foreignpolicy--2020-04-01--Coronavirus Has Started a Censorship Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has caused governments all over the world to introduce drastic emergency measures , suspending many of the freedoms that citizens normally take for granted .
Many of these measures are necessary in order to save lives .
To “ flatten the curve ” through social distancing , we must be willing to sacrifice certain liberties for the safety of our colleagues , friends , and family .
However , an increasing number of governments are also using the current health emergency to suppress criticism and undesirable information through the proliferation of laws against disinformation .
Free speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news bans , fearing that they would prove to be , at best , a well-intended but ill-conceived effort to address a real problem and , at worst , another weapon in the authoritarian ’ s arsenal .
Examples abound of these laws applied as a weapon against critics and dissidents , rather than a balm for misinformation .
In countries such as Egypt and Singapore , applications of fake news restrictions have led to troubling prosecutions of lawyers , anti-harassment activists , opposition politicians , and watchdog groups .
The current coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread of misinformation , a veritable “ infodemic ” that poses a challenge to containment efforts .
Yet the fears that fake news laws are an antidote whose side effects may be worse than the disease are being borne out .
Across the globe , illiberal leaders—facing questions about their preparedness to deal with a pandemic that has killed nearly 45,000 people , at a time when too few states appear to be equipped for the challenge—see fake news bans as convenient tools to suppress criticism and accurate information just as readily as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Watch found that at least 17 people have been arrested on fake news charges for comments they made about the coronavirus .
The detainees “ include four members or supporters of the dissolved opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party ( CNRP ) , all of whom remain in pretrial detention , ” as well as a teenage girl who was arrested and subjected to police questioning about her social media posts expressing fear about potential positive diagnoses in her area .
[ Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak : Get daily updates on the pandemic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the world . ]
In Thailand , a man was arrested after complaining on Facebook about a lack of preventative measures at Bangkok ’ s Suvarnabhumi Airport .
He wrote that the airport did not enforce any coronavirus screening against him or his fellow passengers returning from Barcelona , even though Spain now has more coronavirus cases than China , the original epicenter .
His arrest is part of a larger effort to crack down on alleged “ misinformation , ” which happens to include criticism of Thailand ’ s response to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of lawsuits , firings , and punishment against journalists and medical staff who have pointed out the strain that the coronavirus is placing on the country ’ s public health system .
Turkey has unfortunately become infamous for its suppression of criticism under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan .
So it ’ s unsurprising that , as of a March 16 report , authorities had identified at least 93 suspects allegedly responsible for “ unfounded and provocative ” social media comments about the coronavirus , and they had arrested 19 of them .
Reuters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acting to arrest social media users whose posts were “ targeting officials and spreading panic and fear by suggesting that the virus had spread widely in Turkey and that officials had taken insufficient measures.
” But , only 10 days later , the New York Times reported a marked surge in Turkish coronavirus cases , outstripping rates in most other countries .
While this is obviously politically inconvenient for the Turkish government , it might not be false , then , to suggest that Turkey , like the United States , Italy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the threat of the coronavirus .
A number of other authoritarian and illiberal states such as Egypt , Azerbaijan , Russia , Iran , the Philippines , Honduras , and Singapore are taking similar steps by harassing journalists , adopting new laws specifically aimed at suppressing fake news , or using existing ones to target undesirable content on social media .
However , even countries formally committed to democracy have been infected with the irresistible urge to fight the coronavirus with censorship .
On its official home page the South African government warns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fake news about the Coronavirus COVID-19 is liable for prosecution.
” In India ’ s Himachal Pradesh state , a journalist was arrested on charges of spreading “ fake news ” about COVID-19 on social media .
And in Hungary , where democracy has long been in decline under the illiberal government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban , the coronavirus outbreak has offered Orban another opportunity to cement and drastically expand his authority .
On March 30 , the country ’ s parliament passed an emergency bill that gives Orban “ sweeping powers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear cut-off date , ” according to the Guardian .
One terrifying provision of the law ?
The introduction of “ prison terms of up to five years for anyone publicising false information that alarms the public or impedes government efforts to protect people , ” the Guardian reports .
This bill , with its vague and broad definitions , is a gift to a proven authoritarian who has already made clear his distaste for journalists and critics .
The censorship bug has spread to social media platforms themselves .
Facebook , YouTube @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between ensuring the spread of vital information to affected populations and limiting the virality of potentially harmful disinformation—some of it state-sponsored .
But due to lockdown measures , the use of automated content moderation has increased on social media platforms where algorithms , rather than humans , have removed well-researched journalistic coronavirus stories from media outlets including the Atlantic and the New York Times .
This unintended consequence vividly demonstrates the dangers of erring on the side of censorship in times of even real emergencies .
It ’ s true that many social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been unwittingly inaccurate or , worse , intentionally false and intended to spread panic or bigotry .
All may be deserving of responses , whether to ensure dangerous medical disinformation is countered with facts or to show support for groups that have been targeted with racist rhetoric .
But “ fake news ” bans , and the harm they inflict upon civil society and aid they provide to authoritarians , are too tough a pill to swallow .
At a time when information and transparency are necessary to combat this pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identified , exposed , and rejected .
The devastating effects of censorship during China ’ s initial outbreak make this clear .
Had China not engaged in censorship of information it claimed to be “ false ” in nearly every step of the outbreak—threatening or silencing doctors , whistleblowers , journalists , and social media users—it ’ s possible that its citizens would ’ ve been more prepared and taken better precautions that would ’ ve limited the spread .
( This , of course , does not absolve such leaders as U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own failures to sufficiently prepare for the outbreak or warn their citizens about its dangers . )
The idea that governments should tolerate even false and misleading information is deeply counterintuitive at a time when people around the world are desperate for certainty and reliable information about an outbreak threatening millions of lives .
In such times it is tempting to demand prompt and urgent action to combat those who undermine national and global efforts through disinformation .
However , the feedback loop of information—much of which will be unreliable or wrong—is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efficient responses and communicate them to the public .
Harsh and unprecedented measures are needed to combat the coronavirus .
But censorship is not part of the cure , and the more authoritarians use it , the more we ’ ll see that it ’ s a symptom of another disease .

