China’s Pattern of Bad Behavior

As pandemics go, Covid-19 is one for the history books. However, before political interest in China’s handling of the virus dissipates, western intelligence analysts need to consider what lessons the world can learn from this latest tragedy. The recent behavior of China’s political elites is not an isolated incident in poor decision making. It follows a long pattern of aggression and a lack of understanding in the modern nation-state system.

President Xi Jinping and the CCP have consciously and consistently ignored internationally accepted norms of behavior over the last decade. The country has acted overly aggressive toward its own people, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and other countries across the globe, often without rebuke from world leaders or international organizations. Earlier this week China boasted, although incorrectly, that it chased an American military ship out international waters in the South China Sea. The ruling CCP also bypassed the Hong Kong City legislature by announcing plans to carry through on an excessively harsh sedition and subversion national security law for Hong Kong which, in essence, breaks Beijing’s 1997 joint declaration to respect Hong Kong’s autonomy for 50 years. At the recent annual meeting of the National People’s Congress, it rubber-stamped a 6.6% increase it the country’s military budget, according to press reports on Tuesday. The examples are numerous and egregious.

While the eyes of the world are on the suffering caused by the Wuhan virus, China is using it as cover and an opportunity to further its international goals. Western journalists from major American newspapers reporting the truth are kicked out of the country. There is no free press in a communist country.

After the initial release of the virus, whether by accident or deliberate act, China had an opportunity to halt its spread. It failed to act as a responsible member of the international community of nations. Instead, President Xi made the decision not to stop the virus from crossing China’s borders by allowing infected persons on international flights leaving the country. China is following a somewhat desperate, long-term, plan to gain hegemonic status among the most powerful nations of the world.

As Sun Tzu said 2,500 years ago, to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill. President Xi and the leadership in the CCP have taken it to heart. While the world is reeling from the release of the COVID-19 virus, China is breaking the west’s resistance without raising a gun. Its propaganda arm spins story after story.

The higher the intake dosage, the more is the circulation of blood. order generic cialis Have a try and enjoy the confident copulation with your love super cialis online partner. Kamagra (Sildenafil Citrate) is the generic version of the popular viagra 50 mg which is known to treat erectile dysfunction. The chemical name of popular drugs like soft cialis mastercard , Pfigra etc is Sildenafil Citrate and is used to treat erectile dysfunction and Tadalista Super Active is one of them.

When it became obvious China was to blame for the uncontrolled spread of the virus it tried to deflect the obvious and claim the US military created, and then planted, it in China to hurt the communist giant. When that propaganda effort failed numerous high-level officials, including Foreign Minister Wang Yi, came out with statements saying that Washington was pushing the two countries to the brink of a new Cold War.

In a Wednesday press briefing, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stillwell, responded saying that the United States does not like what it is seeing in China. “So given the massive dislocations that have been brought on globally by China’s mishandling of what should have been a minor public health issue in Wuhan, the world right now is focused on survival, not focused on Hong Kong. It appears that Beijing has used this opportunity to accelerate its agenda going into its next political season.”

The Trump Administration is not giving China a free pass on the pandemic or on recent events involving Hong Kong. The US Navy is conducting freedom of navigation operations in international waters in the South China Sea. American diplomats are holding China accountable. Stillwell said that the more the world stands up and is counted and says “…you need to live up to your commitments and follow through on agreements, obviously the more impactful this action will have.” It appears the United States, and hopefully the rest of the world, is waking to the danger posed by the communist giant.

DARIA NOVAK served in the United States State Department during the Reagan Administration, and currently is on the Board of the American Analysis of News and Media Inc., which publishes usagovpolicy.com and the New York Analysis of Policy and Government. Each Friday, she presents key updates on China.

Illustration: Pixabay

Quick Analysis

Russia Expanding Aggression

President Putin is using more than one pathway to enter Europe and undermine the West. While most of the world watches the conflict he initiated in Ukraine, the Russian government is actively pursuing a second front in a little noticed campaign in Cyprus. Although the corrupt Cypriot government ended its issuance of “golden passports” in 2020, Russian intelligence is functioning quietly there to transform this EU country into a Russian beachhead of illicit economic activity aimed at penetrating the capitalist West, according to Paul Goble of the Jamestown Foundation. Cyprus is not a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) nor does it receive as much attention as those countries who are member states. That adds to its allure as a prime location for Russia to attempt to gain a European foothold. Last week a NATO report, cited in the European Daily Monitor, noted that Russian intelligence agents have been plotting to destroy European infrastructure across the continent to disrupt states supporting Ukraine. It further suggests that Putin’s immediate goal is to lay the framework for a future move against the security organization’s members. Hungary, in particular, is another country garnering Moscow’s attention as it opposes the Western response to Russian aggression. Russia is focusing its intelligence efforts on other European, non-NATO member countries in addition to Cyprus, including Austria, Malta, and Ireland. The NATO report suggests that Moscow has had success in disseminating the Russian political narrative in these states to advance its campaign against the West. The island of Cyprus is proving to be a good target for Moscow as it is an ethnically divided island that is part of the EU since 2004. Northern Cyprus, officially called the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), is a de facto state that is only recognized by Turkey. The division precludes it from joining NATO. As Goble suggests, “it offers Russia troubled waters in which to fish.” Over the last 20 years, he points out, Cyprus’ challenges have opened it to a massive influx of Russian citizens, who now comprise approximately 10 percent of the island state’s population. Over 2,900 residents are Russians who entered until the “golden passport” program that allowed wealthy or well-connected Russians to move to Cyprus. It also provided them with documentation to travel freely throughout Europe! Although less visible on the world’s radar than the war in Ukraine, Moscow is also being helped by Cyprus’ banks opposition to seizing Russian assets and its support in evading Western sanctions. Russia has placed tens of billions of US Dollars there for money laundering. It has been more than two years since a single Russian “diplomat” has been deported and, in fact, the Embassy has grown to over 300 staffers on this tiny island state of only 1.2 million people. The Russian embassy in Nicosia has advanced communications antennae on its roof and opened a consulate on the northern end of the island. Moscow’s Ambassador, Mura Zyazikov, is a lieutenant general in the FSB with no diplomatic experience. The FSB, SVR (Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service), and GRU are actively using the island as a base of operations against NATO Member states, Israel, and other Western allies. Moscow backs pro-Russian political parties who in turn influence Cypriot decisions on education, language, and other issues. “Dmitry Khmelnitsky of the Dossier Center says that its findings should be of concern not only to Cyprus but to the West as a whole. Those who ignore what Moscow is doing because Cyprus does not follow the EU sanctions regime are missing something critical,” says Goble. “Cyprus does not seek to get rid of Russian agents and does not interfere with their work,” Khmelnitsky concludes, “despite the fact that what the Kremlin is doing is so clearly visible.” This has an impact not only on the small island but on the EU, NATO, and the West in general. Earlier this year the Moscow Times reported that when the FBI became more interested in Russian business and oligarchs in Cyprus, at least 10 of the major Russian businesses operating there left. Despite the government of Cyprus’ vow to implement plans for new sanctions against Russia, it continues to ignore Putin’s atrocities in Ukraine and to shield the wealth of the 50,000 wealthy Russian citizens and oligarchs residing there. Daria Novak served in the U.S. State Dept. Illustration: Pixabay