The outbreak of the novel coronavirus – now renamed COVID-19 – in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province in China, has placed many individuals on high alert. The fact that this virus seems to be thriving closer to home, in northern Italy, is also cause for concern locally.
Doctors have assured the public that this is a mild form of influenza, and it is not life-threatening to those who are not usually at risk.
Alas, the repeated warnings for sick people to remain at home and for proper hand hygiene often go unheeded. For many vulnerable people, seasonal influenza turns into a veritable nightmare.
Nonetheless, there is something deeper and more sinister about COVID-19.
Indeed, it exposes some worrisome aspects of the rule of the Communist Party of China and its hold over Chinese society.
Firstly, there were rumours that COVID-19 was developed in a laboratory. This myth has been widely debunked. However, the nature of the Chinese regime makes it susceptible to such allegations for, during its long existence, the Communist Party of China has not shied away from duplicitous and deceitful behaviour.
Indeed, the efforts to contain the virus seem to be duplicitous and deceitful; could, perhaps, the virus be used as a pretext to crack down on dissent and opposition? The actions and rhetoric used point in that direction.
In a highly publicised meeting between President Xi Jinping and the director general of the World Health Organisation at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, President Xi used apocalyptic tones to describe the virus: “The epidemic is a devil, we cannot let the devil hide.”
The regime initially ignored offers of help from the US and the World Health Organisation. However, it has not been passive in tackling the outbreak.
Entire cities were placed under lockdown and hospitals were built in a matter of days to try and contain the disease. Officers have barred people in their homes thus preventing them from leaving; the police used violence on citizens who did not wear face masks, and other disturbing images on social media show people being forcefully removed from their place of residence.
Fear has also given way to ‘fake news’
The propaganda banners in Wuhan have also adopted a more menacing tone with messages such as: “A surgical mask or a breathing tube? Your choice” or “Those who don’t report their fever are class enemies hiding among the people.”
Yet, those who did try and report were themselves treated as “class enemies hiding among the people.” Li Wenliang, the brave young doctor who attempted to raise the alarm about the new virus, was detained for “spreading rumours”.
He later died from complications resulting from this illness.
Others who criticised the regime over its initial mishandling of the outbreak have also been placed under house arrest. The outbreak itself makes “quarantine” an excellent pretext to detain dissenting or critical voices.
In comments to the media, the Chinese democracy activist Hu Jia had described this epidemic as the “greatest challenge to the authorities” since the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy rising: “I have never seen so much demand for speech freedom – people now understand it is a matter of life and death. The authorities are afraid that people have awakened.”
Yet, fear of contagion can be used as a pretext to crack down on this too. Indeed, it can provide the perfect opportunity for President Xi to continue consolidating his power – power which now appears to be quasi unlimited in its scope, reach and influence.
The COVID-19 also has repercussions on an international stage. Hong Kong and Taiwan placed additional restrictions for travel to and from mainland China. Beijing is likely to be displeased with these developments. Tensions between Beijing, Hong Kong and Taiwan have escalated in different manners, and such events are likely to have other geopolitical ramifications.
The fear of the virus has harmed stock markets and oil prices as well as the Chinese Yuan. Sixty airlines from 44 different countries halted direct flights to mainland China.
Meanwhile, the outbreak is likely to affect Chinese exports and, by extension, the global economy.
Since the former accounts for 17 per cent of the global economy, the effects may be significant.
Fear has also given way to ‘fake news’.
This phenomenon – where news is weaponised to attack an opponent – has also featured considerably in this outbreak. The most obvious was to spread misinformation in terms of the nature of the virus, the number of cases and the claims of cures.
Yet, curiously, the virus has also been used to discredit and disparage other key security players.
For example, five media outlets in the Baltic region were hacked. News items were posted claiming that US soldiers, on Nato missions, based in Lithuania were diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus. Given Russia’s direct interest in destabilising Nato’s presence in the Baltic region, and judging on its frequent use of ‘fake news’ to manipulate political outcomes, such behaviour does not come as a surprise.
While the heroic efforts of medical practitioners should be applauded, the role of governments is not limited to supporting and encouraging such research.
Instead, it also lies in attempting to identify and decipher ways how this outbreak can be used as a pretext for political manoeuvring. For these political games, there can be no vaccine and no cure except for vigilance, good use of intelligence systems and education.
André DeBattista is an independent researcher.