The coronavirus pandemic has caused governments all over the world to introduce drastic emergency measures, suspending many of the freedoms that citizens normally take for granted. Many of these measures are necessary in order to save lives. To “flatten the curve” through social distancing, we must be willing to sacrifice certain liberties for the safety of our colleagues, friends, and family.
The coronavirus pandemic has caused governments all over the world to introduce drastic emergency measures, suspending many of the freedoms that citizens normally take for granted. Many of these measures are necessary in order to save lives. To “flatten the curve” through social distancing, we must be willing to sacrifice certain liberties for the safety of our colleagues, friends, and family.
However, an increasing number of governments are also using the current health emergency to suppress criticism and undesirable information through the proliferation of laws against disinformation. Free speech advocates have long warned against so-called fake news bans, fearing that they would prove to be, at best, a well-intended but ill-conceived effort to address a real problem and, at worst, another weapon in the authoritarian’s arsenal. Examples abound of these laws applied as a weapon against critics and dissidents, rather than a balm for misinformation. In countries such as Egypt and Singapore, applications of fake news restrictions have led to troubling prosecutions of lawyers, anti-harassment activists, opposition politicians, and watchdog groups.
The current coronavirus outbreak has undoubtedly resulted in the viral spread of misinformation, a veritable “infodemic” that poses a challenge to containment efforts. Yet the fears that fake news laws are an antidote whose side effects may be worse than the disease are being borne out. Across the globe, illiberal leaders—facing questions about their preparedness to deal with a pandemic that has killed nearly 45,000 people, at a time when too few states appear to be equipped for the challenge—see fake news bans as convenient tools to suppress criticism and accurate information just as readily as misinformation.
In Cambodia, Human Rights Watch found that at least 17 people have been arrested on fake news charges for comments they made about the coronavirus. The detainees “include four members or supporters of the dissolved opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), all of whom remain in pretrial detention,” as well as a teenage girl who was arrested and subjected to police questioning about her social media posts expressing fear about potential positive diagnoses in her area.
[Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak: Get daily updates on the pandemic and learn how it’s affecting countries around the world.]
In Thailand, a man was arrested after complaining on Facebook about a lack of preventative measures at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. He wrote that the airport did not enforce any coronavirus screening against him or his fellow passengers returning from Barcelona, even though Spain now has more coronavirus cases than China, the original epicenter. His arrest is part of a larger effort to crack down on alleged “misinformation,” which happens to include criticism of Thailand’s response to the outbreak. These efforts include threats of lawsuits, firings, and punishment against journalists and medical staff who have pointed out the strain that the coronavirus is placing on the country’s public health system.
Turkey has unfortunately become infamous for its suppression of criticism under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. So it’s unsurprising that, as of a March 16 report, authorities had identified at least 93 suspects allegedly responsible for “unfounded and provocative” social media comments about the coronavirus, and they had arrested 19 of them. Reuters writes that the Turkish interior ministry was acting to arrest social media users whose posts were “targeting officials and spreading panic and fear by suggesting that the virus had spread widely in Turkey and that officials had taken insufficient measures.” But, only 10 days later, the New York Times reported a marked surge in Turkish coronavirus cases, outstripping rates in most other countries. While this is obviously politically inconvenient for the Turkish government, it might not be false, then, to suggest that Turkey, like the United States, Italy, and Spain, is insufficiently prepared for the threat of the coronavirus.
A number of other authoritarian and illiberal states such as Egypt, Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, the Philippines, Honduras, and Singapore are taking similar steps by harassing journalists, adopting new laws specifically aimed at suppressing fake news, or using existing ones to target undesirable content on social media.
Listen Now: Don't Touch Your Face A new podcast from Foreign Policy covering all aspects of the coronavirus pandemic Learn More
However, even countries formally committed to democracy have been infected with the irresistible urge to fight the coronavirus with censorship. On its official home page , the South African government warns: “Anyone that creates or spreads fake news about the Coronavirus COVID-19 is liable for prosecution.” In India’s Himachal Pradesh state, a journalist was arrested on charges of spreading “fake news” about COVID-19 on social media.
And in Hungary, where democracy has long been in decline under the illiberal government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the coronavirus outbreak has offered Orban another opportunity to cement and drastically expand his authority. On March 30, the country’s parliament passed an emergency bill that gives Orban “sweeping powers to rule by decree, without a clear cut-off date,” according to the Guardian. One terrifying provision of the law? The introduction of “prison terms of up to five years for anyone publicising false information that alarms the public or impedes government efforts to protect people,” the Guardian reports. This bill, with its vague and broad definitions, is a gift to a proven authoritarian who has already made clear his distaste for journalists and critics.
The censorship bug has spread to social media platforms themselves. Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter walk a tight line between ensuring the spread of vital information to affected populations and limiting the virality of potentially harmful disinformation—some of it state-sponsored. But due to lockdown measures, the use of automated content moderation has increased on social media platforms where algorithms, rather than humans, have removed well-researched journalistic coronavirus stories from media outlets including the Atlantic and the New York Times. This unintended consequence vividly demonstrates the dangers of erring on the side of censorship in times of even real emergencies.
It’s true that many social media posts—and even government statements—about the coronavirus have been unwittingly inaccurate or, worse, intentionally false and intended to spread panic or bigotry. All may be deserving of responses, whether to ensure dangerous medical disinformation is countered with facts or to show support for groups that have been targeted with racist rhetoric. But “fake news” bans, and the harm they inflict upon civil society and aid they provide to authoritarians, are too tough a pill to swallow.
At a time when information and transparency are necessary to combat this pandemic, it is vital that government-led censorship be identified, exposed, and rejected. The devastating effects of censorship during China’s initial outbreak make this clear. Had China not engaged in censorship of information it claimed to be “false” in nearly every step of the outbreak—threatening or silencing doctors, whistleblowers, journalists, and social media users—it’s possible that its citizens would’ve been more prepared and taken better precautions that would’ve limited the spread. (This, of course, does not absolve such leaders as U.S. President Donald Trump who are responsible for their own failures to sufficiently prepare for the outbreak or warn their citizens about its dangers.)
The idea that governments should tolerate even false and misleading information is deeply counterintuitive at a time when people around the world are desperate for certainty and reliable information about an outbreak threatening millions of lives. In such times it is tempting to demand prompt and urgent action to combat those who undermine national and global efforts through disinformation. However, the feedback loop of information—much of which will be unreliable or wrong—is critical in efforts to identify the most efficient responses and communicate them to the public.
Harsh and unprecedented measures are needed to combat the coronavirus. But censorship is not part of the cure, and the more authoritarians use it, the more we’ll see that it’s a symptom of another disease.


foreignpolicy--2020-04-01--What to Make of China’s Coronavirus Figures

What to Make of China ’ s Coronavirus Figures Welcome to Foreign Policy ’ s weekly China Brief .
The highlights this week : A U.S. intelligence report says China ’ s official coronavirus figures are fake , China bars foreign nationals from entering the country , and President Xi Jinping takes off his face mask .
If you would like to receive China Brief in your inbox every Wednesday , please sign up here .
A classified U.S. intelligence report has found that China ’ s coronavirus figures are false : that it underreported the number of confirmed cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to anyone familiar with Chinese data .
The question is this : How false is the data , and how deliberate is the concealment ?
There is a difference between numbers that are deliberately faked for the outside world and a state struggling—as all countries are—to gather information on a virus that is difficult to detect in many people .
It is likely that Beijing is deliberately underreporting the death toll in Wuhan , where the outbreak began , and the total number of cases across the country in February .
Bad numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the national image is at stake , and China is now keen to play up its victory against the virus in contrast with the West ’ s failures .
Still , it ’ s not as if the Chinese leadership has a secret set of books containing more accurate figures .
They , too , are left struggling to figure out exactly what ’ s going within the vast country .
As a result , local officials have been left with an unsolvable problem .
Chinese officials have been warned ( link @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases for the sake of reporting zero.
” But the leadership is also demanding close to zero new domestic cases .
A series of purges before the pandemic has left officials on edge , and any local authorities unlucky enough to have an outbreak in their territory could be in grave political danger .
Their response may be to conceal a local outbreak from the high-level authorities while using strict measures to contain it : reporting zero new cases while still quarantining neighborhoods or towns .
Proxy measures .
Given the unreliability of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge the situation in China ?
One method used by Chinese leaders themselves is to look at proxy data that is less deliberately distorted to get an estimate of the real numbers .
For example , residents in Wuhan have estimated the true death toll there by the urns handed out to families , leading to guesses of 40,000 or more people dead .
Proxy approximations are rough at best : The urn estimates in Wuhan likely include anyone who died in the city during the two-month lockdown , not just deaths from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just wrong , such as the claims that the loss of 21 million mobile phone subscribers indicates mass deaths .
( Many people in China maintain multiple SIM cards , with old numbers regularly removed from the system . )
Observed behavior .
Another way of working out what ’ s happening in China is to look at how the authorities are behaving , rather than what they ’ re saying .
Right now , that ’ s good news : Life is returning to quasi-normality in most of China , and physical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hospitals aren ’ t overrun , and medical staff are being withdrawn from Wuhan .
But there have also been sudden reversals , such as cinemas being reopened and closed again within a day .
My best guess : The authorities believe the trend lines in China but are scared of the prospect of a second wave , and they are cautious about public spaces as a result .
Foreign visa ban .
China barred all foreign nationals , regardless of visa status , from entering the country last week .
Effectively , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are married to a Chinese citizen , there is no route to permanent residency , let alone citizenship , except for a tiny number of people .
Even after the lockdown ends , the move is likely to be used for a thorough revision of visas .
Many of the 10-year tourist visas freely issued to U.S. citizens in better times could be canceled , and new work visas will likely be harder to obtain .
The wave of anti-foreigner sentiment spreading through the country continues , especially in Beijing , with more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out .
World Health Organization advisor Bruce Aylward gave a boost to critics of the organization ’ s close relationship with China when he abruptly ended an interview to dodge a question about the status of Taiwan , which is excluded from WHO .
Aylward praised China ’ s public health efforts after being taken on a guided tour of Wuhan in February .
WHO says that it has reached out to Taiwan on several occasions , but its defensiveness over the issue has caused damage to its reputation .
Xi goes maskless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without a face mask on Wednesday during a rural inspection tour in Zhejiang province , signaling to officials and the public his increased confidence in the success of virus control measures .
Xi hasn ’ t been photographed in public without a mask for weeks , even wearing one when on video conference calls .
Counting new cases .
After increased pressure from both global authorities and internal critics , China has begun to include asymptomatic cases of the coronavirus—those detected and under quarantine , at least —in its official data .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the true number of asymptomatic cases , which present one of the most difficult problems for controlling the virus .
The U.N. embraces Tencent .
The United Nations has decided to partner with the Chinese technology giant Tencent to hold online meetings for its 75th anniversary celebrations , despite the company ’ s role in state surveillance and censorship within China .
The U.N. seems undeterred by the example of the African Union : When China built its headquarters , it allegedly bugged it and spied on the organization for five years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ going out in greater numbers , especially to restaurants , retail business are still struggling .
The perceived risk of public spaces is still high , leaving foot traffic at near zero inside malls and retail centers .
It could be a final triumph for online retail : Even businesses that traditionally value face-to-face buying , such as gold and jade sellers , now face empty markets .
Is manufacturing up ?
China ’ s new purchasing manager index ( PMI ) numbers are good , indicating that manufacturing has increased—but that may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measured on a month-to-month basis .
The recovery from record low numbers in February was expected .
Official unemployment , which is always undercounted , continues to rise as factories struggle with falling global orders .
“ ‘ Loving Capitalism Disease ’ : Aids and Ideology in the People ’ s Republic of China , 1984-2000 , ” by Julian Gewirtz Julian Gewirtz ’ s article on how China dealt with an earlier pandemic—HIV/AIDS—is now critical reading .
It is especially illuminating on China ’ s interaction with the outside world and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ideologically to allow practical solutions within a highly politicized system .
As China attempts to cast the coronavirus as a foreign import rather than a domestic failure , such forces are likely to come into play again .
That ’ s it for this week .
We welcome your feedback at newsletters @ foreignpolicy.com .
You can find older editions of China Brief here .
For more from Foreign Policy , subscribe here or sign up for our other newsletters .

