Cadence of Conflict: Asia, March 16, 2020

News around the world has blacked out. Everything is about this new virus that should be called the “pneumoniavirus”, also known as Wuhan’s 2019-nCoV, everything—the news, the politics, the economy, the maps, organ harvesting. But, that wasn’t the only Western bad news on China. Canada had a brilliant solution to the Huawei controversy: go public. So far that hasn’t happened. But, Indonesia is buying American F-35s.

As the world goes into panic mode over a glorified common cold, death by economy will be greater than death by disease. People are afraid because people are afraid. Once they freak-out to full-freak capacity, they will look for someone to blame for all their fear. That takes us to China.

China doesn’t like being the villain of the world. The Chinese Communist Party doesn’t like looking bad. Who does? Most of that bad image throughout the world—including among the Chinese people themselves—comes from unedited videos of what the Chinese Communist government is doing to its own citizens. Other than uncut videos, people are irritated by reports of signs of organ harvesting along with appointing Communist Party bosses to new leadership positions also hurts China’s image, both foreign and domestic.

Then, China blames the US Army—not the military, not the Marines, Navy, Air Force, nor Space Force, and not something more sensible like CIA. A Chinese official said that the US Army took the virus to China. A video is going viral in East Asia of Congressman Harley Rouda at a House Oversight Committee hearing questioning CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield, “So, we could have people in the United States dying from what appears to be influenza, when in fact it could be the coronavirus or COVOID-19?” to which the director responds, “Some cases have been actually diagnosed that way in the United States to date.” And, this is being used in China, and even among the Taiwanese, to argue that the pneumoniavirus existed in the United States long ago, wasn’t noticed because it was misdiagnosed long ago, but the US Army then took the virus to China. Chinese speakers easily misunderstand because they don’t know how democracy works. They believe this proves the pneumoniavirus originated in the US, even though there haven’t been any epidemics of death-by-pneumonia in the US since the bacterial pneumonia epidemic of 1918.

As things progress, China is being pushed to the point of acting on an ancient psychotic belief that all of China’s problems exist because China doesn’t control Taiwan. If the Chinese PLA military attacks Taiwan, however, they won’t be strong enough to deal with their own dissent at home. If China doesn’t invade Taiwan, it is because the Communist Party has been rendered catatonic, not knowing what to do.

Great Pacific

Daily coronavirus tally for Hong Kong rises to 9, with all members of an Egypt tour now confirmed as infected, along with a Cathay Pacific flight attendant // SCMP

And China has the ‘blueprint’ for the best response…
Containment has ‘failed’: What the world can learn from China’s coronavirus experience // SCMP

Chinese refuse protective clothing for Taiwanese evacuees, 30 rejected // Taiwan News

Trade & Tech

Canada to Huawei: do an IPO with us // SCMP

China

Full video of CDC hearing…
House Oversight Committee Hearing on COVID-19 Preparedness and Response // YouTube @ NowThis News

Viral in East Asia…
CDC director says some COVID-19 deaths diagnosed as flu-related in U.S. // YouTube @ New China TV

Fears China is ‘executing muslim prisoners and harvesting their organs to treat coronavirus patients’ // The Sun

English Catholics implore Vatican: ‘Tear up’ deal with Communist China // LifeSite

Flashback…
China is harvesting organs from detainees, tribunal concludes // Guardian

As the rest of the world shuts down, China is ramping up // Sydney Morning Herald

Is Coronavirus Increasing Organ Harvesting in China? // Bitter Winter

Chinese Tycoon Who Criticized Xi’s Response to Coronavirus Has Vanished // NY Times

Chinese official says US Army may have brought coronavirus to Wuhan // Business Insider

And the finger pointing begins!
Chinese Official Pushes Conspiracy Theory U.S. Spread Virus // Bloomberg

Photo of the Day: China’s ‘lonely dictator’ // Taiwan News

A coronavirus lesson from China: don’t make patients pay for tests and treatment // SCMP

New US bill could ban imported Chinese goods amid Xinjiang forced labor concerns // CNN

Over 100 Builders Go Bust in China as Virus Strains Deepen // Bloomberg

A cough, a coronavirus check and why a passenger had to be subdued on a plane in China // SCMP

The Peace Corps Breaks Ties with China // New Yorker

From ‘perfect Chinese daughter’ to Communist Party critic, why Vicky Xu is exposing China to scrutiny // ABC News Australia

China activist who called Xi clueless on coronavirus faces years in jail for ‘subversion’ // Guardian

Taiwan

Johns Hopkins restores Taiwan on map, adds asterisk // Taiwan News

Lessons Learned From Taiwan’s Response to Coronavirus | Best Countries // US News

What Taiwan can teach the world on fighting the coronavirus // NBC News

Taiwan inmates volunteer to join the battle against coronavirus // Gulf News

Egypt ‘likely source’ of coronavirus in Taiwan patient: doctors // Aljazeera

Beijing fails to congratulate Taiwan KMT’s new chairman // Taiwan News

War to peace…
Abandoned military barracks in S. Taiwan reopens to public after 20 years // Taiwan News

Taipei seems to have the virus in hand. Now I worry about returning to the UK // Guardian

Hong Kong

Coronavirus: Hong Kong imposes quarantine restrictions on 26 European countries in Schengen zone // SCMP

Hong Kong protests: anger after reporter knocked down during police dispersal operation // SCMP

Unemployment in Hong Kong soars, leaving workers from all walks of life struggling // SCMP

Military Faceoff

Indonesia cancels Su-35 purchase after pressure from US. Jakarta is keen on buying F-35 Instead. // Aviation Geek Club