in the post-pandemic world order, is the role of and its relationship with the US. As US-China relations grow ever-more antagonistic, Australia may no longer be able to sustain a simultaneous trading partnership with China and a security partnership with the US. As things stand, there is a real possibility that we may soon see a bipolar world order with a China bloc (likely comprising of countries in Southeast Asia, Middle East, Africa and Latin America) and a US bloc (likely consisting of nations in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America). If such a global order were to emerge, Australia will have to decide where its priorities, and indeed its economic survival, lie. Can it successfully lay the foundations for a prosperous economic future without China? Or will it be forced to recognise its considerable reliance on the Chinese economy and adjust its defence and foreign policies to work within this framework? (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Australia’s looming cloud: The China challenge

China on July 13 has hit retaliatory sanctions on three senior Republican lawmakers and a US envoy in a deepening row over Beijing’s treatment of Uighurs in the western Xinjiang region.

China slaps tit-for-tat sanctions on 3 US lawmakers; Watch live report

China on July 13 has hit retaliatory sanctions on three senior Republican lawmakers and a US envoy in a deepening row over Beijing’s treatment of Uighurs in the western Xinjiang region. Watch report.

China sanctions three US lawmakers | Responds to US Uighur sanctions

A Beijing law professor who has been an outspoken critic of China’s President Xi Jinping and the ruling Communist Party was released on Sunday after six days of detention, his friends said.

Xu Zhangrun, a constitutional law professor at the prestigious Tsinghua University, returned home on Sunday morning but remained under surveillance and was not free to speak publicly about what happened, one of his friends, who declined to be identified, told Reuters.

Calls to the media departments of the Beijing police and Tsinghua University seeking comment went unanswered on Sunday.

Xu, 57, came to prominence in July 2018 for denouncing the removal of the two-term limit for China’s leader, which will allow Xi to remain in office beyond his current second term.

According to a text message circulated among Xu’s friends and seen by Reuters, he was taken from his house in suburban Beijing on Monday morning by more than 20 policemen, who searched his house and confiscated his computer.

According to Xu’s friends, police told his wife that he was being detained for allegedly soliciting prostitution during a trip to Chengdu, but at least two friends dismissed that allegation as character assassination.

Since the 2018 article, Xu has written other critiques of the party. At the peak of China’s coronavirus outbreak in February, he wrote an article calling for freedom of speech.

Most recently in May, before China’s delayed annual parliamentary meeting, he wrote an article accusing Xi of trying to bring the Cultural Revolution back to China.

Under Xi, China has clamped down on dissent and tightened censorship.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said on Tuesday the United States was deeply concerned about China’s detention of Xu and urged Beijing to release him.

A Beijing law professor who has been an outspoken critic of China’s President Xi Jinping and the ruling Communist Party was released on Sunday after six days of detention, his friends said.

A Beijing law professor who has been an outspoken critic of China’s President Xi Jinping and the ruling Communist Party was released on Sunday after six days of detention, his friends said. Xu Zhangrun, a constitutional law professor at the prestigious Tsinghua University, returned home on Sunday morning but remained under surveillance and was not free to speak publicly about what happened, one of his friends, who declined to be identified, told Reuters. Calls to the media departments of the Beijing police and Tsinghua University seeking comment went unanswered on Sunday. Xu, 57, came to prominence in July 2018 for denouncing the removal of the two-term limit for China’s leader, which will allow Xi to remain in office beyond his current second term. According to a text message circulated among Xu’s friends and seen by Reuters, he was taken from his house in suburban Beijing on Monday morning by more than 20 policemen, who searched his house and confiscated his computer. According to Xu’s friends, police told his wife that he was being detained for allegedly soliciting prostitution during a trip to Chengdu, but at least two friends dismissed that allegation as character assassination. Since the 2018 article, Xu has written other critiques of the party. At the peak of China’s coronavirus outbreak in February, he wrote an article calling for freedom of speech. Most recently in May, before China’s delayed annual parliamentary meeting, he wrote an article accusing Xi of trying to bring the Cultural Revolution back to China. Under Xi, China has clamped down on dissent and tightened censorship. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said on Tuesday the United States was deeply concerned about China’s detention of Xu and urged Beijing to release him.

China releases professor who criticised President Xi Jinping

The United States on Saturday warned citizens of "heightened risk of arbitrary detention" in China as tensions between Beijing and Washington soared over issues including Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet.&nbsp;

''US&nbsp;citizens may be detained without access to US. consular services or information about their alleged crime,''&nbsp;the State Department said in a security alert issued to its citizens in China, adding that US&nbsp;citizens may face ''prolonged interrogations and extended detention''&nbsp;for reasons related to state security.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-warns-citizens-against-arbitrary-detention-risk-in-china-311511">Australia warns citizens against 'arbitrary detention' risk in China</a>

The State Department said Chinese authorities may also impose exit bans as part of "arbitrary enforcement of local laws for purposes other than maintaining law and order".

''Security personnel may detain and/or deport US&nbsp;citizens for sending private electronic messages critical of the Chinese government,''&nbsp;it added, without citing specific examples. The state department also did not say what prompted the security alert.

Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/we-can-do-both-canadian-detainees-wife-disappointed-after-trudeau-rejects-prisoner-swap-309236">We can do both: Canadian detainee's wife disappointed after Trudeau rejects 'prisoner swap'</a>

The security alert comes as bilateral tensions intensify over issues ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic, trade, the new Hong Kong security law and allegations of human rights violations against Uighurs in the Xinjiang region.

Beijing and Washington have traded barbs and sanctions on a slew of issues in recent months, including the coronavirus pandemic and Chinese policies in the far west regions of Tibet and Xinjiang, with Chinese authorities threatening retaliation this week for US sanctions on Chinese officials.&nbsp;

A controversial security law pushed on Hong Kong by China's central government in June has also&nbsp;caused international concern over the wording of the legislation, which bans subversive acts and speech against the Chinese government made anywhere in the world.

Australia and Canada have also issued travel warnings over fears of arbitrary detention by Beijing.

Last year China arrested Australian-Chinese writer Yang Hengjun, who was indicted earlier this year for espionage.

China has also arrested two Canadians after Canada detained a high-profile executive of Chinese telecom giant Huawei in late 2018.

The United States on Saturday warned citizens of "heightened risk of arbitrary detention" in China as tensions between Beijing and Washington soared over issues including Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet.

