China wants to polish its image by helping other countries with the corona crisis

Chinese doctors met on Thursday with colleagues from other countries. They gave advice on how to fight the coronavirus and how to prevent further spread. They also answered viewers’ questions to better understand the corona crisis.

Now the number of infections in China drops significantly, the Communist Party seizes the opportunity to polish up its damaged reputation. Today’s conference call ties in well with the country’s current propaganda strategy. “China presents itself as the savior of the world ready to help other countries during this crisis,” said China correspondent Sjoerd den Daas.

Criticism

The corona virus first appeared in the Chinese metropolis of Wuhan in December last year. The virus quickly spread across the country and more than 80,000 people were infected. Hubei Province, of which Wuhan is the capital, was hit hardest with 68,000 infections. In total, more than 3,000 people in China have died from the virus.

The actions of the authorities were soon criticized. They allegedly deliberately withheld information and reacted too slowly, allowing the virus to spread easily. But now that the number of infections in the country is decreasing, the authorities are trying to change this picture. “China wants to get rid of its image as a pariah, as a country that caused this epidemic,” says Den Daas.

Help

China is doing this, among other things, by offering aid to other countries that are struggling to control the corona epidemic. In addition to exchanging knowledge through conference calls, mouth masks, protective suits, test kits and respirators are also sent to countries in need, such as France and Spain. A team of doctors has even been sent to Italy, the largest seat of fire in Europe.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen welcomes China’s help and thanks Twitter:

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