湯姆·福迪：西方借抗疫詆譭中國體制，只會自食其果

【文/湯姆·福迪 譯/觀察者網 寧櫟】

自2020年初新冠在世界範圍內流行以來，有許多聲音試圖將這一疫情政治化，特別是要指向中國，來取得某些籌碼。雖然在紙面上，新冠是一個科學和人道主義問題，世界應該共同努力來遏制它，但在上海與新冠作鬥爭時，可悲的是，新冠將成為現代歷史上最政治化的疫情。在任何情況下，這種疫情都沒有像這次一樣，被用來如此極端地詆譭一個國家及其政治體制。

西方將新冠疫情政治化的原因是，目前西方的外交政策環境將所有與中國有關的問題都變成了意識形態和政治霸權的零和競賽，這使得人們無法客觀公正地評估與中國有關的任何問題。換句話説，這就是一種 “冷戰”心態。在這種情況下，中國的政治體制和成就被視為對西方意識形態卓越論的威脅，因此必須不惜一切代價徹底抹殺中國政治體制和成就的“模範”地位。這造成了一個有毒的媒體環境，導致與中國有關的負面報道氾濫，甚至完全罔顧事實。

結果，新冠疫情自始至終都被嚴重政治化，被指向中國。最初武漢報告疫情時，西方媒體宣稱這是中國政治體制和意識形態的失敗，宣稱這不可能發生在 “透明”和“西方文明世界”。英國廣播公司稱這是一場“巨大的政治災難”。東方主義的論點也被用來指責中國的文化和食物。然而，一旦疫情在全球出現，中國就被當作替罪羊，成為由咄咄逼人的美國政府帶頭進行的機會主義指責把戲的一部分，美國政府將疫情政治化，作為一種工具來重新制定美國和盟國的對華政策。

然而，與這種説法相反，中國成功的清零政策不僅克服了武漢的疫情，而且成功地在全國創造了兩年的相對正常狀態。這不僅拯救了數百萬人的生命，而且使中國經濟迅速反彈，而沒有必要用極端的刺激措施。西方的反應是簡單地否認中國的成就，指責中國編造數字，甚至宣傳陰謀論，如臭名昭著的“實驗室泄密”等，這種陰謀論既無稽又令人反感。在任何情況下，西方政客和媒體都不準備認可中國抗疫成就，即使疫情在西方導致大量死亡。

中國派出醫療隊支持各國抗疫（來源：新華社）

中國研發了國產疫苗，西方迅速製造了新的説辭，錯誤地聲稱這種疫苗無效，並在使用中國疫苗的國家傳播。不言而喻，在整個危機的每一個階段和事件中，都有一種説法準備以某種方式或形式攻擊中國。現在，媒體轉向中國最大城市上海，指責當地政府政策粗暴，密集報道居民的抱怨。

我個人對這種情況感到失望。現在是改變政策的時候了，特別是在世界其他地方開始更加開放。然而，也可以説，現在西方推崇很多錯誤的信息，它欺騙性地試圖掩蓋中國避免了西方疫情高死亡率的事實，並認為只有自由是最重要的，而不是人民的福祉。

中國目前抗疫中小的錯誤和挫折並不抵消整個政策的優點。人們應該清楚地認識到，西方對中國抗疫政策的評論和解釋是出於可笑的惡意，其根本目的是試圖破壞中國的政治體制和整體前景。雖然奧密克戎變種的傳播性更強，死亡人數更少，這就要求改變策略。但客觀上，中國的清零政策還是非常成功的。地方政府可能會犯錯，但與西方不同的是，如果有必要，高層將對地方政府追責。中國不僅面臨新冠疫情，也面臨着 “政治疫情”，即西方認為中國做什麼都是不對的。

（本文系作者賜稿，英文原文見下頁。）

Since covid-19 became apparent to the world in early 2020, there are many voices who have sought to politicize the pandemic since the first day, taking particular aim at China with the goal of scoring points. Whilst on paper, the outbreak of a virus is a scientific and humanitarian problem of which the world ought to work together to contain, it is a sad state of affairs as Shanghai battles its outbreak, that the covid-19 will in fact stand to be the most politicized pandemic in modern history. Never has in any instance, the course of such an outbreak been so militantly attached to discrediting a single country and its political system as this one.

The politicization of the pandemic by the west stems from a foreign policy environment of which has rendered all things pertaining to China into a zero-sum contest for ideological and political hegemony, an environment which has made it impossible to objectively and impartially assess any matters pertaining to the country, in other words a “Cold War” mentality. In such a context, China’s political system and achievements are seen as threatening to the west’s ideological exceptionalism, and therefore its political system and achievements must be thoroughly discredited as a “model” at all costs. This has led to a poisonous media environment which is obsessed with negative coverage pertaining to Beijing, even to the complete abrogation of facts.

As a result, the covid-19 pandemic has been grossly politicized against the country from start to finish. In the early days, the outbreak of Wuhan was designated as a failure of China’s political system and ideology, drawing upon the assumption these events could not happen in the “transparent” and “civilized west”. The BBC called it an “epic political disaster”. Orientalist arguments were also used to blame China’s culture and cuisine. However, once the pandemic became globalized, China was then scapegoated as part of an opportunistic blame game spearheaded by an aggressive U.S administration, who used it as a means to reset their own and allies’ foreign policies pertaining to China.

Contrary to the narrative however, China’s successful zero-covid policy not only overcame the outbreak in Wuhan but succeeded in creating relative normality throughout the country for two years. This approach not only saved millions of lives, but ultimately allowed China’s economy to rebound rapidly without resorting to extreme levels of stimulus. The response of the west was to simply deny China any recognition for it whatsoever. They accused China of lying about their numbers and began even propagating conspiracy theories such as the infamous “Laboratory leak” conspiracy theory- A claim which was as nonsensical as it was offensive. But in no circumstances whatsoever, were western politicians and media prepared to give China credit for their handling of covid-19, even as their own populations died in large numbers.

As China created its own vaccines, the west quickly created new narratives falsely claiming such vaccines were ineffective, publishing misinformation about their efficacy in countries which used them. It goes without saying that at every single stage and event of this whole crisis, there has been a narrative ready to attack China with in some way or form. Now the medium switches towards the lockdown in Shanghai, China’s biggest city, where again the government is accused of being brutal and the focus is placed on the complaints of residents.

Personally, I am disappointed at the situation and believe it is time for a policy change, especially as the rest of the world begins to open up more. However, it also be said that there is now a lot of misinformation yet again being pushed by the west, and it deceptively seeks to omit the bigger picture that China has offset the enormous loss of life experienced in the west, and argue that simple freedom is all that matters as opposed to the wellbeing of the people.

These small-scale mistakes and setbacks do not change the merits of the policy as a whole. People should understand clearly that western commentary and interpretations of China’s covid-19 policy are being made in ludicrous bad faith, with the fundamental goal of attempting to undermine the country’s political system and prospects as a whole. Whilst it is true that the Omicron variant is more transmissible and has a lower death toll, which mandates a change in strategy, it is also objectively true that China’s zero-covid policy has been above all, extremely successful. Local authorities can make mistakes, but unlike in the west these authorities will be held accountable by their superiors if necessary. Whilst China faces covid, it has also faced the “political pandemic” which believes it can do no right in absolutely anything it does.

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