The United States on Saturday warned citizens of "heightened risk of arbitrary detention" in China as tensions between Beijing and Washington soared over issues including Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet. ''US citizens may be detained without access to US. consular services or information about their alleged crime,'' the State Department said in a security alert issued to its citizens in China, adding that US citizens may face ''prolonged interrogations and extended detention'' for reasons related to state security. Also read: Australia warns citizens against 'arbitrary detention' risk in China The State Department said Chinese authorities may also impose exit bans as part of "arbitrary enforcement of local laws for purposes other than maintaining law and order". ''Security personnel may detain and/or deport US citizens for sending private electronic messages critical of the Chinese government,'' it added, without citing specific examples. The state department also did not say what prompted the security alert. Also read| We can do both: Canadian detainee's wife disappointed after Trudeau rejects 'prisoner swap' The security alert comes as bilateral tensions intensify over issues ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic, trade, the new Hong Kong security law and allegations of human rights violations against Uighurs in the Xinjiang region. Beijing and Washington have traded barbs and sanctions on a slew of issues in recent months, including the coronavirus pandemic and Chinese policies in the far west regions of Tibet and Xinjiang, with Chinese authorities threatening retaliation this week for US sanctions on Chinese officials. A controversial security law pushed on Hong Kong by China's central government in June has also caused international concern over the wording of the legislation, which bans subversive acts and speech against the Chinese government made anywhere in the world. Australia and Canada have also issued travel warnings over fears of arbitrary detention by Beijing. Last year China arrested Australian-Chinese writer Yang Hengjun, who was indicted earlier this year for espionage. China has also arrested two Canadians after Canada detained a high-profile executive of Chinese telecom giant Huawei in late 2018.

US warns citizens of 'heightened risks of arbitrary detention' in China

China, for a decade, blocked the listing of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist under the United Nations sanctions regime. Azhar is&nbsp;the mastermind of several attacks against India.&nbsp;

China’s support to Pakistani terrorists was seen as a way for Beijing to keep its hold on its all-weather ally Pakistan.&nbsp;

And now, reports say that China is trying to revive a terror group in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK). According to sources, Chinese officials recently met terrorists from Al Badr in PoK.

Al Badr is a defunct terror group which China could bring back to life. Al Badr was born out of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen in 1998 after the ISI encouraged terrorists to operate independently. &nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rebel-groups-in-myanmar-have-chinas-backing-report-312367">Also Read: Rebel groups in Myanmar have China's backing: Report</a>

Al Badr had set two objectives for itself - to strengthen the "Kashmir freedom struggle" and "liberate" Jammu and Kashmir from India and merge it with Pakistan.

The group has a history of perpetrating violence in Afghanistan and Jammu and Kashmir and reports say that it is part of the United Jihad Organisation, an umbrella group of Pakistani terrorist groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir. &nbsp;

Al-Badr was proscribed by India in 2002 and the group went defunct after its key leaders were neutralised. The group's funding comes from the Jamaat-e-Islami and the ISI.

And now, with China's backing, the group could get a new lease of life. The Jammu and Kashmir police too have sensed a revival of Al Badr.&nbsp;

&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

China, for a decade, blocked the listing of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist under the United Nations sanctions regime. Azhar is the mastermind of several attacks against India.

China, for a decade, blocked the listing of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist under the United Nations sanctions regime. Azhar is the mastermind of several attacks against India. China’s support to Pakistani terrorists was seen as a way for Beijing to keep its hold on its all-weather ally Pakistan. And now, reports say that China is trying to revive a terror group in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK). According to sources, Chinese officials recently met terrorists from Al Badr in PoK. Al Badr is a defunct terror group which China could bring back to life. Al Badr was born out of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen in 1998 after the ISI encouraged terrorists to operate independently. Also Read: Rebel groups in Myanmar have China's backing: Report Al Badr had set two objectives for itself - to strengthen the "Kashmir freedom struggle" and "liberate" Jammu and Kashmir from India and merge it with Pakistan. The group has a history of perpetrating violence in Afghanistan and Jammu and Kashmir and reports say that it is part of the United Jihad Organisation, an umbrella group of Pakistani terrorist groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir. Al-Badr was proscribed by India in 2002 and the group went defunct after its key leaders were neutralised. The group's funding comes from the Jamaat-e-Islami and the ISI. And now, with China's backing, the group could get a new lease of life. The Jammu and Kashmir police too have sensed a revival of Al Badr.

Is China trying to revive a terrorist group in Pakistan occupied Kashmir?

The People’s Republic of China has been the initiator of hegemony and domination in the present-day comity of nations and the larger system of world politics. The Chinese are opposed and allergic to any theme or political-economic system premised upon democracy, right to protest and is pitted against any respect for Human Rights as is evident with the treatment meted out to minorities in the context of Taiwan, Mongolia, Xinjiang and the most popular case of Tibetan homeland in the Himalayan heights demarcating India and China. Hegemony and area dominance&nbsp;is the true policy of the People's Republic of China.&nbsp;

In the context of the Asiatic space, Chinese relations are based upon naval area domination and when one specifically takes up deliberations with Australia. Then it is completely premised upon economic ties and regional priorities. Australia has been under the racial scanner since the advent of racial attacks against people of Chinese origins and the Australian decision to ban the Huwawi communication giant belonging to China. In the context of the Coronavirus, the handling of the virus outbreak has been questioned by Canberra and the larger issue of conflict between both the trade partners has been over the demand of an institutional enquiry of China and its strategic intentions. China attempted to cleverly get the better of Australia as the nation down under had earlier too been targetted by the International media and the western public opinion in relation to slight race violence with immigrants in Australia.&nbsp;

The American stress on the Quadrilateral grouping comprising of United States, Australia, India and Japan has been well-received now with a well defined objective to stem the tide of Chinese area domination and its arm twisting in the controversial South China Sea region. Michael Pompeo, the current Secretary of State in the United States of America too has given a clarion call to establish a new economic flock comprising of Australia, India, Japan, United States and South Korea in order to contain the so-called peaceful rise of the People’s Republic of China.&nbsp;

The conceptual framework of much deliberated upon the question of sovereignty has become a central element to the China Australia debate. In the age of the China virus pandemic, aspersions are being cast globally upon the political and diplomatic intentions and the foreign policy objectives of the People’s Republic of China. One such element is the artifice of nationalism and protectionism and tariff slapping on foreign goods and services. Australians are too turning inward-looking and embarking upon a kind of singularity and isolationism based upon the coronavirus pandemic in the light of the uncontrolled global outbreak across the length and breadth of the larger region and further on in the larger international system. Still, Australia realizes that China has the economic muscle and the required regional network to tighten the screws over Australia in the light of trade war with Australia along with the passage of the Australian legislation to contain Chinese and other external interventions in the domestic geo-economics and geopolitics of Canberra.&nbsp;

Australia ran a trade deficit of around $58 billion with China and it was this trade deficit which was a cause of discomfort for the country which became a reason why Australia and China parted ways. The decoupling of the Chinese from the Australians has been called as a Zombie economic idea by some observers of geo-economics which goes a long way into reflecting the excessive vulnerability and dependence which Canberra has on the Chinese economic and trade machinery. But, all is not reflected by negatives between both the nations as China too relies on the exports of iron ore to produce its steel and apart from that in the spheres of agriculture and tourism, an amalgamation has already been historically reached between the Canberra and the Beijing denomination. As China is closer to Australia than Brazil and the shipping costs are much higher with Brazil, thus making a preference for Australian iron and ore much easier for China. Its sheer business common sense that, both the nations, will resent the decoupling with each other. &nbsp;

Apart from the sheer demands of trade and commerce, both nations share geographic proximity to each other. Education is another sphere of common interest which involves the outgoing students from China are more to be seen in the higher education portals of Australia rather than be found in US and UK as since the rise of the ugly pandemic, US and UK are no longer the ideal destinations for parents seeking a safe educational haven for their kith and kin. Thus, Australia because of its no pandemic complications and proximity remains a preferred destination for Chinese students despite the racist incidents which have marred the relations somewhat. China has always been a clever and vile operator in the Asia Pacific which involves the idea that China will do anything for expediency and practical gains over ideals.

