Flere amerikanske senatorer og delstatsmyndigheter har saksøkt det kinesiske kommunistpartiet. Her et veggmaleri i Shanghai, der logoen til kommunistpartiet er utstyrt med overvåkende kikkert. Foto: Reuters / Aly Song / NTB Scanpix

Det kinesiske kommunistpartiet er rasende over å ha blitt saksøkt av flere amerikanske senatorer og delstatsmyndigheter i forbindelse med korona-epidemien. Kommunistpartiet vil ikke nøye seg med symbolske mottrekk, men iverksette tiltak som vil få de amerikanske anklagerne «til å føle smerte».

Det er den kinesiske mediakanalen China Times som skriver dette. China Times er kjent som en av kommunistpartiets mange propagandakanaler, og utkommer på kinesisk og engelsk. Avisen skriver:

At least six lawsuits have been filed against China in US federal courts, while some lawmakers have also introduced bills to make it easier to sue China despite legal hurdles and no realistic possibility for US states to achieve their goal. Missouri became the first state in the US to sue the Chinese government. Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed a lawsuit on April 21, claiming that China did little to stop the spread of the virus and «lied to the world about the danger and contagious nature of COVID-19,» claiming that Missouri residents may have suffered tens of billions of dollars in economic damage.

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch followed suit in a move that was slammed as «ridiculous» and «absurd» by Chinese officials and experts. The suit allows Mississippians to seek justice and hold China accountable, Fitch was quoted as saying in a report by Fox News on April 25.

Republicans who have been groundlessly accusing China and inflaming the «holding China accountable» political farce will face severe consequences, sources said, noting that the aftermath will also impact the upcoming November elections, while business and trade between Missouri and China will be further soured.

Propagandaen tar innimellom fornøyelige vendinger:

«American Congresspeople who hold an anti-China stance like Smith have been long-term hawks on China-relevant topics such as Taiwan and Xinjiang. And Republicans like Hawley are also backed by some US defense companies and other companies that compete with Chinese firms,» Diao Daming, a US studies expert at the Renmin University of China in Beijing, told the Global Times on Thursday.

The expert also noted that on certain topics, the US Congress is a very complex organization, which is also an opinion-driven organization that sometimes makes irrational decisions often influenced by a small group of people, Diao noted.

«An opinion-driven organization». Ja, man er drevet av meninger i vestlige demokratier. Og selv om det noen ganger bærer galt av sted, har man i det minste muligheten til å skifte mening og endre kurs. Men det er nok fremmed tankegods i manges hoder når man lever i en totalitær stat som Kina.

Trusselen om å skape kaos for å påvirke presidentvalget i USA til høsten, er reell:

For some US states, China’s sanctions might have a direct impact on the upcoming elections in November if local Republicans have been targeted by the Chinese government for their groundless accusation against Beijing and endless attacks that put China-US relations in a danger, analysts said.

For instance, China is the third-largest export destination for Missouri, after the UK and Canada, for goods and services in 2019 worth $1.1 billion and $775 million, respectively. Some of the top goods exported to China included oilseeds and grains, meat products, and medicine.

«While the Chinese government makes adjustments to business relations between China and states like Missouri or Mississippi, local economies would likely be under pressure, or special interests of certain officials might be affected,» Diao said.

Og etter den søte kløe, kommer den sure svie:

Missouri, together with other states like Michigan, South Carolina and Texas, had taken measures to make it easier for Chinese investment to come in and boost local job growth years ago. For example, in 2013, one week before Chinese company Shuanghui purchased Smithfield Foods, the Missouri legislature amended a law clearing the way for approval.

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