Chinese President Xi jinping speaks during a meeting with Tedros Adhanom, director general of the World Health Organization, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, January 28, 2020. Naohiko Hatta/Pool via REUTERS
Gordon Watts, Asia Times: Wuhan virus threat is Xi’s ‘greatest challenge’
Ruling Communist Party goes on a ‘war footing’ as confirmed cases continue to surge on the mainland and across the globe
President Xi Jinping has put China on a war footing against an enemy with more firepower than a carrier group.
As the microscopic predator continues to stalk the streets of the country’s major cities, the general secretary of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) conjured images of “demons” in the battle to curb the spread of the deadly Wuhan coronavirus.
Nearly 8,000 people have become infected by the 2019-nCoV disease with the death toll rising to 170. Already the tightly controlled state-owned media have called for calm and warned of the dangers of mass “panic” after practically ignoring the unfolding tragedy in the early part of last week.
Read more ....
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- January 29, 2020
China faces bigger epidemic than Sars in ‘complicated and grave’ coronavirus outbreak -- Josephine Ma and Laurie Chen, SCMP
Coronavirus could strengthen China -- Frank Sieren, DW
New coronavirus may be much more contagious than initially thought -- Jessica Hamzelou, New Scientist
Factbox: What do we know about the new coronavirus? -- Reuters
What is coronavirus and how worried should we be? -- Sarah Boseley, Hannah Devlin and Martin Belam. The Guardian
New coronavirus looks set to cause a pandemic – how do we control it? -- Debora MacKenzie, New Scientist
How Africa is preparing for the coronavirus -- Jan Philipp Wilhelm, DW
China coronavirus: WHO in uncharted territory in dealing with emergency in world’s second largest economy -- Finbarr Bermingham, SCMP
Chaos in Iraq may further US regional strategy -- MK Bhadrakumar, Asia Times
Trump's Mideast plan: What's in it? -- Rami Ayyub. Reuters
The Long-Term Costs of NATO Expansion -- Michael Krepon, National Interest
Zelensky’s reform drive appears to have stalled -- Oleg Sukhov, Kyiv Post
Huawei Wins the 5G Battle for Britain (But America and China's 5G Fight Is Not Over) -- Daniel R. DePetris, National Interest
Brexit's divorce date is set. But what will happen to the UK on January 31? -- Peta Fuller, ABC News Online
What Did Canadians Do to Deserve This Government? -- Conrad Black, National Post
Russiagate Regrets: Why Washington Remains Focused on the Wrong Foreign Influence -- Lyle J. Goldstein, National Interest