Welcome to Foreign Policy’s weekly China Brief. The highlights this week: A U.S. intelligence report says China’s official coronavirus figures are fake, China bars foreign nationals from entering the country, and President Xi Jinping takes off his face mask .
Welcome to Foreign Policy’s weekly China Brief. The highlights this week: A U.S. intelligence report says China’s official coronavirus figures are fake, China bars foreign nationals from entering the country, and President Xi Jinping takes off his face mask.
If you would like to receive China Brief in your inbox every Wednesday, please sign up here.
How to Read China’s Coronavirus Numbers
A classified U.S. intelligence report has found that China’s coronavirus figures are false: that it underreported the number of confirmed cases and deaths. That is no surprise to anyone familiar with Chinese data. The question is this: How false is the data, and how deliberate is the concealment? There is a difference between numbers that are deliberately faked for the outside world and a state struggling—as all countries are—to gather information on a virus that is difficult to detect in many people.
It is likely that Beijing is deliberately underreporting the death toll in Wuhan, where the outbreak began, and the total number of cases across the country in February. Bad numbers in China are always underreported, especially when the national image is at stake, and China is now keen to play up its victory against the virus in contrast with the West’s failures. Still, it’s not as if the Chinese leadership has a secret set of books containing more accurate figures. They, too, are left struggling to figure out exactly what’s going within the vast country.
As a result, local officials have been left with an unsolvable problem. Chinese officials have been warned (link in Chinese) not to “hide cases for the sake of reporting zero.” But the leadership is also demanding close to zero new domestic cases. A series of purges before the pandemic has left officials on edge, and any local authorities unlucky enough to have an outbreak in their territory could be in grave political danger. Their response may be to conceal a local outbreak from the high-level authorities while using strict measures to contain it: reporting zero new cases while still quarantining neighborhoods or towns.
Proxy measures. Given the unreliability of the official data, how can we judge the situation in China? One method used by Chinese leaders themselves is to look at proxy data that is less deliberately distorted to get an estimate of the real numbers. For example, residents in Wuhan have estimated the true death toll there by the urns handed out to families, leading to guesses of 40,000 or more people dead.
Proxy approximations are rough at best: The urn estimates in Wuhan likely include anyone who died in the city during the two-month lockdown, not just deaths from COVID-19. And sometimes such guesses are just wrong, such as the claims that the loss of 21 million mobile phone subscribers indicates mass deaths. (Many people in China maintain multiple SIM cards, with old numbers regularly removed from the system.)
Observed behavior. Another way of working out what’s happening in China is to look at how the authorities are behaving, rather than what they’re saying. Right now, that’s good news: Life is returning to quasi-normality in most of China, and physical distancing measures have been severely reduced. Hospitals aren’t overrun, and medical staff are being withdrawn from Wuhan. But there have also been sudden reversals, such as cinemas being reopened and closed again within a day. My best guess: The authorities believe the trend lines in China but are scared of the prospect of a second wave, and they are cautious about public spaces as a result.
What We’re Following
Foreign visa ban. China barred all foreign nationals, regardless of visa status, from entering the country last week. Effectively, this means everyone: Even if you are married to a Chinese citizen, there is no route to permanent residency, let alone citizenship, except for a tiny number of people. Even after the lockdown ends, the move is likely to be used for a thorough revision of visas. Many of the 10-year tourist visas freely issued to U.S. citizens in better times could be canceled, and new work visas will likely be harder to obtain. The wave of anti-foreigner sentiment spreading through the country continues, especially in Beijing, with more businesses banning foreigners.
WHO is called out. World Health Organization advisor Bruce Aylward gave a boost to critics of the organization’s close relationship with China when he abruptly ended an interview to dodge a question about the status of Taiwan, which is excluded from WHO. Aylward praised China’s public health efforts after being taken on a guided tour of Wuhan in February. WHO says that it has reached out to Taiwan on several occasions, but its defensiveness over the issue has caused damage to its reputation.
Xi goes maskless. President Xi Jinping appeared in public without a face mask on Wednesday during a rural inspection tour in Zhejiang province, signaling to officials and the public his increased confidence in the success of virus control measures. Xi hasn’t been photographed in public without a mask for weeks, even wearing one when on video conference calls.
Counting new cases. After increased pressure from both global authorities and internal critics, China has begun to include asymptomatic cases of the coronavirus—those detected and under quarantine, at least —in its official data. The data may represent only a fraction of the true number of asymptomatic cases, which present one of the most difficult problems for controlling the virus.
Tech and Business
The U.N. embraces Tencent. The United Nations has decided to partner with the Chinese technology giant Tencent to hold online meetings for its 75th anniversary celebrations, despite the company’s role in state surveillance and censorship within China. The U.N. seems undeterred by the example of the African Union: When China built its headquarters, it allegedly bugged it and spied on the organization for five years.
Retail crash. While Chinese are now going out in greater numbers, especially to restaurants, retail business are still struggling. The perceived risk of public spaces is still high, leaving foot traffic at near zero inside malls and retail centers. It could be a final triumph for online retail: Even businesses that traditionally value face-to-face buying, such as gold and jade sellers, now face empty markets.
Is manufacturing up? China’s new purchasing manager index (PMI) numbers are good, indicating that manufacturing has increased—but that may not mean that much. PMI is measured on a month-to-month basis. The recovery from record low numbers in February was expected. Official unemployment, which is always undercounted, continues to rise as factories struggle with falling global orders.
What We’re Reading
“‘Loving Capitalism Disease’: Aids and Ideology in the People’s Republic of China, 1984-2000,” by Julian Gewirtz
Julian Gewirtz’s article on how China dealt with an earlier pandemic—HIV/AIDS—is now critical reading. It is especially illuminating on China’s interaction with the outside world and the way in which the disease was framed ideologically to allow practical solutions within a highly politicized system. As China attempts to cast the coronavirus as a foreign import rather than a domestic failure, such forces are likely to come into play again.
Listen Now: Don't Touch Your Face A new podcast from Foreign Policy covering all aspects of the coronavirus pandemic Learn More
That’s it for this week.
We welcome your feedback at newsletters@foreignpolicy.com. You can find older editions of China Brief here. For more from Foreign Policy, subscribe here or sign up for our other newsletters.


foreignpolicy--2020-04-01--Russia Scores Pandemic Propaganda Triumph With Medical Delivery to U.S.

