Helen Raleigh of the Federalist assesses the damage inflicted on communist China’s reputation from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The worldwide spread of the coronavirus, which originated from communist China, has brought serious detriment to Beijing’s credibility and image as a global leader. Through a series of public relations campaigns, Beijing had hoped not only to repair its credibility, but also to come out of this pandemic even stronger by casting itself as the only reliable global leader. However, Beijing’s absurd blame game and a number of faulty exported products may destroy this hope.

As more than 1 billion people worldwide are under some form of quarantine and the official global death toll is surpassing 35,000, Beijing refuses to admit or acknowledge that the virus originated in China. Instead, it has been busy blaming everyone but itself for the cover-ups and delays in the early weeks of the Wuhan virus outbreak, a crucial period when the spread could have been effectively contained.

Zhao Lijian, communist China’s most aggressive Foreign Ministry spokesman, touted a conspiracy theory on Twitter which claimed the U.S. military created the coronavirus as a bioweapon and planted it within China. As a high-level government official, it is impossible for Zhao to make such outrageous comments without the approval from China’s highest authorities. …

… Beijing’s desperate blame game seems pathetic and unbecoming for its superpower status. The more it tries to deflect its responsibility, the more suspicion and resentment it induces, both domestically and internationally.

In addition to playing the blame game, Beijing is also eagerly trying to turn the current crisis into an opportunity of geopolitical expansion by casting itself as a better world leader and global partner than the United States, through a carefully crafted methodology of “coronavirus diplomacy.” As Beijing shunned any blame and responsibility, it openly embraced its role as a hero.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States faced a troubled relationship with China. Walter Lohman of the Heritage Foundation discussed the issue with Carolina Journal Radio.