This is well reflected in the Chinese foreign trade overtures in nations as far as Latin America and Africa where they enter a nation and make it completely dependent on China and harm the sovereignty prospects of the specific nation. Australia could finally broaden its network of associations with countries such as Taiwan and other South East Asian nations and it does have free trade agreements with nations such as Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. Also, Australia can involve itself with the South East Asian Nations in relation to eco-tourism which is one of the sizeable tariff earners for the Canberra government.&nbsp;

&nbsp;(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

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&nbsp;

The People’s Republic of China has been the initiator of hegemony and domination in the present-day comity of nations and the larger system of world politics. The Chinese are opposed and allergic to any theme or political-economic system premised upon democracy, right to protest and is pitted against any respect for Human Rights as is evident with the treatment meted out to minorities in the context of Taiwan, Mongolia, Xinjiang and the most popular case of Tibetan homeland in the Himalayan heights demarcating India and China.

The People’s Republic of China has been the initiator of hegemony and domination in the present-day comity of nations and the larger system of world politics. The Chinese are opposed and allergic to any theme or political-economic system premised upon democracy, right to protest and is pitted against any respect for Human Rights as is evident with the treatment meted out to minorities in the context of Taiwan, Mongolia, Xinjiang and the most popular case of Tibetan homeland in the Himalayan heights demarcating India and China. Hegemony and area dominance is the true policy of the People's Republic of China. In the context of the Asiatic space, Chinese relations are based upon naval area domination and when one specifically takes up deliberations with Australia. Then it is completely premised upon economic ties and regional priorities. Australia has been under the racial scanner since the advent of racial attacks against people of Chinese origins and the Australian decision to ban the Huwawi communication giant belonging to China. In the context of the Coronavirus, the handling of the virus outbreak has been questioned by Canberra and the larger issue of conflict between both the trade partners has been over the demand of an institutional enquiry of China and its strategic intentions. China attempted to cleverly get the better of Australia as the nation down under had earlier too been targetted by the International media and the western public opinion in relation to slight race violence with immigrants in Australia. The American stress on the Quadrilateral grouping comprising of United States, Australia, India and Japan has been well-received now with a well defined objective to stem the tide of Chinese area domination and its arm twisting in the controversial South China Sea region. Michael Pompeo, the current Secretary of State in the United States of America too has given a clarion call to establish a new economic flock comprising of Australia, India, Japan, United States and South Korea in order to contain the so-called peaceful rise of the People’s Republic of China. The conceptual framework of much deliberated upon the question of sovereignty has become a central element to the China Australia debate. In the age of the China virus pandemic, aspersions are being cast globally upon the political and diplomatic intentions and the foreign policy objectives of the People’s Republic of China. One such element is the artifice of nationalism and protectionism and tariff slapping on foreign goods and services. Australians are too turning inward-looking and embarking upon a kind of singularity and isolationism based upon the coronavirus pandemic in the light of the uncontrolled global outbreak across the length and breadth of the larger region and further on in the larger international system. Still, Australia realizes that China has the economic muscle and the required regional network to tighten the screws over Australia in the light of trade war with Australia along with the passage of the Australian legislation to contain Chinese and other external interventions in the domestic geo-economics and geopolitics of Canberra. Australia ran a trade deficit of around $58 billion with China and it was this trade deficit which was a cause of discomfort for the country which became a reason why Australia and China parted ways. The decoupling of the Chinese from the Australians has been called as a Zombie economic idea by some observers of geo-economics which goes a long way into reflecting the excessive vulnerability and dependence which Canberra has on the Chinese economic and trade machinery. But, all is not reflected by negatives between both the nations as China too relies on the exports of iron ore to produce its steel and apart from that in the spheres of agriculture and tourism, an amalgamation has already been historically reached between the Canberra and the Beijing denomination. As China is closer to Australia than Brazil and the shipping costs are much higher with Brazil, thus making a preference for Australian iron and ore much easier for China. Its sheer business common sense that, both the nations, will resent the decoupling with each other. Apart from the sheer demands of trade and commerce, both nations share geographic proximity to each other. Education is another sphere of common interest which involves the outgoing students from China are more to be seen in the higher education portals of Australia rather than be found in US and UK as since the rise of the ugly pandemic, US and UK are no longer the ideal destinations for parents seeking a safe educational haven for their kith and kin. Thus, Australia because of its no pandemic complications and proximity remains a preferred destination for Chinese students despite the racist incidents which have marred the relations somewhat. China has always been a clever and vile operator in the Asia Pacific which involves the idea that China will do anything for expediency and practical gains over ideals. This is well reflected in the Chinese foreign trade overtures in nations as far as Latin America and Africa where they enter a nation and make it completely dependent on China and harm the sovereignty prospects of the specific nation. Australia could finally broaden its network of associations with countries such as Taiwan and other South East Asian nations and it does have free trade agreements with nations such as Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. Also, Australia can involve itself with the South East Asian Nations in relation to eco-tourism which is one of the sizeable tariff earners for the Canberra government. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The intended Australia and China decoupling

The FBI has revealed that Chinese spies are blackmailing dissenters living abroad, in an effort to force their return to China. WION's Palki Sharma tells you more about Operation Fox Hunt.

Gravitas: How Chinese spies are targeting dissidents abroad

While the world is fighting a pandemic, China's President Xi Jinping is making moves to amass more power on the world stage. But, President Xi's hunger for power is creating more problems for China.

Gravitas: Xi Jinping's power trip isolates China

China is willing to resume talks at all levels in all fields as long as the United States is ready, said Chinese State Counsellor&nbsp;and foreign minister&nbsp;Wang&nbsp;Yi&nbsp;when he addressed the China-US&nbsp;Think Tanks and Media Online Forum via videolink on Thursday.

In his address, he talked about problems with the current US strategy towards China, questioning its basis and accusing the U.S. of making up "China Threats".

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-china-war-of-words-escalates-over-covid-19-origin-296648">US-China war of words escalates over COVID-19 origin</a>

Wang said "the current China policy of the US&nbsp;is based on ill-informed strategic miscalculation, and is fraught with emotions and whims and McCarthyist bigotry. Its suspicion about China, which is totally uncalled-for, has reached a point of paranoia.''

''It seems as if every Chinese investment is politically driven, every Chinese student is a spy, and every cooperation initiative is a scheme with a hidden agenda. If the US&nbsp;lacks confidence, openness and inclusiveness to such an extent, and chooses to conjure up 'China Threats' of various kinds, its paranoia may turn into self-fulfilling prophecies at the end of the day," he added.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-foreign-minister-says-us-china-nearing-brink-of-new-cold-war-300709">Chinese foreign minister says US, China nearing 'brink of new Cold War'</a>

Wang&nbsp;stressed that communication channels are still open and China would like to resume all dialogue mechanisms with the United States.&nbsp;He also made&nbsp;three proposals on bringing China-US&nbsp;relations back on track.