Russia Scores Pandemic Propaganda Triumph With Medical Delivery to U.S. As top American officials bash the Russian government for spreading disinformation on the coronavirus pandemic , U.S. President Donald Trump is accepting a supply of medical equipment from Moscow .
Russia is set to deliver a planeload of personal protective equipment and supplies to the United States on Wednesday following a phone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday , a senior administration official told Foreign Policy .
“ We will put into immediate use any needed items that are [ Food and Drug Administration ] approved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sending equipment and supplies to many other countries and will continue to do more as we are able , ” the official said .
The official did not elaborate on what specific supplies were included in the delivery .
Trump himself welcomed the move as his administration works to scale up the amount of medical supplies being delivered to overburdened U.S. hospitals across the country , which face a dire shortage of medical supplies .
“ Russia sent us a very , very large planeload of things , medical equipment , which was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a press conference on Monday—though the shipment had not yet been sent at that point .
But the delivery also represents a major optics win for Moscow as the worldwide delivery of medical supplies from competing powers takes on an increasingly geopolitical edge .
The United States appears to have shed its traditional role of world leader in a global crisis , critics say , instead redirecting its focus on domestic needs .
“ We ’ re all talking about it as a trolling operation but in a large part that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back , ” said Andrea Kendall-Taylor , a former deputy national intelligence officer for Russia and Eurasia at the U.S. National Intelligence Council .
The State Department has gone as far as to issue a directive to its diplomats in countries that receive U.S. foreign aid to now ask them for help .
[ Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak : Get daily updates on the pandemic and learn how it ’ s affecting countries around the world . ]
“ This is a PR coup for the Russians , ” said Alina Polyakova , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Policy Analysis , a think tank .
“ The United States has always had the reputation of being the global responsible first responder in moments of crisis and now … you have a situation where an authoritarian state like Russia is providing humanitarian assistance to the most powerful country in the world.
” Despite strained relations , Russia and the United States have still been able to successfully put their differences aside and cooperate on shared areas of interest such as arms control and counterterrorism in the past .
Putin was the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ W. Bush in the wake of the 9/11 attacks to offer assistance .
“ Normally we would be supportive of an administration working with Russia where interests overlap , ” said Kendall-Taylor , now a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security .
“ It ’ s the lack of U.S. leadership that makes this gesture from Russia seem more threatening than it would be in other times.
” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Russian news agency Interfax that Trump “ gratefully accepted ” the aid during his call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added that there was an understanding that the United States would reciprocate if necessary .
“ It is important to note that when offering assistance to U.S. colleagues … [ Putin ] assumes that when U.S. manufacturers of medical equipment and materials gain momentum , they will also be able to reciprocate if necessary , ” Peskov said .
Russia , China , and other U.S. adversaries have seized on the global pandemic to push out false narratives that undercut the West and showcase their own clout by delivering medical supplies abroad , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home .
“ We have seen it not only from Iran and Russia but from China and others as well trying to tell a narrative , ” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters in a phone briefing on Thursday .
“ The narratives are different , but each of them has the same component , which is to avoid responsibility and try and place confusion in the world , confusion about where the virus began but also confusion about how countries are responding to it and which countries are actually providing assistance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may even be learning from each other in their response to the crisis , said Kendall-Taylor .
“ China is learning Russia ’ s disinformation tactics , and I think Russia has seen how China is using this to portray itself as a global leader , ” she said .
Disinformation experts say Chinese propaganda , which has typically sought to control the narrative , has changed and is now mirroring Russian disinformation—not trying to control the narrative but aiming sow confusion and flood the internet with conflicting narratives on the origins of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to refurbish its image after botching the initial response to the pandemic that likely originated in its Hubei province , has sent medical supplies and doctors to some of the countries hit hardest by the virus , including Italy and Iran .
While many in Washington dismissed the deliveries as a thinly veiled propaganda exercise , they have also quietly raised alarm bells within the U.S. government of how China is showcasing its global influence in the next phase of the coronavirus response .
As Russia ’ s own infection rate has risen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planeloads of equipment and some 100 troops to Italy to help combat the country ’ s coronavirus spread , which has led to over 13,000 deaths there so far , the Wall Street Journal reports .
Last week , Italian newspaper La Stampa quoted high-level political sources in Italy who said that 80 percent of the supplies sent by Russia were “ useless ” and accused Moscow of pursuing a public-relations exercise .
The aid comes as Moscow is directing disinformation campaigns across Eastern Europe aimed at undermining NATO and trans-Atlantic relations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ European Union ’ s diplomatic service has tracked over 150 cases of “ pro-Kremlin disinformation ” since late January , when the coronavirus initially began spreading beyond China ’ s borders .

As top American officials bash the Russian government for spreading disinformation on the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. President Donald Trump is accepting a supply of medical equipment from Moscow.
Russia is set to deliver a planeload of personal protective equipment and supplies to the United States on Wednesday following a phone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, a senior administration official told Foreign Policy. “We will put into immediate use any needed items that are [Food and Drug Administration] approved. Likewise, the United States is sending equipment and supplies to many other countries and will continue to do more as we are able,” the official said. The official did not elaborate on what specific supplies were included in the delivery.
Trump himself welcomed the move as his administration works to scale up the amount of medical supplies being delivered to overburdened U.S. hospitals across the country, which face a dire shortage of medical supplies. “Russia sent us a very, very large planeload of things, medical equipment, which was very nice,” Trump said during a press conference on Monday—though the shipment had not yet been sent at that point.
But the delivery also represents a major optics win for Moscow as the worldwide delivery of medical supplies from competing powers takes on an increasingly geopolitical edge. The United States appears to have shed its traditional role of world leader in a global crisis, critics say, instead redirecting its focus on domestic needs. “We’re all talking about it as a trolling operation but in a large part that’s because the U.S. is flat on its back,” said Andrea Kendall-Taylor, a former deputy national intelligence officer for Russia and Eurasia at the U.S. National Intelligence Council. The State Department has gone as far as to issue a directive to its diplomats in countries that receive U.S. foreign aid to now ask them for help.
[Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak: Get daily updates on the pandemic and learn how it’s affecting countries around the world.]
“This is a PR coup for the Russians,” said Alina Polyakova, the head of the Center for European Policy Analysis, a think tank. “The United States has always had the reputation of being the global responsible first responder in moments of crisis and now … you have a situation where an authoritarian state like Russia is providing humanitarian assistance to the most powerful country in the world.”
Despite strained relations, Russia and the United States have still been able to successfully put their differences aside and cooperate on shared areas of interest such as arms control and counterterrorism in the past. Putin was the first world leader to call U.S. President George W. Bush in the wake of the 9/11 attacks to offer assistance. “Normally we would be supportive of an administration working with Russia where interests overlap,” said Kendall-Taylor, now a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security. “It’s the lack of U.S. leadership that makes this gesture from Russia seem more threatening than it would be in other times.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Russian news agency Interfax that Trump “gratefully accepted” the aid during his call with Putin on Monday, and he added that there was an understanding that the United States would reciprocate if necessary. “It is important to note that when offering assistance to U.S. colleagues … [Putin] assumes that when U.S. manufacturers of medical equipment and materials gain momentum, they will also be able to reciprocate if necessary,” Peskov said.
Russia, China, and other U.S. adversaries have seized on the global pandemic to push out false narratives that undercut the West and showcase their own clout by delivering medical supplies abroad, even as they fight the virus at home.
“We have seen it not only from Iran and Russia but from China and others as well trying to tell a narrative,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters in a phone briefing on Thursday. “The narratives are different, but each of them has the same component, which is to avoid responsibility and try and place confusion in the world, confusion about where the virus began but also confusion about how countries are responding to it and which countries are actually providing assistance throughout the world.”
Russia and China may even be learning from each other in their response to the crisis, said Kendall-Taylor. “China is learning Russia’s disinformation tactics, and I think Russia has seen how China is using this to portray itself as a global leader,” she said. Disinformation experts say Chinese propaganda, which has typically sought to control the narrative, has changed and is now mirroring Russian disinformation—not trying to control the narrative but aiming sow confusion and flood the internet with conflicting narratives on the origins of the new coronavirus.
China, seeking to refurbish its image after botching the initial response to the pandemic that likely originated in its Hubei province, has sent medical supplies and doctors to some of the countries hit hardest by the virus, including Italy and Iran. While many in Washington dismissed the deliveries as a thinly veiled propaganda exercise, they have also quietly raised alarm bells within the U.S. government of how China is showcasing its global influence in the next phase of the coronavirus response.
As Russia’s own infection rate has risen sharply, Moscow has also sent military planeloads of equipment and some 100 troops to Italy to help combat the country’s coronavirus spread, which has led to over 13,000 deaths there so far, the Wall Street Journal reports. Last week, Italian newspaper La Stampa quoted high-level political sources in Italy who said that 80 percent of the supplies sent by Russia were “useless” and accused Moscow of pursuing a public-relations exercise.
The aid comes as Moscow is directing disinformation campaigns across Eastern Europe aimed at undermining NATO and trans-Atlantic relations. In a newly released report, the European Union’s diplomatic service has tracked over 150 cases of “pro-Kremlin disinformation” since late January, when the coronavirus initially began spreading beyond China’s borders.


foreignpolicy--2020-04-01--For Now, China Has Forgiven Russia for Rebuffing It Over the Coronavirus

