This Abridge News topic aggregates four unique arguments on different sides of the debate. Here are the quick facts to get you started:
THE QUICK FACTS
- With Wuhan, the source of the coronavirus, reporting very few new cases per day, China has focused its energies on sending medical aid to other countries, most notably to Europe.
- The aid has included hundreds of thousands of masks, test kits, and medical experts. Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed the aid as the growth of a "Health Silk Road," echoing China's "Belt and Road" international trade and infrastructure initiative. China has also given $20 million to the WHO for coronavirus-related efforts.
- Some countries have reported that China's medical supplies are faulty, including a claim by the Czech Republic that 80% of 150,000 test kits it was sent did not work. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced on Monday that it would investigate quality complaints and require medical exports to meet quality standards.
- China's aid campaign has been compared to the international leadership role historically taken by the United States. While the U.S. sent medical aid to China in early February, it now leads the world in coronavirus cases and deaths. The U.S. has said it is prepared to spend up to $100 million of existing State Department and USAID funds on coronavirus aid, and USAID has already committed $37 million.
CLICK TO VIEW OPINIONS ranging from Supportive of China to Critical of China