"First, to activate and open all the channels of dialogue," said&nbsp;Wang. He said only communication can dispel falsehoods and only dialogue can prevent miscalculation, reaffirming that China's door to dialogue remains open.

As long as the US&nbsp;is ready, China can resume and restart the dialogue mechanisms at all levels and in all areas, he said.

All issues can be put on the table, and all differences can be addressed properly through dialogue, said&nbsp;Wang.

"Second, to review and agree on the lists of interactions and third is&nbsp;to focus and cooperate on COVID-19 response," he added.

The foreign minister said that, given the inter-connectedness and complicated issues, it is useful for the two sides to sit down, run over them, and draw up the following three lists, that is, a list of cooperation areas, a list of dialogues and a list of issues that need proper management. He said that in the face of the virus, cooperation should be the first-order priority.

China is ready to share with the United States information about COVID-19 prevention and containment as well as its response experience, he said, adding that China is ready to have closer exchanges with the United States on diagnostics and therapeutics, vaccines and economic recovery.

The United States should immediately stop its acts of politicization and stigmatization and work with China to promote a global response to save more lives and take up the international responsibilities as two major powers in the world.

Washington and Beijing have been at loggerheads over the handling of the coronavirus outbreak, China's actions in the former British colony of Hong Kong, a long-running trade dispute, and frictions over Taiwan and the South China Sea.

On Wednesday, US&nbsp;Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the world should not permit China's "bullying" to take place, highlighting the country's territorial disputes with India, Vietnam, and Japan.

The forum was held to build mutual respect, trust and cooperation between China and the US&nbsp;with more than 30 top diplomats and experts from across the world participating in it online.

China is willing to resume talks at all levels in all fields as long as the United States is ready, said Chinese State Counsellor and foreign minister Wang Yi when he addressed the China-US Think Tanks and Media Online Forum via videolink on Thursday.

China is willing to resume talks at all levels in all fields as long as the United States is ready, said Chinese State Counsellor and foreign minister Wang Yi when he addressed the China-US Think Tanks and Media Online Forum via videolink on Thursday. In his address, he talked about problems with the current US strategy towards China, questioning its basis and accusing the U.S. of making up "China Threats". Also read: US-China war of words escalates over COVID-19 origin Wang said "the current China policy of the US is based on ill-informed strategic miscalculation, and is fraught with emotions and whims and McCarthyist bigotry. Its suspicion about China, which is totally uncalled-for, has reached a point of paranoia.'' ''It seems as if every Chinese investment is politically driven, every Chinese student is a spy, and every cooperation initiative is a scheme with a hidden agenda. If the US lacks confidence, openness and inclusiveness to such an extent, and chooses to conjure up 'China Threats' of various kinds, its paranoia may turn into self-fulfilling prophecies at the end of the day," he added. Also read: Chinese foreign minister says US, China nearing 'brink of new Cold War' Wang stressed that communication channels are still open and China would like to resume all dialogue mechanisms with the United States. He also made three proposals on bringing China-US relations back on track. "First, to activate and open all the channels of dialogue," said Wang. He said only communication can dispel falsehoods and only dialogue can prevent miscalculation, reaffirming that China's door to dialogue remains open. As long as the US is ready, China can resume and restart the dialogue mechanisms at all levels and in all areas, he said. All issues can be put on the table, and all differences can be addressed properly through dialogue, said Wang. "Second, to review and agree on the lists of interactions and third is to focus and cooperate on COVID-19 response," he added. The foreign minister said that, given the inter-connectedness and complicated issues, it is useful for the two sides to sit down, run over them, and draw up the following three lists, that is, a list of cooperation areas, a list of dialogues and a list of issues that need proper management. He said that in the face of the virus, cooperation should be the first-order priority. China is ready to share with the United States information about COVID-19 prevention and containment as well as its response experience, he said, adding that China is ready to have closer exchanges with the United States on diagnostics and therapeutics, vaccines and economic recovery. The United States should immediately stop its acts of politicization and stigmatization and work with China to promote a global response to save more lives and take up the international responsibilities as two major powers in the world. Washington and Beijing have been at loggerheads over the handling of the coronavirus outbreak, China's actions in the former British colony of Hong Kong, a long-running trade dispute, and frictions over Taiwan and the South China Sea. On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the world should not permit China's "bullying" to take place, highlighting the country's territorial disputes with India, Vietnam, and Japan. The forum was held to build mutual respect, trust and cooperation between China and the US with more than 30 top diplomats and experts from across the world participating in it online.

Ready to share COVID-19 experience with US: Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi

History is full of examples whenever the ambition of any autocrat grew beyond global tolerance, he became responsible for the collapse of his regime.&nbsp;Today, despite facing unprecedented global anger for being the originator of novel coronavirus, the aggressiveness of Chinese leadership on multiple fronts to suppress internal and external dissent has pushed the world against itself. Xi Jinping’s unfair adventurism for incremental encroachment, in the continental and maritime domain, at a time when other countries are fighting against the most dangerous pandemic of the century, is amounting to inhuman aggression, junking all morals, international conventions, rules, treaties and forcing the world to reluctantly react against his regime. &nbsp; &nbsp;

Xi Jinping’s Overambition &nbsp;

Xi started his term by dream-selling that all Chinese living below the poverty line would no more be poor by 2020. Internationally he projected himself as the crusader for world peace and climate change, with a resolve to push through Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to fulfil Chinese dream of rejuvenation. As ‘Chairman of Everything’, he indirectly declared himself as the tallest leader on the planet, in the manner he got himself re-elected for the second term and did everything possible to make himself great, under the banner of ‘Making China Great’. His anti-corruption drive was most popular amongst masses witnessing powerful people in jail, besides systematically eliminating the entire dissenting elements and all his possible competitors, through this drive. &nbsp;

The Boiling Pot&nbsp;

Xi took over in 2012 as President with 7.9 per cent GDP growth and led China to economic downslide thereafter. With failing BRI, mishandling of COVID-19, there is no worthwhile achievement to his credit except that he managed to eliminate dissenting elements better than others. Disagreeing with Xi ‘The Core’ is anti-national and leads to jail. Xi has indicated that in “Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” and adequate ‘Revolutionary Tampering’ will be resorted to quell dissent.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
As his regime stops delivering economically, the democratic winds will start flowing from Hong Kong and Taiwan, and the educated youth may not tolerate the autocratic system of Xi Jinping, having no worthwhile grievance redressal mechanism. After all, China is the third most popular educational hub, with the largest number of PhD’s in the world, where the population understands the entire power play; hence cannot be assumed to be quiet forever. The legal system stands hostage to party leadership justifies the boiling pot theory; hence the biggest threat to China comes from within. &nbsp;

Some of his actions like unfair treatment&nbsp;of Uighurs in Xinjiang province,&nbsp;the use of force in implementing draconian National Security Law in Hongkong are risky. The strict censorship of media and internet, electronic isolation, social engineering to bring societal changes are unpopular steps to minimize unrests. The viability of “Implosion theory” is feared to be a reality by a totalitarian regime; hence a dose of nationalism to be nurtured through external aggression suits Xi Jinping’s hold on power, besides making the best use of early recovery from COVID-19 in comparison to his competitors.&nbsp;