For Now , China Has Forgiven Russia for Rebuffing It Over the Coronavirus Even as the world struggles with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic , geopolitical maneuvering continues .
China has seized the outbreak as an opportunity to lend a very public hand to countries now battling the disease .
Already Beijing has promised or delivered humanitarian aid to countries ranging from Estonia to Iran , from Pakistan to Spain .
Now , China has even begun to direct aid to those who have slighted the country in recent months .
Russia made China and its citizens ( and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) the primary targets in the battle to contain the coronavirus .
Not only did China turn out to be the wrong target , but the move endangered the Kremlin ’ s most reliable strategic alliance .
But China seems to have forgiven Russia—or seems to value their relationship more highly than any slight .
When the new coronavirus first broke out , Russia ’ s main vulnerability seemed to be its 2,600-mile-long land border with China , the first epicenter of the pandemic .
In January , the Kremlin moved with surprising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the first countries to introduce a blanket ban on all Chinese visitors .
Until recently , it looked like this strategy was working .
At the beginning of last week , there were only 438 confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia among a population of 146 million .
But that was before a sudden surge brought the number to 1,836 cases and nine deaths as of March 30 .
Russian measures directed against China weren ’ t limited to border closings .
In Moscow , thousands of miles west of the Russo-Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tram and metro conductors were purportedly ordered by the city ’ s state-owned transport operator to monitor any Chinese passengers .
Drivers were reportedly even told to call the police if they had any “ persons of Chinese nationality ” in their vehicles .
It turns out , however , that Russia wasn ’ t importing its coronavirus cases directly from China , but via Europe .
No place better illustrates this than Khabarovsk , one of the largest cities in the Russian Far East .
Located just 20 miles away from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed cases of the coronavirus .
With the border closed , none of the cases came from China—instead , at least five have been traced to Russian citizens who had recently visited Europe .
[ Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak : Get daily updates on the pandemic and learn how it ’ s affecting countries around the world . ]
The Khabarovsk cases have laid bare the faulty logic of Russia ’ s coronavirus containment strategy .
Even as Chinese citizens were turned away , flights from Spain and Italy—the European hot spots of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One reason for this preferential treatment of European nations during the crisis is that Russia continues to view itself as a European nation , despite its strategic shift to Asia .
( Indeed , Moscow seized the opportunity to remind Rome of their historic ties by sending a military convoy carrying medical specialists and equipment to Italy . )
Russia ’ s treatment of China did not go unnoticed in Beijing .
On Feb. 25 , tensions came to a head in the form of a rare diplomatic spat between the Chinese Embassy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The embassy sent a letter to the Moscow city government , asking it to end what the embassy said was discrimination against Chinese citizens on public transportation .
Such measures were unbefitting of an ally , the letter warned , and “ do not exist in any country , even the United States and Western countries.
” Despite these tensions , personal relations between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his “ best and bosom ” friend , Russian President Vladimir Putin , appear to be unaffected .
On March 19 , during their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak , Putin was quick to flatter Xi , denouncing U.S. President Donald Trump ’ s insistence on using the term “ Chinese virus ” while commending China ’ s “ remarkably efficient ” handling of the crisis .
For Putin , China has become more important since Russia invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea in 2014 .
Since then , China and Russia have accelerated cooperation between their governments , economies , and militaries .
Official and diplomatic contact operates smoothly .
This bonhomie has failed to materialize on the ground , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about their Russian neighbors , and Russians often openly express hostility toward their Chinese counterparts .
Ordinary Chinese and Russians , it seems , do not share Xi and Putin ’ s personal chemistry .
The virus has exposed this fragility : In February , the Levada Center , an independent Russian polling organization , published data showing that since the outbreak , the share of Russians who view China negatively has grown from 18 percent to 24 percent .
Sinophobia is more common among Russia ’ s population than its leaders admit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Khabarovsk is a good example .
When the city ’ s main news website published a story that said 24 Chinese citizens were under quarantine in a specialized zone , readers ’ comments described them as parasites who feed off the Russian state .
This runs in stark contrast to the Russian state media ’ s narrative of an “ unbreakable bond ” between the two countries .
In reality , it is Khabarovsk ’ s economy that is dependent upon China .
As a result of the virus , the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already in a dire state .
Prior to the border closing , approximately 45,000 Chinese organized tours had been expected to travel to Russia in March alone .
If the restrictions are not lifted before summer , tour operators are expected to lose $ 400 million .
Even before COVID-19 , attracting non-Chinese visitors—even ones from other parts of Russia—to Khabarovsk was an uphill battle .
Replacing these tourism revenues with other income is now nearly impossible and will require support from the Kremlin .
Compounding these economic problems , Khabarovsk is experiencing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speculators stockpiled them last month .
Reports also suggest that the Russian elites in Moscow are hoarding urgently needed ventilators for personal use .
As late as early March , Khabarovsk ’ s branch of the Russian Red Cross was still collecting medical equipment to dispatch to Heilongjiang province just across the border—leading to the collection of a modest 56 boxes of supplies .
At the national level , Russian support for China included 25 tons of medical equipment flown into Wuhan .
Now , however , it is Russia that is ramping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need of help .
Russia is now accepting aid from China .
During a phone call with his counterpart , Sergei Lavrov , Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pledged on March 18 that the Chinese government will promptly provide necessary assistance to Russia .
On March 19 , Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin declared the suspension of all customs restrictions for one month .
On the following day , China shipped its first batch of face masks to Russia .
China ’ s lifeline to Russia won ’ t be limited to medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ falters amid the escalating pandemic , trade with China will become even more important to cities like Khabarovsk along the Russo-Chinese border .
The flow of aid from China to Russia suggests Beijing has forgiven its ally—at least for now .
But the long-term consequences of the coronavirus crisis for their partnership are less clear .
When a Russian reporter asked China ’ s ambassador to Russia , Zhang Hanhui , to comment on Russia ’ s assistance to China at the beginning of the pandemic , he said Russian support had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and comprehensive.
” Diplomatic niceties aside , China is unlikely to forget that its most important strategic partner can not be relied on in times of need .

Even as the world struggles with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, geopolitical maneuvering continues. China has seized the outbreak as an opportunity to lend a very public hand to countries now battling the disease. Already Beijing has promised or delivered humanitarian aid to countries ranging from Estonia to Iran, from Pakistan to Spain.
Even as the world struggles with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, geopolitical maneuvering continues. China has seized the outbreak as an opportunity to lend a very public hand to countries now battling the disease. Already Beijing has promised or delivered humanitarian aid to countries ranging from Estonia to Iran, from Pakistan to Spain.
Now, China has even begun to direct aid to those who have slighted the country in recent months. Russia made China and its citizens (and, sometimes, anyone who looked Chinese) the primary targets in the battle to contain the coronavirus. Not only did China turn out to be the wrong target, but the move endangered the Kremlin’s most reliable strategic alliance. But China seems to have forgiven Russia—or seems to value their relationship more highly than any slight.
When the new coronavirus first broke out, Russia’s main vulnerability seemed to be its 2,600-mile-long land border with China, the first epicenter of the pandemic. In January, the Kremlin moved with surprising speed to shut that border, becoming one of the first countries to introduce a blanket ban on all Chinese visitors. Until recently, it looked like this strategy was working. At the beginning of last week, there were only 438 confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia among a population of 146 million. But that was before a sudden surge brought the number to 1,836 cases and nine deaths as of March 30.
Russian measures directed against China weren’t limited to border closings. In Moscow, thousands of miles west of the Russo-Chinese border, bus drivers as well as tram and metro conductors were purportedly ordered by the city’s state-owned transport operator to monitor any Chinese passengers. Drivers were reportedly even told to call the police if they had any “persons of Chinese nationality” in their vehicles.
It turns out, however, that Russia wasn’t importing its coronavirus cases directly from China, but via Europe. No place better illustrates this than Khabarovsk, one of the largest cities in the Russian Far East. Located just 20 miles away from the Chinese border, Khabarovsk now has eight confirmed cases of the coronavirus. With the border closed, none of the cases came from China—instead, at least five have been traced to Russian citizens who had recently visited Europe.
[Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak: Get daily updates on the pandemic and learn how it’s affecting countries around the world.]
The Khabarovsk cases have laid bare the faulty logic of Russia’s coronavirus containment strategy. Even as Chinese citizens were turned away, flights from Spain and Italy—the European hot spots of the pandemic—continued to enter Russia unhindered. One reason for this preferential treatment of European nations during the crisis is that Russia continues to view itself as a European nation, despite its strategic shift to Asia. (Indeed, Moscow seized the opportunity to remind Rome of their historic ties by sending a military convoy carrying medical specialists and equipment to Italy.)
Russia’s treatment of China did not go unnoticed in Beijing. On Feb. 25, tensions came to a head in the form of a rare diplomatic spat between the Chinese Embassy in Moscow and the local authorities. The embassy sent a letter to the Moscow city government, asking it to end what the embassy said was discrimination against Chinese citizens on public transportation. Such measures were unbefitting of an ally, the letter warned, and “do not exist in any country, even the United States and Western countries.”
Despite these tensions, personal relations between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his “best and bosom” friend, Russian President Vladimir Putin, appear to be unaffected. On March 19, during their first official phone call since the virus outbreak, Putin was quick to flatter Xi, denouncing U.S. President Donald Trump’s insistence on using the term “Chinese virus” while commending China’s “remarkably efficient” handling of the crisis. For Putin, China has become more important since Russia invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea in 2014. Since then, China and Russia have accelerated cooperation between their governments, economies, and militaries. Official and diplomatic contact operates smoothly.
This bonhomie has failed to materialize on the ground, however. The Chinese are at best ambivalent about their Russian neighbors, and Russians often openly express hostility toward their Chinese counterparts. Ordinary Chinese and Russians, it seems, do not share Xi and Putin’s personal chemistry. The virus has exposed this fragility: In February, the Levada Center, an independent Russian polling organization, published data showing that since the outbreak, the share of Russians who view China negatively has grown from 18 percent to 24 percent. Sinophobia is more common among Russia’s population than its leaders admit, particularly in the Russian Far East.
Khabarovsk is a good example. When the city’s main news website published a story that said 24 Chinese citizens were under quarantine in a specialized zone, readers’ comments described them as parasites who feed off the Russian state. This runs in stark contrast to the Russian state media’s narrative of an “unbreakable bond” between the two countries.
In reality, it is Khabarovsk’s economy that is dependent upon China. As a result of the virus, the city’s tourism and services sectors are already in a dire state. Prior to the border closing, approximately 45,000 Chinese organized tours had been expected to travel to Russia in March alone. If the restrictions are not lifted before summer, tour operators are expected to lose $400 million. Even before COVID-19, attracting non-Chinese visitors—even ones from other parts of Russia—to Khabarovsk was an uphill battle. Replacing these tourism revenues with other income is now nearly impossible and will require support from the Kremlin.
Compounding these economic problems, Khabarovsk is experiencing a severe shortage of medical-grade masks after speculators stockpiled them last month. Reports also suggest that the Russian elites in Moscow are hoarding urgently needed ventilators for personal use. As late as early March, Khabarovsk’s branch of the Russian Red Cross was still collecting medical equipment to dispatch to Heilongjiang province just across the border—leading to the collection of a modest 56 boxes of supplies. At the national level, Russian support for China included 25 tons of medical equipment flown into Wuhan.
Now, however, it is Russia that is ramping up the emergency response and in dire need of help. Russia is now accepting aid from China. During a phone call with his counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pledged on March 18 that the Chinese government will promptly provide necessary assistance to Russia. On March 19, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin declared the suspension of all customs restrictions for one month. On the following day, China shipped its first batch of face masks to Russia.
China’s lifeline to Russia won’t be limited to medical assistance. As Russia’s economy falters amid the escalating pandemic, trade with China will become even more important to cities like Khabarovsk along the Russo-Chinese border.
The flow of aid from China to Russia suggests Beijing has forgiven its ally—at least for now. But the long-term consequences of the coronavirus crisis for their partnership are less clear. When a Russian reporter asked China’s ambassador to Russia, Zhang Hanhui, to comment on Russia’s assistance to China at the beginning of the pandemic, he said Russian support had been “sincere, timely, solid, and comprehensive.” Diplomatic niceties aside, China is unlikely to forget that its most important strategic partner cannot be relied on in times of need.


