What are people talking about today
- State report: Russian, Chinese and Iranian disinformation narratives echo one another
China, Iran and Russia are using the coronavirus crisis to launch a propaganda and disinformation onslaught against the United States, the State Department warns in a new report. Lea Gabrielle, who helms the GEC, told POLITICO that China has also let Russian propaganda efforts targeting the U.S. spread throughout its country — where the Beijing government’s internet censorship is notoriously relentless. - CNN's Fareed Zakaria: "Blaming China fixes nothing, Soviet Union participated in eradication of smallpox"
Fareed Zakaria said that blaming China for any mistake fixes nothing. Even during the Cold War, the U.S. and the Soviet Union managed to cooperate in eradicating smallpox. Why cannot the U.S. work with China to fight against coronavirus today? - Daniel A. Bell, Dean of the School of Political Science and Public Administration at Shandong University: "Did the Chinese Government Deliberately Export Covid-19 to the Rest of the World?"
- Zachery Karabell, Former Envestnet Head of Global Strategies: "The U.S. and China want a divorce, but neither can afford one"
For now and for years to come, talk of decoupling will far exceed actual decoupling. Not because anyone wants the status quo or the mutual dependency. Washington and Americans well beyond Trump don’t want to depend on China. Brussels doesn’t. Tokyo doesn’t. Xi Jinping doesn’t want the vulnerability to foreign companies or nations. But no one has the money now to force a fundamental change.
On Coronavirus:
- China Bat Expert Says Her Wuhan Lab Wasn’t Source of New Coronavirus
- White House trade adviser Peter Navarro: "China used WHO to hide the virus from the world"
On Finance
- Caixin Global Editorial: Reform is the Answer to Calls for Foreign Firms to Leave China
As key elements of China’s productivity shrink and the population rapidly ages, the “hard bones” of reform become increasingly difficult to chew on. How should China respond? The answer is obvious. Deepen reform and opening, and raise high the banner of globalization. In other words, whether the de-Sinicization debate flourishes or withers hinges on China itself. - Trump pressed to halt federal pension investments in China's ZTE, Hikvision
On Energy & Trade
- China 'the biggest winner' of coronavirus-inspired oil plunge
- Trump Is Urged to Pressure China on Its Promise to Buy U.S. Oil
- White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow: "US tariff deferral is aimed at helping retail"