The downturn in China-Australia relations sounds like a small detail in the overall situation of world affairs. But this is a corner of the canvas that deserves close attention. It provides an initial indication that China is extremely sensitive to international calls to inquire about the origin of Covid-19.

The deterioration of the relationship between Beijing and Canberra is startling.As early as 2014, President Xi Jinping Speech Paying tribute to the Australian Parliament is a new trade agreement and the “Ocean of Goodwill between Australia and China”.But in the past year, China Impose tariffs As well as other measures against Australian wine, food and coal, Chinese officials accused the country of racism with War crimes.

The origin of the dispute may be as important as the way the dispute develops.At the end of last year, Chinese diplomats issued a list of files 14 dissatisfaction To Australia. These challenges include preventing foreign investment transactions and funding “anti-China” research. However, a particular dissatisfaction has attracted people’s attention.

Watching Chronology of disputesObviously, the real time for China to upgrade is Canberra required Independent investigation of the origin of Covid-19. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison even called on international experts to have “weapons inspector-like powers” when conducting investigations.Chinese Ambassador to Canberra Respond to It warned that such insults could trigger Chinese consumers to boycott Australian products. In just a few months, the Chinese government itself took the initiative to impose tariffs.

Beijing finally agreed to the World Health Organization’s investigation.But the inspector is very limited What they saw.China’s apparent desire to control the narrative backfired doubt Those who think that the country has a hiding place.

In fact, a guilty conscience is not the only reasonable explanation for Beijing’s response. The greater difficulty is that China’s response to any criticism from the outside world appears to be a threat, a toxic mixture of sharp speech and secrets. This applies whether the subject is Xinjiang, Taiwan or Covid-19.

This style “Wolf Warrior” Diplomacy Often backfired. But this is also an inevitable product of the family system, which requires sympathy for President Xi Jinping and implementation of this requirement through censorship and repression. It is unrealistic to expect a closed and paranoid system to be flexible and open in contact with the outside world. Many of the radical messages from Chinese diplomats may even be mainly aimed at ordinary citizens or bosses returning home. The purpose is to show that the Xi Jinping government is defending China.

When investigating Covid-19, the Chinese government was also indirectly protected by Donald Trump. The fact that the former president of the United States is widely regarded as a liar and has a clear political motivation to blame the pandemic on China makes it a reality. Easy to fire All the suggestions leaked by the Wuhan laboratory are just another far-right conspiracy theory.

Joe Biden’s more cautious approach poses a more intractable threat to Beijing because it enjoys higher credibility at home and abroad.U.S. President Openly Admitted His intelligence agency disagrees on the theory of laboratory leaks. If the theory is confirmed, he may really worry about the consequences. Even if the Biden administration tries to limit the impact of this discovery, US courts may also file a lawsuit demanding large amounts of compensation from China. The White House’s efforts to maintain a delicate balance between confrontation and cooperation with China will be blown away.

For China, the stakes are high.In the past year, China has Change the narrative On Covid-19. Under the influence of the initial severe damage, Beijing initially made a comeback. Compared with the high death toll in the West, Beijing succeeded in highlighting China’s success in controlling the disease.

The news of the new American inquiry suddenly made Beijing on the spot again. Faced with this extremely difficult situation, China will need all the friends it can find. But the Xi Jinping government and its wolf diplomats have alienated potential partners in the past year.The latest blow is the decision of the European Parliament freeze After Beijing imposed on the European Union, it approved a major investment agreement between China and the European Union. Sanctions The sanctions on European officials and institutions are in themselves a response to the EU’s sanctions on Xinjiang.

In the past year, relations with India have also deteriorated. For New Delhi, Turning point It was China’s aggression in the Himalayas last year-which caused the deaths of both armies. Senior Indian analysts believe that Beijing’s pressure on Covid-19 in the summer of 2020 may be a background factor in the decision to escalate tensions.

The obvious risk is that if China feels newly caught up with Covid-19, it will again respond by invading or seeking some kind of international transfer. The motivation to understand how the pandemic started is inevitable and necessary. This is also dangerous.

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