foreignpolicy--2020-04-01--America Is Ailing—and Leading the World

America Is Ailing—and Leading the World

“ This is the first great crisis of the post-American world , ” former Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt tweeted on Wednesday .
“ The UN Security Council is nowhere to be seen , G20 is in the hands of the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and the White House has trumpeted America First and Everyone Alone for years .
Only the virus is globalized.
” In its succinct conflation of the new coronavirus with a crisis of globalization under U.S. President Donald Trump ’ s “ Make America Great Again ” banner , Bildt ’ s tweet represents a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also wrong .
Clearly it isn ’ t only the virus that is globalized—otherwise we would not even be able to identify the mystery disease sweeping the world .
It has been identified and tracked from the outset by highly collaborative teams of scientists in Asia , Europe , and the United States .
The World Health Organization has not entirely failed .
Of course , there are still Trump supporters who want to label it the “ Wuhan virus ” and some who even would still downplay the threat it poses by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that isn ’ t the same as outright denial of the fact that a virus is sweeping the globe .
( In that sense , it is not the same as their debilitating refusal to take climate change seriously . )
In the world of medical science , labs in the United States—which we should differentiate from scientists with American passports or those in good standing with the U.S. Defense Department—are still at the heart of scientific advance .
Who would bet against an American pharmaceutical company ( that is , a company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a headquarters somewhere in the United States ) leading the way on vaccines ?
It might be someone else who finds the coronavirus vaccine first .
But your money would likely be on a U.S. firm .
[ Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak : Get daily updates on the pandemic and learn how it ’ s affecting countries around the world . ]
Yes , the United Nations Security Council has been absent .
But that is hardly surprising given the state of relations among the United States , China , and Russia before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an institution like that .
But what does that tell us about globalization and America ’ s role in it ?
Clearly U.S. power is not absolutely hegemonic .
But the U.N. Security Council was absent for large parts of the Cold War without that signaling a post-American world .
The power of the United States simply isn ’ t all-encompassing .
By that standard , only the fleeting , unipolar moment of the 1990s measures up .
Bildt is right that something has been shaken by the coronavirus .
But that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Security Council or the G-20 .
The international community that Bildt points to is a community of states .
Those states rest on domestic , national foundations .
The real shock of the pandemic has been the spectacular incapacity of both the United States and Europe to contain the crisis .
It is the shambles at home that will do the lasting damage .
Among those countries that have experience a major outbreak , the coronavirus establishes a new metric of international standing : COVID-19 deaths per capita .
To see how shambolic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us assume , for sake of argument , that things are not as bad as the U.S. president has now told us to expect .
Assume that the United States suffers only 100,000 dead .
And assume for sake of argument that China ’ s figures are understated , for propaganda purposes , say by a factor of 10 .
Assume 33,000 people there have died so far , not 3,300 .
Then , in terms of COVID-19 deaths per head of population , the outcome will be 12 times worse in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 times more deaths per capita in the country many like to call the richest and most powerful in the world , a country that had six weeks ’ warning about the nature of the outbreak .
If the Chinese numbers are actually approximately correct , then the difference is a factor of 120 .
The performance of the countries once considered the United States ’ main allies in Europe will be little better .
Of course , this is shocking .
It is even humiliating for the Americans , and perhaps profoundly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are at the point when the recovering Asian states need to quarantine travelers coming from the West as an infection risk .
How long will it be before the United States can confidently assure the world that its remoter provinces are clear of infection risk ?
The Coronavirus Is the Biggest Emerging Markets Crisis Ever The pandemic is starting to topple one of the pillars of the globalization era .
But are Bildt and others correct when they extrapolate this profound dysfunction of domestic order to mean the end of American influence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simplistic and premature , all you have to do is to travel not to the U.N. in midtown Manhattan but down the island to the building at 33 Liberty St. , the Federal Reserve Bank of New York .
It is from that building that America ’ s national Federal Reserve system , with its headquarters in Washington , D.C. , operates its international business .
Dollar-based finance spans the entire world .
And over the last few weeks it has been busy , astonishingly so .
The panic in the markets has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2008 not just because people are dying , but also because we have actually avoided a Lehman Brothers moment of major banks cratering .
We have avoided a crisis in part because the banks are more solid .
But the pressures on the market-based asset management system have been gigantic .
Everyone wants dollars .
The pundits have been hammering away demanding action .
And the Fed has delivered—remarkably .
Its interventions not only at home but also in the international arena have been quicker and larger in scale than 2008 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new innovation : a repurchase agreement facility for foreign central banks .
This is crucial , because it allows them to access dollar liquidity without engaging in destabilizing sales of their portfolios of Treasurys .
This is a huge expansion of the Fed ’ s reach .
It will still not be enough .
The International Monetary Fund will be needed .
And , in a little-noticed move on March 27 , the United States took the lead in voting for the renewal of the IMF ’ s finances .
This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an age of “ Make America Great Again.
” It was reasonable to expect Republicans in Congress , or the White House itself , to constrain the Fed .
But that ’ s not what has happened .
A cynic would say this is not surprising .
The Republicans aren ’ t really ideologues .
Even their “ America first ” rhetoric is just that : rhetoric .
Deep down , they are just tacticians .
They obstruct a Democratic president and give their own president what he needs .
Look at their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stimulus .
In January 2009 , every single Republican in Congress voted against President Barack Obama ’ s $ 825 billion spending package .
Now they have given overwhelming support to the $ 2.2 trillion stimulus signed last week by Trump , and more may be in the works .
Trump , for his part , has always been a sort of activist .
Of course , he has few coherent economic ideas , but he is no respecter of orthodoxy of any kind .
When it comes to saving businesses , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mario Draghi : He ’ ll “ do whatever it takes.
” In 2008 , Trump did not hesitate to break ranks with his conservative friends and applauded the Troubled Asset Relief Program and the Fed and Obama ’ s stimulus .
If the Fed needs to help global business in a crisis , why not ?
This is consistent with his “ Make America Great Again ” campaign slogan , because global leadership is not about charity .
You can put the United States first—and the Fed has—just so long as you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the big emerging markets third , and the rest have to be sorted into fourth and fifth class .
The order is important , as is prioritizing the United States , but so too is the fact that all countries , or at least all the other important pieces of the world economy , are part of the consideration .
There is a recognition that there could be blowback , and that these are allies .
If you are willing to ignore the crude rhetoric and silly finger-pointing , there is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be exaggerated , either .
There is no “ Make America Great Again ” grand strategy cooked up between Fed chief Jerome Powell and White House economic advisors such as Robert Lighthizer and Peter Navarro .
The trade wars initiated by the Trump administration were real and were profoundly dysfunctional .
The grand strategic rivalry with China driven by America ’ s hawks is even more unsettling to global capital .
And no less real are Trump ’ s cartoonish press conferences and tweeting about TV ratings .
The U.S. president ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incoherent shambles .
And many people will die as a result .
But that doesn ’ t make this a post-American world .
This is precisely what a world entangled with and exposed to America ’ s incoherent and erratic system of power looks like .

