China s Coronavirus Battle Is Waning. Its Propaganda Fight Is Not. – The New York Times

HONG KONG For months the Chinese government s propaganda machine had been fending off criticism of Beijing s handling of the coronavirus outbreak, and finally, it seemed to be finding an audience. Voices from the World Health Organization to the Serbian government to the rapper Cardi B hailed China s approach as decisive and responsible.

But China could not savor the praise for long. In recent days, foreign leaders, even in friendly nations like Iran, have questioned China s reported infections and deaths. A top European diplomat warned that China s aid to the continent was a mask for its geopolitical ambitions, while a Brazilian official suggested the pandemic was part of China s plan to dominate the world.”

As the pandemic unleashes the worst global crisis in decades, China has been locked in a public relations tug-of-war on the international stage.

via www.nytimes.com