Opening Multiple Fronts&nbsp;

China has unfairly used early recovery from the pandemic as an opportunity to assert itself on multiple fronts, including India-China borders to scrumptiously encroaching some area not supposed to be held as per the mutually agreed CBMs, where both sides were free to patrol. This is a sequel to Chinese adventurism in Indo-Pacific at multiple places in the South and the East China Sea with greater assertion against other claimants like Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines. Besides the coercion of Taiwan, it has also taken away the autonomy of Hong Kong by passing the draconian National Security Act unilaterally. The rationale of China being over assertive at the time of pandemic comes from Sun Tzu’s thoughts of ‘Strike adversary when it's weak and preserve yourself when it is strong’. China is, therefore, speeding up its Incremental Encroachment Strategy in the South China Sea as well as LAC. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

The strategic calculations seem to be ambitious as in the authoritarian state, the sycophancy sometimes prevents leaders from getting objective advice from subordinate strategists. When Hitler launched an offensive in Russia in World War II, beyond its logistics limit for sustaining in winters, he overruled the advice of subordinates and brought Germany to disaster. &nbsp;

Global Reaction&nbsp;

In continental domain its land grab efforts in Ladakh have been rebutted by India, which honoured its 20 fallen soldiers with state honours, whereas PLA chose to hide the actual number of its fallen soldiers, creating another wave of anger amongst PLA veterans. The mutual disengagement is being viewed with suspicion as PLA demonstrated its unprofessionalism to the world by using barbaric tools for attacking Indian soldiers, junking the CBMs and yet suffered heavy casualties. India is certainly not going to take mini disengagement gestures for granted unless PLA withdraws to pre-standoff positions; hence will be ready to respond with all options on the table.&nbsp;

On the maritime front, the US has already demonstrated strong military posturing. ASEAN, which has been muted by China so far by the consolation of CoC and purse diplomacy combined with coercion due to large power asymmetry, seems emboldened to talk about UNCLOS, demanding its fair share of EEZ in case of affected countries. Taiwan, emboldened by national sentiments, leadership and US support, has started identifying itself as a nation, junking ‘One country Two systems’, ready to defend itself should a situation arise.&nbsp;Xi Jinping’s ambition has costed global loss of trust and some important markets for China. Russians have a forced marriage with China, due to sanctions from the West and economic compulsions, but given the geostrategic situation, playing neutral, along with the sale of weaponry may be the best option for them. &nbsp;&nbsp;

China may be able to implement the draconian National Security Act in Hong Kong, but the global reaction is unavoidable. &nbsp;China has to bear the cost of the demise of its financial hub, with many countries inclined for economic distancing, shifting FDI, banning concessions granted to Hong Kong, granting citizenship to those willing to exit, thus creating ideal conditions for urban insurgency in times to come, besides the rural insurgency of Xinjiang. Suddenly the voices in support of Uighurs and Tibetans and questions on ‘One China Policy’ have started becoming active, notwithstanding the threats of Chinese wolf warrior diplomats and state media Global Times, which are being taken as tools of propaganda warfare.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Future of China under the leadership of Xi Jinping

Xi Jinping’s Chinese dream of ‘Rejuvenation’ and his aim of ‘Prosperous Developed Society’ with a ‘War Winning Modern PLA’ by 2050 was achievable, had he not harboured dictatorial overambition to achieve these aims by making unfair use of pandemic. With the kind of global anger he has generated against his regime, the lesson of diversification of global factory for the world along with the need for economic distancing from China has become evident. Xi has thus pushed his country on a path of disaster.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

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History is full of examples whenever the ambition of any autocrat grew beyond global tolerance, he became responsible for the collapse of his regime. Today, despite facing unprecedented global anger for being the originator of novel coronavirus, the aggressiveness of Chinese leadership on multiple fronts to suppress internal and external dissent has pushed the world against itself.

History is full of examples whenever the ambition of any autocrat grew beyond global tolerance, he became responsible for the collapse of his regime. Today, despite facing unprecedented global anger for being the originator of novel coronavirus, the aggressiveness of Chinese leadership on multiple fronts to suppress internal and external dissent has pushed the world against itself. Xi Jinping’s unfair adventurism for incremental encroachment, in the continental and maritime domain, at a time when other countries are fighting against the most dangerous pandemic of the century, is amounting to inhuman aggression, junking all morals, international conventions, rules, treaties and forcing the world to reluctantly react against his regime. Xi Jinping’s Overambition Xi started his term by dream-selling that all Chinese living below the poverty line would no more be poor by 2020. Internationally he projected himself as the crusader for world peace and climate change, with a resolve to push through Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to fulfil Chinese dream of rejuvenation. As ‘Chairman of Everything’, he indirectly declared himself as the tallest leader on the planet, in the manner he got himself re-elected for the second term and did everything possible to make himself great, under the banner of ‘Making China Great’. His anti-corruption drive was most popular amongst masses witnessing powerful people in jail, besides systematically eliminating the entire dissenting elements and all his possible competitors, through this drive. The Boiling Pot Xi took over in 2012 as President with 7.9 per cent GDP growth and led China to economic downslide thereafter. With failing BRI, mishandling of COVID-19, there is no worthwhile achievement to his credit except that he managed to eliminate dissenting elements better than others. Disagreeing with Xi ‘The Core’ is anti-national and leads to jail. Xi has indicated that in “Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” and adequate ‘Revolutionary Tampering’ will be resorted to quell dissent. As his regime stops delivering economically, the democratic winds will start flowing from Hong Kong and Taiwan, and the educated youth may not tolerate the autocratic system of Xi Jinping, having no worthwhile grievance redressal mechanism. After all, China is the third most popular educational hub, with the largest number of PhD’s in the world, where the population understands the entire power play; hence cannot be assumed to be quiet forever. The legal system stands hostage to party leadership justifies the boiling pot theory; hence the biggest threat to China comes from within. Some of his actions like unfair treatment of Uighurs in Xinjiang province, the use of force in implementing draconian National Security Law in Hongkong are risky. The strict censorship of media and internet, electronic isolation, social engineering to bring societal changes are unpopular steps to minimize unrests. The viability of “Implosion theory” is feared to be a reality by a totalitarian regime; hence a dose of nationalism to be nurtured through external aggression suits Xi Jinping’s hold on power, besides making the best use of early recovery from COVID-19 in comparison to his competitors. Opening Multiple Fronts China has unfairly used early recovery from the pandemic as an opportunity to assert itself on multiple fronts, including India-China borders to scrumptiously encroaching some area not supposed to be held as per the mutually agreed CBMs, where both sides were free to patrol. This is a sequel to Chinese adventurism in Indo-Pacific at multiple places in the South and the East China Sea with greater assertion against other claimants like Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines. Besides the coercion of Taiwan, it has also taken away the autonomy of Hong Kong by passing the draconian National Security Act unilaterally. The rationale of China being over assertive at the time of pandemic comes from Sun Tzu’s thoughts of ‘Strike adversary when it's weak and preserve yourself when it is strong’. China is, therefore, speeding up its Incremental Encroachment Strategy in the South China Sea as well as LAC. The strategic calculations seem to be ambitious as in the authoritarian state, the sycophancy sometimes prevents leaders from getting objective advice from subordinate strategists. When Hitler launched an offensive in Russia in World War II, beyond its logistics limit for sustaining in winters, he overruled the advice of subordinates and brought Germany to disaster. Global Reaction In continental domain its land grab efforts in Ladakh have been rebutted by India, which honoured its 20 fallen soldiers with state honours, whereas PLA chose to hide the actual number of its fallen soldiers, creating another wave of anger amongst PLA veterans. The mutual disengagement is being viewed with suspicion as PLA demonstrated its unprofessionalism to the world by using barbaric tools for attacking Indian soldiers, junking the CBMs and yet suffered heavy casualties. India is certainly not going to take mini disengagement gestures for granted unless PLA withdraws to pre-standoff positions; hence will be ready to respond with all options on the table. On the maritime front, the US has already demonstrated strong military posturing. ASEAN, which has been muted by China so far by the consolation of CoC and purse diplomacy combined with coercion due to large power asymmetry, seems emboldened to talk about UNCLOS, demanding its fair share of EEZ in case of affected countries. Taiwan, emboldened by national sentiments, leadership and US support, has started identifying itself as a nation, junking ‘One country Two systems’, ready to defend itself should a situation arise. Xi Jinping’s ambition has costed global loss of trust and some important markets for China. Russians have a forced marriage with China, due to sanctions from the West and economic compulsions, but given the geostrategic situation, playing neutral, along with the sale of weaponry may be the best option for them. China may be able to implement the draconian National Security Act in Hong Kong, but the global reaction is unavoidable. China has to bear the cost of the demise of its financial hub, with many countries inclined for economic distancing, shifting FDI, banning concessions granted to Hong Kong, granting citizenship to those willing to exit, thus creating ideal conditions for urban insurgency in times to come, besides the rural insurgency of Xinjiang. Suddenly the voices in support of Uighurs and Tibetans and questions on ‘One China Policy’ have started becoming active, notwithstanding the threats of Chinese wolf warrior diplomats and state media Global Times, which are being taken as tools of propaganda warfare. Future of China under the leadership of Xi Jinping Xi Jinping’s Chinese dream of ‘Rejuvenation’ and his aim of ‘Prosperous Developed Society’ with a ‘War Winning Modern PLA’ by 2050 was achievable, had he not harboured dictatorial overambition to achieve these aims by making unfair use of pandemic. With the kind of global anger he has generated against his regime, the lesson of diversification of global factory for the world along with the need for economic distancing from China has become evident. Xi has thus pushed his country on a path of disaster. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Xi Jinping’s adventurism is leading China to disaster