“This is the first great crisis of the post-American world,” former Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt tweeted on Wednesday. “The UN Security Council is nowhere to be seen, G20 is in the hands of the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and the White House has trumpeted America First and Everyone Alone for years. Only the virus is globalized.”
“This is the first great crisis of the post-American world,” former Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt tweeted on Wednesday. “The UN Security Council is nowhere to be seen, G20 is in the hands of the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and the White House has trumpeted America First and Everyone Alone for years. Only the virus is globalized.”
In its succinct conflation of the new coronavirus with a crisis of globalization under U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” banner, Bildt’s tweet represents a common line of thinking. It is also wrong.
Clearly it isn’t only the virus that is globalized—otherwise we would not even be able to identify the mystery disease sweeping the world. It has been identified and tracked from the outset by highly collaborative teams of scientists in Asia, Europe, and the United States. The World Health Organization has not entirely failed. Of course, there are still Trump supporters who want to label it the “Wuhan virus” and some who even would still downplay the threat it poses by equating it with the flu. But that isn’t the same as outright denial of the fact that a virus is sweeping the globe. (In that sense, it is not the same as their debilitating refusal to take climate change seriously.)
In the world of medical science, labs in the United States—which we should differentiate from scientists with American passports or those in good standing with the U.S. Defense Department—are still at the heart of scientific advance. Who would bet against an American pharmaceutical company (that is, a company listed on an American stock exchange with a headquarters somewhere in the United States) leading the way on vaccines? It might be someone else who finds the coronavirus vaccine first. But your money would likely be on a U.S. firm.
[Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak: Get daily updates on the pandemic and learn how it’s affecting countries around the world.]
Yes, the United Nations Security Council has been absent. But that is hardly surprising given the state of relations among the United States, China, and Russia before the coronavirus arrived. Great-power rivalry paralyzes an institution like that. But what does that tell us about globalization and America’s role in it? Clearly U.S. power is not absolutely hegemonic. But the U.N. Security Council was absent for large parts of the Cold War without that signaling a post-American world. The power of the United States simply isn’t all-encompassing. By that standard, only the fleeting, unipolar moment of the 1990s measures up.
Bildt is right that something has been shaken by the coronavirus. But that is not best measured in places like the Security Council or the G-20. The international community that Bildt points to is a community of states. Those states rest on domestic, national foundations. The real shock of the pandemic has been the spectacular incapacity of both the United States and Europe to contain the crisis. It is the shambles at home that will do the lasting damage.
Among those countries that have experience a major outbreak, the coronavirus establishes a new metric of international standing: COVID-19 deaths per capita. To see how shambolic the Western response has been, let us assume, for sake of argument, that things are not as bad as the U.S. president has now told us to expect. Assume that the United States suffers only 100,000 dead. And assume for sake of argument that China’s figures are understated, for propaganda purposes, say by a factor of 10. Assume 33,000 people there have died so far, not 3,300. Then, in terms of COVID-19 deaths per head of population, the outcome will be 12 times worse in the United States than in China, with 12 times more deaths per capita in the country many like to call the richest and most powerful in the world, a country that had six weeks’ warning about the nature of the outbreak. If the Chinese numbers are actually approximately correct, then the difference is a factor of 120. The performance of the countries once considered the United States’ main allies in Europe will be little better.
Of course, this is shocking. It is even humiliating for the Americans, and perhaps profoundly delegitimating. It ought to be. We are at the point when the recovering Asian states need to quarantine travelers coming from the West as an infection risk. How long will it be before the United States can confidently assure the world that its remoter provinces are clear of infection risk?
Read More Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro attend the 11th BRICS Summit in Brasilia, Brazil, on Nov. 14, 2019. Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro attend the 11th BRICS Summit in Brasilia, Brazil, on Nov. 14, 2019. The Coronavirus Is the Biggest Emerging Markets Crisis Ever The pandemic is starting to topple one of the pillars of the globalization era. Voice | Adam Tooze Visitors to the Dobbins Outlook view the lights of Phoenix, which is now the fifth-largest city in the United States. Visitors to the Dobbins Outlook view the lights of Phoenix, which is now the fifth-largest city in the United States. Arizona Is Not Running Out of Water or Workers The state will remain a destination for foreign investment due to a skilled workforce, leadership in water conservation, and low tax burdens. Response | Danny Seiden Two adults wearing matching lanyards designating them as volunteers sit next to each other at a table with laptops in front of them. One of the volunteers leans to the side to look at the other's screen as he types. Behind the volunteers, other people sit at tables with laptops and phones. Two adults wearing matching lanyards designating them as volunteers sit next to each other at a table with laptops in front of them. One of the volunteers leans to the side to look at the other's screen as he types. Behind the volunteers, other people sit at tables with laptops and phones. Inside the White House-Backed Effort to Hack AI Hackers, students, and government officials gathered at DEF CON to push chatbots over the edge. Dispatch | Rishi Iyengar
But are Bildt and others correct when they extrapolate this profound dysfunction of domestic order to mean the end of American influence? To see why that suggestion is simplistic and premature, all you have to do is to travel not to the U.N. in midtown Manhattan but down the island to the building at 33 Liberty St., the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. It is from that building that America’s national Federal Reserve system, with its headquarters in Washington, D.C., operates its international business.
Dollar-based finance spans the entire world. And over the last few weeks it has been busy, astonishingly so. The panic in the markets has dominated the headlines the way it did in 2008 not just because people are dying, but also because we have actually avoided a Lehman Brothers moment of major banks cratering. We have avoided a crisis in part because the banks are more solid. But the pressures on the market-based asset management system have been gigantic. Everyone wants dollars. The pundits have been hammering away demanding action. And the Fed has delivered—remarkably. Its interventions not only at home but also in the international arena have been quicker and larger in scale than 2008. This week, the Fed has added a new innovation: a repurchase agreement facility for foreign central banks. This is crucial, because it allows them to access dollar liquidity without engaging in destabilizing sales of their portfolios of Treasurys. This is a huge expansion of the Fed’s reach. It will still not be enough. The International Monetary Fund will be needed. And, in a little-noticed move on March 27, the United States took the lead in voting for the renewal of the IMF’s finances.
This is not what one would have expected in an age of “Make America Great Again.” It was reasonable to expect Republicans in Congress, or the White House itself, to constrain the Fed. But that’s not what has happened.
A cynic would say this is not surprising. The Republicans aren’t really ideologues. Even their “America first” rhetoric is just that: rhetoric. Deep down, they are just tacticians. They obstruct a Democratic president and give their own president what he needs. Look at their votes on whether to provide an economic stimulus. In January 2009, every single Republican in Congress voted against President Barack Obama’s $825 billion spending package. Now they have given overwhelming support to the $2.2 trillion stimulus signed last week by Trump, and more may be in the works.
Listen Now: Don't Touch Your Face A new podcast from Foreign Policy covering all aspects of the coronavirus pandemic Learn More
Trump, for his part, has always been a sort of activist. Of course, he has few coherent economic ideas, but he is no respecter of orthodoxy of any kind. When it comes to saving businesses, he is with former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi: He’ll “do whatever it takes.” In 2008, Trump did not hesitate to break ranks with his conservative friends and applauded the Troubled Asset Relief Program and the Fed and Obama’s stimulus. If the Fed needs to help global business in a crisis, why not?
This is consistent with his “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan, because global leadership is not about charity. You can put the United States first—and the Fed has—just so long as you remember that Europe and Japan come second, the big emerging markets third, and the rest have to be sorted into fourth and fifth class. The order is important, as is prioritizing the United States, but so too is the fact that all countries, or at least all the other important pieces of the world economy, are part of the consideration. There is a recognition that there could be blowback, and that these are allies.
If you are willing to ignore the crude rhetoric and silly finger-pointing, there is a logic here. But that coherence should not be exaggerated, either. There is no “Make America Great Again” grand strategy cooked up between Fed chief Jerome Powell and White House economic advisors such as Robert Lighthizer and Peter Navarro. The trade wars initiated by the Trump administration were real and were profoundly dysfunctional. The grand strategic rivalry with China driven by America’s hawks is even more unsettling to global capital. And no less real are Trump’s cartoonish press conferences and tweeting about TV ratings.
The U.S. president’s coronavirus response is a contradictory, incoherent shambles. And many people will die as a result. But that doesn’t make this a post-American world. This is precisely what a world entangled with and exposed to America’s incoherent and erratic system of power looks like.


