What Price Should China Pay for Causing the Coronavirus Pandemic?
The coronavirus (CODIV-19) pandemic thus far has spread into over 120 countries, causing high levels of infection and thousands of deaths. The worldwide costs of combating the CODIV-19 pandemic, including efforts to overcome severe economic hardships for millions of people and organizations, could eventually amount to several trillions of dollars.
By Paul S. Gardiner
The coronavirus (CODIV-19) pandemic thus far has spread into over 120 countries, causing high levels of infection and thousands of deaths. The worldwide costs of combating the CODIV-19 pandemic, including efforts to overcome severe economic hardships for millions of people and organizations, could eventually amount to several trillions of dollars.
There is widespread agreement and indisputable proof that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its leaders are directly responsible for the worldwide spread of CODIV-19. It is well established that the CCP tried to conceal the initial outbreak of CODIV-19 in Wuhan, China, a city of over 10 million people. It also is well established that the CCP knowingly allowed thousands of potentially infected Chinese citizens to travel to numerous overseas destinations, thereby putting literally millions of people worldwide at risk of contracting a highly contagious and deadly virus.
Given the above, the following question needs to be addressed: What should be the consequences for the CCP for causing such worldwide infection, death, and economic hardship? Should the 120 affected nations simply “write it off” in a manner similar to what was done after the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) pandemic that also originated in China? Or should this time be an occasion for the world community collectively to say “enough is enough” and require the CCP to make restitution for its reckless and ruthless behavior? Holding the CCP financially accountable for the CODIV-19 pandemic could go a long way towards preventing future pandemics originating in China.
No doubt there are several options for requiring/forcing the CCP to reimburse the affected countries for their financial outlays emanating from the CODIV-19 pandemic. One option could be the collective, bona fide threat of highly restricted trade with China to such an extent that the CCP could lose control of the Chinese population. Such an effort would have to be led by the United States and perhaps even qualify as a modified Article 5 emergency under NATO provisions requiring collective action. If, for instance, the total worldwide cost of the CODIV-19 pandemic is $3 trillion, the CCP could be required to distribute this amount, either in currency or goods or a combination thereof, over three years to the affected nations. Another potential option might be the cancellation of debts owed to China by the most affected nations, thereby saving these nations billions of dollars annually in interest payments.
The point is that it is not too early for some innovative thinking and strategizing to develop a workable, realistic way to hold the CCP financially accountable for all the havoc and death caused by the CCP’s reckless and ruthless actions that caused the CODIV-19 pandemic.
Paul S. Gardiner is a retired Army officer, Vietnam veteran, and avid lover of America. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Alabama, and the United States Army War College.