The list of crimes committed by the Communist Party is long and the world only has one man to blame - Xi Jinping - the general secretary of the Communist Party and the president of China&nbsp;as the leader of China the buck stops with him.&nbsp;

China tried to hide the pandemic, suppressed information and punished whistleblowers but when things got out of hand, they tried to spin the coronavirus crisis but Xi Jinping’s enormous ambition knows no bounds.&nbsp;

The power-hungry Chinese president has amassed unrivalled power at home. Now, he wants a grip on the world but in his quest for world dominance Xi Jinping has put China on the highway to doom.&nbsp;

Firstly, China’s economic woes are growing. The coronavirus outbreak is a home-made disaster for China which shook the society, unleashed unprecedented state brutality and brought the world to a standstill but, the deepest impact has been on the Chinese economy.

China hasn’t set a target for economic growth this year and the road to recovery will be hard. The Communist Party has always set a target to tell the world how well China is doing but this time even Beijing is unsure.&nbsp;

A big worry is the large pile of debt. In total the Chinese state and its subsidiaries have lent $1.5 trillion to more than 150 countries in the world. A large chunk of it has gone into Xi Jinping’s dream project - the Belt and Road Initiative(BRI).

Several countries are struggling to keep up with the loans. China’s growth story began in the Deng Xiaoping era in 1979, however, more than 40 years later China’s economic juggernaut has come to a grinding halt under Xi Jinping.&nbsp;

The Chinese president is not just stumbling on the economic front, he is bungling on foreign policy too. The list of China’s blunders after the coronavirus pandemic is long.

First, China sent faulty COVID-19 supplies to the world, then it tried to create a new narrative on the origins of the coronavirus blaming everyone, but themselves.&nbsp;

When it didn’t work, China kicked off military standoffs in six regions. Chinese ships have bulled Vietnam, Malaysia, Japan and Taiwan. The Chinese army also tried to invade Indian territory and as these crises played out, Beijing went on the offensive.&nbsp;

Chinese diplomats haven’t shied away from threatening, even abusing from the dias of the ministry of foreign affairs. The result - China now finds itself surrounded with hostile neighbours.&nbsp;

Xi Jinping keeps adding to his problems. The Chinese president could have avoided the military face-offs but, they have only added to the global backlash against China even as calls to boycott everything Chinese keeps growing.&nbsp;

Chinese investments are under lens around the world. The United States is banning Chinese companies. The European Union and India have bought&nbsp;laws to increase checks on investments from China, Chinese tech companies are also staring at bans.&nbsp;

Huawei has become the prime target for leaders who want to make China pay for the pandemic. A new breed of Chinese diplomats known as the "wolf warriors" have come under fire for their insults.&nbsp;

Xi Jinping has responded by trying to throw his weight around. He wanted to turn a crisis into an opportunity and amass power and influence in the world but the Chinese president's thirst for power is only creating more troubles for China.

The list of crimes committed by the Communist Party is long and the world only has one man to blame - Xi Jinping - the general secretary of the Communist Party and the president of China as the leader of China the buck stops with him.

The list of crimes committed by the Communist Party is long and the world only has one man to blame - Xi Jinping - the general secretary of the Communist Party and the president of China as the leader of China the buck stops with him. China tried to hide the pandemic, suppressed information and punished whistleblowers but when things got out of hand, they tried to spin the coronavirus crisis but Xi Jinping’s enormous ambition knows no bounds. The power-hungry Chinese president has amassed unrivalled power at home. Now, he wants a grip on the world but in his quest for world dominance Xi Jinping has put China on the highway to doom. Firstly, China’s economic woes are growing. The coronavirus outbreak is a home-made disaster for China which shook the society, unleashed unprecedented state brutality and brought the world to a standstill but, the deepest impact has been on the Chinese economy. China hasn’t set a target for economic growth this year and the road to recovery will be hard. The Communist Party has always set a target to tell the world how well China is doing but this time even Beijing is unsure. A big worry is the large pile of debt. In total the Chinese state and its subsidiaries have lent $1.5 trillion to more than 150 countries in the world. A large chunk of it has gone into Xi Jinping’s dream project - the Belt and Road Initiative(BRI). Several countries are struggling to keep up with the loans. China’s growth story began in the Deng Xiaoping era in 1979, however, more than 40 years later China’s economic juggernaut has come to a grinding halt under Xi Jinping. The Chinese president is not just stumbling on the economic front, he is bungling on foreign policy too. The list of China’s blunders after the coronavirus pandemic is long. First, China sent faulty COVID-19 supplies to the world, then it tried to create a new narrative on the origins of the coronavirus blaming everyone, but themselves. When it didn’t work, China kicked off military standoffs in six regions. Chinese ships have bulled Vietnam, Malaysia, Japan and Taiwan. The Chinese army also tried to invade Indian territory and as these crises played out, Beijing went on the offensive. Chinese diplomats haven’t shied away from threatening, even abusing from the dias of the ministry of foreign affairs. The result - China now finds itself surrounded with hostile neighbours. Xi Jinping keeps adding to his problems. The Chinese president could have avoided the military face-offs but, they have only added to the global backlash against China even as calls to boycott everything Chinese keeps growing. Chinese investments are under lens around the world. The United States is banning Chinese companies. The European Union and India have bought laws to increase checks on investments from China, Chinese tech companies are also staring at bans. Huawei has become the prime target for leaders who want to make China pay for the pandemic. A new breed of Chinese diplomats known as the "wolf warriors" have come under fire for their insults. Xi Jinping has responded by trying to throw his weight around. He wanted to turn a crisis into an opportunity and amass power and influence in the world but the Chinese president's thirst for power is only creating more troubles for China.

