As China faces global backlash over its initial mishandling of novel coronavirus outbreak, a confidential Chinese study has warned that Beijing is facing its worst global backlash since Tiananmen Square massacre in which hundreds of pro-democracy protesters were killed.
The report specifically warned of worsening US-China relations, saying this will have the potential to go down to a level that could trigger a possible armed confrontation between the two nuclear-weapon states.
What did the report state?
Due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, which has infected over 3.6 million people and killed more than 260,000 of them, the world has witnessed a rise in anti-China sentiments, especially in the western countries.
As per an internal report the Ministry of State Security presented early last month to top Beijing leaders including President Xi Jinping, the country is facing the worst backlash since Tiananmen massacre in 1989. As a result, Beijing has been warned to prepare for the worst case scenario, which involves a direct armed confrontation with the United States, officials familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The report concluded that USA views China's rise as an economic and national security threat and a challenge to Western democracies and that the USA was aiming to undercut the ruling Communist Party by undermining public confidence.
"I don't have relevant information", the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said when asked by Reuters for a comment. However, according to Reuters, the presentation of the report shows Beijing's seriousness towards the threat of a building backlash, with the potential to threaten what China sees as its strategic investments overseas and its view of its security standing.
The report was prepared by the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR), an influential think-tank affiliated with the Ministry of State Security. It advises the government on foreign and security policy issues.
China-USA relations
Ever since President Donald Trump took office, relations between USA and China have worsened. Trade war, Hong Kong protests, Taiwan's sovereignty, various disputes over South China Sea, Huawei and now Covid-19 are some of the many issues that have led to the worsening of ties between the two global giants.
