◎Europe’s Fury Toward China Becomes Irreversible
June 12, 2020
In Europe, anger toward China—whose arrogant and alien nature manifested as “demanding gratitude rather than offering apology”—has become decisive.
The monthly magazine I refer to here is a must-read, not just for the Japanese, but for readers around the world.
It’s filled with articles like this—authentic journalism—and yet costs only 950 yen.
The following is drawn from an article by Shin Okabe, editorial writer for the Sankei Shimbun, titled “The EU and the UK Are Furious with China — Five Japanese Prescriptions for Decoupling from China”, published in the latest issue of WiLL magazine.
This essay clearly demonstrates that outlets like Asahi Shimbun and NHK no longer function as legitimate news organizations and are completely under Chinese influence—indeed, under Chinese control.
All emphasis within the body (except headlines) is mine.
◎Japan’s Dependence on China Has Gone Too Far
The Global Trend Is Decoupling—Do Not Misread the Warfront of COVID
The global COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a clear shift in Europe toward “decoupling from China.”
Japan, too, should look to Europe as a reference in mapping its own path away from dependence on China.
In particular, the UK—which suffered its highest number of deaths in Europe, over 34,000 by May 18, and where Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Prince Charles were both seriously infected and hospitalized—has seen a growing backlash and skepticism.
Former Foreign Secretary William Hague called for “a total reset of UK-China relations, starting with an end to 5G dependence.”
The COVID-19 crisis has exposed Europe’s internal divisions.
Though the EU was originally established to prevent war and has since championed globalization following the Cold War, the coronavirus—on par with wartime in scale—prompted every member nation to seal its borders in defiance of the principle of “freedom of movement,” revealing the EU’s dysfunction.
As infections spread in Italy, each country reverted to nationalism.
There was little cooperation in joint procurement of medical supplies, data sharing, or common healthcare strategies.
Instead of solidarity, the EU revealed its “each country first” instinct.
It can no longer criticize President Trump for building a wall on the U.S.–Mexico border, nor can it call post-Brexit Britain selfish.
Into this vacuum of state authority crept China.
Through its “mask diplomacy,” it sent medical supplies and doctors to over 150 countries, including Italy, positioning itself as a “savior.”
But defective products that failed domestic quality standards in countries like Spain and the Netherlands fueled further suspicion.
So did memories of how China’s Belt and Road Initiative pushed developing nations into debt traps, allowing Beijing to seize control of their infrastructure.
China also launched a campaign via its embassies worldwide, promoting its authoritarian system—claiming success in virus containment through big-data surveillance—as superior to democratic governance.
As Europe watched, China’s true colors emerged: arrogant, coercive, and bizarrely self-congratulatory.
Its failure to apologize for spreading the virus and its refusal to disclose relevant data only deepened the outrage.
Worse still, in an effort to shift blame, Zhao Lijian, Deputy Director of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Information Department, tweeted that “the U.S. military brought the virus to Wuhan,” spreading conspiracy theories worldwide about an American plot.
Although China retracted the statement following strong backlash from the United States, Russia and Iran echoed the message, escalating it into a full-blown disinformation war: “The virus originated in Europe or the U.S.”
China’s tactics mirrored those of Russia in past information warfare—intervening in the 2015 U.S. presidential election and the UK’s 2016 Brexit referendum.
Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist exposed the China-Russia joint disinformation campaign for what it was.
In Sweden, several municipalities have severed sister-city ties with Wuhan and other Chinese cities.
The cause: China’s heavy-handed pressure on Swedish journalists and officials.
All Confucius Institutes funded by the Chinese government have also been shut down.
The EU's foreign service—the European External Action Service—warned in April that “organizations supported by China and Russia are spreading conspiracy theories and false information.”
That same month, NATO convened a virtual meeting of defense ministers, where Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg declared that “state and non-state actors are spreading false and harmful narratives to divide the West,” clearly referring to China.
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison added that China is following Russia’s lead, “engaging in hybrid warfare that blends military and non-military means.”
To be continued.