Xi Jinping's hunger for power grows as China struggles with pandemic

Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro and Xi Jinping lead three different countries in three different continents, but have a lot in common.&nbsp;

All three presidents projected themselves as outsiders to win power and they cannot stand criticism, especially, when it comes from the media.&nbsp;

The United States, Brazil and China are on the same boat. US president Donald Trump promised to make America great again, but the country is worst hit by the coronavirus.

The US coronavirus outbreak crossed a grim milestone of over 3 million confirmed cases that has put President Donald Trump’s handling of the crisis under the microscope and derailed efforts to restart the economy. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/xi-jinpings-hunger-for-power-grows-as-china-struggles-with-pandemic-311714">Also read: Xi Jinping's hunger for power grows as China struggles with pandemic</a> 
 
Authorities have reported alarming upswings of daily caseloads in roughly two dozen states over the past two weeks, a sign that efforts to control transmission of the novel coronavirus have failed in large swaths of the country.&nbsp;

In Brazil, Bolsonaro remained in denial and encouraged protests against the lockdown and now he himself has tested positive for coronavirus. He has regularly appeared in public without a mask and on Friday vetoed parts of a bill that made the use of masks mandatory in public places.

Brazil has the second-highest number of coronavirus cases with over 60,000 deaths so far. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-urges-china-to-free-activists-on-crackdown-anniversary-311720">Also Read: EU urges China to free activists on crackdown anniversary</a>

China's coronavirus cover-up allowed the virus to spread all over the world and Xi Jinping's lust for power has isolated his country.&nbsp; 
 
Several world leaders have accused China of spreading coronavirus across the world, calling for it to be held ‘fully accountable’. Many have alleged that coronavirus originated in a laboratory in Wuhan, however, China has refuted the allegations.

Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro and Xi Jinping failed to handle a serious health emergency, and now their countries are paying the price for their self-obsession and failures. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro and Xi Jinping lead three different countries in three different continents, but have a lot in common. All three presidents projected themselves as outsiders to win power and they cannot stand criticism, especially, when it comes from the media.

Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro and Xi Jinping lead three different countries in three different continents, but have a lot in common. All three presidents projected themselves as outsiders to win power and they cannot stand criticism, especially, when it comes from the media. The United States, Brazil and China are on the same boat. US president Donald Trump promised to make America great again, but the country is worst hit by the coronavirus. The US coronavirus outbreak crossed a grim milestone of over 3 million confirmed cases that has put President Donald Trump’s handling of the crisis under the microscope and derailed efforts to restart the economy. Also read: Xi Jinping's hunger for power grows as China struggles with pandemic Authorities have reported alarming upswings of daily caseloads in roughly two dozen states over the past two weeks, a sign that efforts to control transmission of the novel coronavirus have failed in large swaths of the country. In Brazil, Bolsonaro remained in denial and encouraged protests against the lockdown and now he himself has tested positive for coronavirus. He has regularly appeared in public without a mask and on Friday vetoed parts of a bill that made the use of masks mandatory in public places. Brazil has the second-highest number of coronavirus cases with over 60,000 deaths so far. Also Read: EU urges China to free activists on crackdown anniversary China's coronavirus cover-up allowed the virus to spread all over the world and Xi Jinping's lust for power has isolated his country. Several world leaders have accused China of spreading coronavirus across the world, calling for it to be held ‘fully accountable’. Many have alleged that coronavirus originated in a laboratory in Wuhan, however, China has refuted the allegations. Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro and Xi Jinping failed to handle a serious health emergency, and now their countries are paying the price for their self-obsession and failures. (With inputs from agencies)

A tale of three presidents who've pushed their countries to the edge

The pandemic has triggered the biggest crisis of Xi Jinping's career. The outbreak has upended three projects - that would have crafted the legacy of the Chinese President. WION's Palki Sharma tells you how 2020 is turning out to be Xi Jinping's toughest year.

Gravitas: Xi Jinping's legacy is under threat

In Ladakh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a strong message against China's 'expansionism'. With his visit, the Prime Minister has signaled that he is willing to take a more hands on approach to tackle the China challenge. WION's Palki Sharma tells you how PM Modi has made the fight against China a personal one.

Gravitas: Modi in Ladakh | Prime Minister makes clash a personal battle

Chinese President Xi Jinping seems to have overplayed his hand. Now, The Chinese President is taking steps to strengthen his grip on power at home. WION's Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: Xi Jinping overplays hand with India standoff, tightens grip on power at home

People of Russia have voted, approving a constitutional amendment that allows Vladimir Putin to nix term limits and remain President until 2036.

This means Vladimir Putin has been elected as life President of Russia for all practical purposes and will stay as President for another sixteen years when he would be 83-year-old. It is reported that more than 77 per cent of Russians have voted in favour of Putin becoming life President.

Of course, some opposition parties in Russia have criticized this and have questioned the fairness in the election process.

Since the concept of life presidency has been approved in Russia, Putin may further extend his life president position, even after completing 16 years as life President. Will he leave this position&nbsp;when it is so easy to become life President in Russia, by manipulating rules and procedures in the name of the constitutional amendment and people’s vote? He may devise some new “democratic strategy” to do so.

In the same way, it has been announced that Xi Jinping has been elected as life President of China. Members of the Communist Party of China are reported to have overwhelmingly voted in favour of making Xi Jinping as life President.&nbsp;

Russia claims that it has a democratic form of governance and China too claims that it has People’s Democracy.

When someone is made the life President, it means that the people of the country have surrendered their rights to elect a new President, even when the performance of the incumbent President would be unsatisfactory and would displease the people.

In a healthy democracy, elections are conducted periodically to elect the political leader of the country for a specific period, which is normally four to six years depending upon the country. Obviously, this implies that the leader has to prove his merits to the people and after a specific period his performance would be scrutinized by the people when the periodic election would take place.

Now, Putin and Xi Jinping do not have the "burden" of proving themselves to the people once again. The life Presidents can do whatever they want with their job being secured life long.&nbsp;

The concept of life Presidentship is nothing but an anachronism in a democratic society when people have no right to change the President for a very long period. Then, what is the concept of democracy all about?.

