Coronavirus: why China’s ‘mask diplomacy’ is raising concern in the West

As health workers around the globe struggle to find enough hospital beds and medical supplies to cope with the coronavirus crisis, China has stepped in. So too has Germany, the United States, the European Union and many others. But Beijing’s efforts – which state media has called “China’s solution to fight the pandemic” – have had a mixed response, and analysts say its “mask diplomacy” will do little to convince critics in the West.

Two weeks ago, as Italy emerged as the new epicentre of the pandemic, China
sent its first team of medical experts and tonnes of desperately needed supplies to the country. That was as the situation appeared to be easing in China, where an outbreak of the new respiratory virus was first reported in Wuhan in December. Other countries have also offered help to those badly affected by the crisis. German hospitals this week said they were taking in critically ill Covid-19 patients from Italy and France.

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