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China's Planned 'Year of Europe' Left in Tatters

Jamie Dettmer

   China had designated 2020 as its "Year of Europe." The country's
   leaders had planned a series of diplomatic events and trade deals as
   part of a charm offensive to expand Chinese influence.

   But the coronavirus pandemic and mounting accusations that Beijing may
   have obscured the origins of the deadly virus and covered up the
   severity of the initial outbreak in the city of Wuhan is upending the
   diplomatic plan.

   Germany has joined Australia and the United States in calling for an
   independent probe into the origins of the coronavirus, adding to a
   growing clamor in Europe for a much more detailed accounting by Beijing
   about how the virus started -- and why the Chinese government delayed
   informing the World Health Organization about the ease of
   human-to-human transmission.

   Chinese officials are bristling at the calls for an inquiry. Le
   Yucheng, a vice foreign minister, told the American television network
   NBC on Wednesday, "This is an arbitrary investigation based on the
   presumption of guilt. That is what we firmly oppose." He added, "We
   support professional exchanges between scientists, including exchanges
   for reviewing and summarizing experiences. What we oppose, however, is
   unfounded charges against China."

   Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne midweek cautioned China
   against trying to mount any "economic coercion" on Australia to try to
   deter its push for an independent review of the origins of the
   coronavirus. "We reject any suggestion that economic coercion is an
   appropriate response to a call for such an assessment, when what we
   need is global cooperation," Payne said.

   Her remarks followed a press interview with the Chinese ambassador to
   Australia, Cheng Jingye, who said the push for a coronavirus inquiry
   could inflame anti-Australian sentiment in China and result in a
   boycott of Australian goods. "Maybe the ordinary people will say, 'Why
   should we drink Australian wine? Eat Australian beef?'" Cheng told
   Australia's Financial Review newspaper. China is the largest export
   market for Australian wine and beef.

   Chinese officials now say it is premature to identify China as the
   original source of the pandemic -- its embassy in Rome has suggested
   the origin of the virus lies in Italy.

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