foreignpolicy--2020-04-01--The World’s Most Dangerous Coronavirus Lockdowns

A growing number of countries around the world , if they have not done so already , are discussing the possibility of responding to the growing coronavirus pandemic by going into “ lockdown , ” borrowing a metaphor from the prison system .
But the question of how to treat actual prisoners amid the epidemic has mostly slipped from public focus .
Prisons are a humanitarian crisis in the making , given the way inmates often live almost on top of each other , making them highly susceptible to the virus ’ s spread .
Their vulnerability has been highlighted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including the sex offender Harvey Weinstein in a New York maximum security prison .
In Britain , one infected prisoner has already died .
Prisoners have no choice but to rely on their confiners ’ mercy .
In some places , that mercy has been forthcoming—in others , not .
In democratic countries , such as the United States and those in Western Europe , many governments have already responded by liberating nonviolent and elderly inmates and deferring incarceration for those recently sentenced .
By doing so , these countries have likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while also saving the money that would have been spent on their incarceration at a time of general economic crisis ) .
[ Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak : Get daily updates on the pandemic and learn how it ’ s affecting countries around the world . ]
Meanwhile , most nondemocratic countries such as Russia—which has the fourth-largest inmate population in the world—have taken a different route .
Last week , Russian officials said they would like to cancel an annual prison amnesty , held to celebrate the anniversary of World War II @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 230,000 people , who were supposed to be released , behind bars .
The reasoning ?
According to the deputy director of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights , “ People are afraid of inmates .
They subconsciously think that there are a lot of diseases there in prison , and if they will get out , they will infect everyone.
” Of course , no country has contemplated opening its prison doors and letting everyone out ; some inmates will inevitably have to brave the pandemic behind bars .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ safeguard inmates ’ health .
Many countries have started to make medical help more accessible to prisoners ; prisons in many U.S. states , for example , have canceled a mandatory copayment for medical treatment .
Some prison administrators have also imposed tightened lockdown measures as a social distancing measure , while also trying to alleviate the adverse effects .
On lockdown , inmates are typically permitted no visitors and receive no mail or packages , which are a critical psychological lifeline for many inmates .
Inmates in France now receive 40 euros @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the Netherlands has also increased access to cell phones and internet communication .
Meanwhile , in less democratic countries , medical help for prisoners has increased very little , if at all .
Many prisons across the former Soviet Union don ’ t even have a qualified doctor as a standard part of staff .
Inmates under lockdown in these countries are generally given no other options to contact their families , which makes life inside those prisons even more difficult .
One Russian prisoner said , “ We have never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and drugs ] here , so we organized our own medical kit that all inmates could use .
But resupplying it has become much harder since the lockdown , because packages from outside are stopped.
” There is a similar situation with food in Russian prisons .
Since the food quality is so poor , inmates often survive on the food sent to them from relatives .
Now that all mail has been stopped , food shortages are a very serious concern .
For Islamic State-linked women detained in Syrian prison camps , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but the lack of food .
“ There is no food to buy in stores inside the camp , ” one resident said .
“ Food is now delivered only once in 10 days , and when it happens , those with money buy everything in the store .
There is nothing left for others.
” Corruption can be a savior for some prisoners in poorly developed countries .
Inmates with money could always compensate for a lack of government services with bribes .
But those without money now face life-threatening conditions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has already spread , inmates have paid prison guards to move them into solitary confinement , away from the general population .
Those without means are left in overcrowded cells , where there is often not even enough space to lie down on the floor .
If such hazardous conditions don ’ t sound sustainable , they ’ re not .
In Iraq , inmates are conducting hunger strikes to protest their treatment and making videos asking the government—or anyone else—for help .
Iraqi prison authorities say inmates are also planning a jailbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Brazil have already experienced riots and jailbreaks amid the crisis .
Some prisons that haven ’ t yet experienced these issues are beginning to prepare for them .
In Damascus , Syria , they are reinforcing prisons with the help of Russian- and Iranian-sponsored militias .
But this will likely not improve the situation .
If nothing changes , inmates will become more desperate with time and will rather risk escape than death from the virus .
Prison guards will also be less likely to intervene with inmate unrest if they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
During earlier prison riots in Russia , HIV-positive inmates have been known slit their wrists , because prison guards would rather make concessions than come into contact with their blood .
There is only way for nondemocratic countries to ensure some level of prison system stability in these unstable times .
They need to follow the advice of human rights organizations : free some inmates , improve medical treatment , and make lockdown as bearable as possible for prisoners .
Even Iran , often considered one of the most repressive regimes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being heavily hit with the coronavirus .
And so did Bahrain and Sudan .
The sooner other countries follow their lead , the better it will be for the inmates—and the safer it will be for their regimes .

A growing number of countries around the world, if they have not done so already, are discussing the possibility of responding to the growing coronavirus pandemic by going into “lockdown,” borrowing a metaphor from the prison system. But the question of how to treat actual prisoners amid the epidemic has mostly slipped from public focus.
A growing number of countries around the world, if they have not done so already, are discussing the possibility of responding to the growing coronavirus pandemic by going into “lockdown,” borrowing a metaphor from the prison system. But the question of how to treat actual prisoners amid the epidemic has mostly slipped from public focus.
Prisons are a humanitarian crisis in the making, given the way inmates often live almost on top of each other, making them highly susceptible to the virus’s spread. Their vulnerability has been highlighted by the infection of certain notorious inmates, including the sex offender Harvey Weinstein in a New York maximum security prison. In Britain, one infected prisoner has already died.
Prisoners have no choice but to rely on their confiners’ mercy. In some places, that mercy has been forthcoming—in others, not.
In democratic countries, such as the United States and those in Western Europe, many governments have already responded by liberating nonviolent and elderly inmates and deferring incarceration for those recently sentenced. By doing so, these countries have likely saved these people’s lives (while also saving the money that would have been spent on their incarceration at a time of general economic crisis).
[Mapping the Coronavirus Outbreak: Get daily updates on the pandemic and learn how it’s affecting countries around the world.]
Meanwhile, most nondemocratic countries such as Russia—which has the fourth-largest inmate population in the world—have taken a different route. Last week, Russian officials said they would like to cancel an annual prison amnesty, held to celebrate the anniversary of World War II victory day. That would mean keeping 230,000 people, who were supposed to be released, behind bars. The reasoning? According to the deputy director of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, “People are afraid of inmates. They subconsciously think that there are a lot of diseases there in prison, and if they will get out, they will infect everyone.”
Of course, no country has contemplated opening its prison doors and letting everyone out; some inmates will inevitably have to brave the pandemic behind bars. But some democracies have considered how to safeguard inmates’ health. Many countries have started to make medical help more accessible to prisoners; prisons in many U.S. states, for example, have canceled a mandatory copayment for medical treatment.
Some prison administrators have also imposed tightened lockdown measures as a social distancing measure, while also trying to alleviate the adverse effects. On lockdown, inmates are typically permitted no visitors and receive no mail or packages, which are a critical psychological lifeline for many inmates. Inmates in France now receive 40 euros per month to pay for cell phones, and the Netherlands has also increased access to cell phones and internet communication.
Meanwhile, in less democratic countries, medical help for prisoners has increased very little, if at all. Many prisons across the former Soviet Union don’t even have a qualified doctor as a standard part of staff. Inmates under lockdown in these countries are generally given no other options to contact their families, which makes life inside those prisons even more difficult.
One Russian prisoner said, “We have never had access to government medicine [doctors and drugs] here, so we organized our own medical kit that all inmates could use. But resupplying it has become much harder since the lockdown, because packages from outside are stopped.” There is a similar situation with food in Russian prisons. Since the food quality is so poor, inmates often survive on the food sent to them from relatives. Now that all mail has been stopped, food shortages are a very serious concern.
For Islamic State-linked women detained in Syrian prison camps, their biggest problem is not the virus, but the lack of food. “There is no food to buy in stores inside the camp,” one resident said. “Food is now delivered only once in 10 days, and when it happens, those with money buy everything in the store. There is nothing left for others.”
Corruption can be a savior for some prisoners in poorly developed countries. Inmates with money could always compensate for a lack of government services with bribes. But those without money now face life-threatening conditions. In Iraq, where the virus has already spread, inmates have paid prison guards to move them into solitary confinement, away from the general population. Those without means are left in overcrowded cells, where there is often not even enough space to lie down on the floor.
If such hazardous conditions don’t sound sustainable, they’re not. In Iraq, inmates are conducting hunger strikes to protest their treatment and making videos asking the government—or anyone else—for help. Iraqi prison authorities say inmates are also planning a jailbreak. Prisons in Colombia, Chad, and Brazil have already experienced riots and jailbreaks amid the crisis.
Some prisons that haven’t yet experienced these issues are beginning to prepare for them. In Damascus, Syria, they are reinforcing prisons with the help of Russian- and Iranian-sponsored militias. But this will likely not improve the situation. If nothing changes, inmates will become more desperate with time and will rather risk escape than death from the virus. Prison guards will also be less likely to intervene with inmate unrest if they are afraid they’ll get the virus. During earlier prison riots in Russia, HIV-positive inmates have been known to slit their wrists, because prison guards would rather make concessions than come into contact with their blood.
There is only one way for nondemocratic countries to ensure some level of prison system stability in these unstable times. They need to follow the advice of human rights organizations: free some inmates, improve medical treatment, and make lockdown as bearable as possible for prisoners. Even Iran, often considered one of the most repressive regimes, decided to temporarily free 70,000 inmates after being heavily hit with the coronavirus. And so did Bahrain and Sudan. The sooner other countries follow their lead, the better it will be for the inmates—and the safer it will be for their regimes.