Editor’s note for Monday, December 7, 2020

My thoughts today:

Beijing is dialing up the volume on its propaganda campaign to locate the origin of COVID-19 outside of China. On the weekend, the New York Times published an article titled “China peddles falsehoods to obscure origin of COVID pandemic,” which details how, to “push the idea that the virus didn’t come from China, the government has misrepresented experts’ remarks and given dubious theories the veneer of science.”

One theory on which the government seems to be doubling down is that frozen food packages from abroad brought the virus to China. Today, China’s tweeting consul general in Kolkata, India, linked to a Global Times article about this theory, and commented: “If cold-chain is possible now, Wuhan being framed by virus can’t be ruled out.”

The Global Times article tried to hit two birds with one stone, suggesting that imported Australian steak could have been the source of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, as the relationship between Beijing and Canberra continues to deteriorate. On that subject, Global Times editor Hú Xījìn 胡锡进 promised viewers (in Chinese) of his video series that China would take as long as it needs — “10 years, 20 years” — to teach Australia to have respect for “a country of 1.4 billion people that has successfully struggled to develop itself.”

Our word of the day is long-lasting punishment (持久的惩罚 chíjiǔ de chéngfá), which is what Hu promises Australia will receive in his video.

Upcoming event: On December 10, join The China Project for a webinar featuring former resident of the Gobi Desert and head of PAG Private Equity, Shàn Wěijiàn 单伟建, on his new book, Money Games: The Inside Story of How American Dealmakers Saved Korea’s Most Iconic Bank, as well as current market outlooks.

—Jeremy Goldkorn, Editor-in-Chief