China is using coronavirus to crack down on Hong Kong

One thing’s for sure: when the history of Covid-19 is written, we’re going to need a few chapters on those who did well out of this crisis. Step forward China. Or rather the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The Chinese Government is making the most of this pandemic, using it as one giant audition for leadership of the global order while the US takes a leave of absence. And it has spent plenty of time and public relations effort positioning itself as the PPE messiah sent to redeem afflicted nations; a messiah even capable of raising the dead, if its statistics are to be believed.

But if you think the CCP’s virus opportunism is limited to mask diplomacy, think again.

Just ask beleaguered Hong Kongers, whose tribulations seem like a distant memory since Covid-19 began to spread. Under the cover of the disease, the Chinese Communist Party has launched a series of offensives on the city, dramatically undermining its special status, and openly mocking its treaty with the UK, intended to protect the city’s way of life.