In recent times, we have seen in some countries that politicians subvert the concept of democracy to perpetuate themselves in power and impose themselves on the people and the country. We say that Putin and Xi Jinping are the immediate examples to prove this behaviour of politicians to ensure that they would not lose power at any time.

One can not but think that the concept of life long President could lead to unrest, anarchy and violence, if the people would desire to change the &nbsp;President then the only way of replacing this life long President is to launch mass agitation.

Those in Russia and China who have favoured the concept of life President do not seem to have realised that the concept is a calculated risk, as far as the future peace and progress of the country is concerned.

 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

People of Russia have voted, approving a constitutional amendment that allows Vladimir Putin to nix term limits and remain President until 2036. This means Vladimir Putin has been elected as life President of Russia for all practical purposes and will stay as President for another sixteen years when he would be 83-year-old.

People of Russia have voted, approving a constitutional amendment that allows Vladimir Putin to nix term limits and remain President until 2036. This means Vladimir Putin has been elected as life President of Russia for all practical purposes and will stay as President for another sixteen years when he would be 83-year-old. It is reported that more than 77 per cent of Russians have voted in favour of Putin becoming life President. Of course, some opposition parties in Russia have criticized this and have questioned the fairness in the election process. Since the concept of life presidency has been approved in Russia, Putin may further extend his life president position, even after completing 16 years as life President. Will he leave this position when it is so easy to become life President in Russia, by manipulating rules and procedures in the name of the constitutional amendment and people’s vote? He may devise some new “democratic strategy” to do so. In the same way, it has been announced that Xi Jinping has been elected as life President of China. Members of the Communist Party of China are reported to have overwhelmingly voted in favour of making Xi Jinping as life President. Russia claims that it has a democratic form of governance and China too claims that it has People’s Democracy. When someone is made the life President, it means that the people of the country have surrendered their rights to elect a new President, even when the performance of the incumbent President would be unsatisfactory and would displease the people. In a healthy democracy, elections are conducted periodically to elect the political leader of the country for a specific period, which is normally four to six years depending upon the country. Obviously, this implies that the leader has to prove his merits to the people and after a specific period his performance would be scrutinized by the people when the periodic election would take place. Now, Putin and Xi Jinping do not have the "burden" of proving themselves to the people once again. The life Presidents can do whatever they want with their job being secured life long. The concept of life Presidentship is nothing but an anachronism in a democratic society when people have no right to change the President for a very long period. Then, what is the concept of democracy all about?. In recent times, we have seen in some countries that politicians subvert the concept of democracy to perpetuate themselves in power and impose themselves on the people and the country. We say that Putin and Xi Jinping are the immediate examples to prove this behaviour of politicians to ensure that they would not lose power at any time. One can not but think that the concept of life long President could lead to unrest, anarchy and violence, if the people would desire to change the President then the only way of replacing this life long President is to launch mass agitation. Those in Russia and China who have favoured the concept of life President do not seem to have realised that the concept is a calculated risk, as far as the future peace and progress of the country is concerned. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The era of presidents for life

The United States has called for the release of the Chinese professor who was detained in China for criticising President Xi Jinping over coronavirus pandemic.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-detains-law-professor-for-criticising-president-xi-jinping-over-coronavirus-pandemic-311076">China detains law professor for criticising President Xi Jinping over coronavirus pandemic</a>

Chinese authorities had detained Xu Zhangrun, a law professor on Monday for writing essays criticising President Xi Jinping over coronavirus pandemic and his efforts to consolidate power.

"We are deeply concerned by the PRC's detention of Professor Xu Zhangrun for criticizing Chinese leaders amid tightening ideological controls on university campuses in China," State Department spokesman Morgan Ortagus said, referring to the People's Republic of China.

"The PRC must release Xu and uphold its international commitments to respect freedom of expression," she wrote on Twitter.

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We are deeply concerned by the PRC’s detention of Professor Xu Zhangrun for criticizing Chinese leaders amid tightening ideological controls on university campuses in China. The PRC must release Xu and uphold its international commitments to respect freedom of expression.
— Morgan Ortagus (@statedeptspox) <a href="https://twitter.com/statedeptspox/status/1280529327826837504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
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In February, Xu published an essay criticising the culture of deception and censorship fostered by Xi for the spread of the coronavirus in China.

He wrote that China's "leader system is itself destroying the structure of governance". He went on to add that the chaos in the virus epicentre of Hubei province reflected systemic problems in the Chinese state. Xu's essay was posted on foreign websites.&nbsp;

Xu is a law professor at Tsinghua University, which is considered as one of the top universities in China. He even spoke against the abolition of presidential term limits in 2018 in an essay that circulated online.&nbsp;

US-China ties have been badly affected due to coronavirus outbreak, President Donald Trump has outright blamed China for their poor COVID-19 response.&nbsp;

The United States has called for the release of the Chinese professor who was detained in China for criticising President Xi Jinping over coronavirus pandemic. Also read: China detains law professor for criticising President Xi Jinping over coronavirus pandemic Chinese authorities had detained Xu Zhangrun, a law professor on Monday for writing essays criticising President Xi Jinping over coronavirus pandemic and his efforts to consolidate power.

The United States has called for the release of the Chinese professor who was detained in China for criticising President Xi Jinping over coronavirus pandemic. Also read: China detains law professor for criticising President Xi Jinping over coronavirus pandemic Chinese authorities had detained Xu Zhangrun, a law professor on Monday for writing essays criticising President Xi Jinping over coronavirus pandemic and his efforts to consolidate power. "We are deeply concerned by the PRC's detention of Professor Xu Zhangrun for criticizing Chinese leaders amid tightening ideological controls on university campuses in China," State Department spokesman Morgan Ortagus said, referring to the People's Republic of China. "The PRC must release Xu and uphold its international commitments to respect freedom of expression," she wrote on Twitter. We are deeply concerned by the PRC’s detention of Professor Xu Zhangrun for criticizing Chinese leaders amid tightening ideological controls on university campuses in China. The PRC must release Xu and uphold its international commitments to respect freedom of expression. — Morgan Ortagus (@statedeptspox) July 7, 2020 × In February, Xu published an essay criticising the culture of deception and censorship fostered by Xi for the spread of the coronavirus in China. He wrote that China's "leader system is itself destroying the structure of governance". He went on to add that the chaos in the virus epicentre of Hubei province reflected systemic problems in the Chinese state. Xu's essay was posted on foreign websites. Xu is a law professor at Tsinghua University, which is considered as one of the top universities in China. He even spoke against the abolition of presidential term limits in 2018 in an essay that circulated online. US-China ties have been badly affected due to coronavirus outbreak, President Donald Trump has outright blamed China for their poor COVID-19 response.

US urges China to free law professor who criticized Xi Jinping over coronavirus

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling party adopted a resolution on June 6 urging the government to cancel a visit to Japan by Chinese President Xi Jinping following Beijing’s imposition of a new national security law for Hong Kong.

Japan has criticised China's move in Hong Kong | Xi Jinping visit cancelled

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