A few weeks ago, China struggled against Covid-19. But now, they are throwing money to help the rest of the world warp against the epidemic.

Instead of asking for help from neighboring European countries to fight Covid-19, Serbia, a Balkan state, decided to place its faith in China. "European unity does not exist. It is only in fairy tales," said Serbian President Alexanderar Vucic when declaring a state of emergency on March 16. "I believe in my brother and friend Xi Jinping, I believe in Chinese help."

Xi has also pledged to send more medical specialists to Italy this week. Beijing has transferred 2,000 rapid test kits to the Philippines.

This is considered part of China's "seductive attack" strategy, after the country successfully carried out a "comeback" against Covid-19 in Wuhan. China used to receive masks and medical supplies from nearly 80 countries and 10 international organizations and now it is time to "repay".

From Japan to Iraq, Spain to Peru, China has provided or pledged humanitarian assistance in the form of materials or professional assistance. This strategy gives China the opportunity to show that it is not a "nCoV incubator" but a responsible power in the global crisis.

They take the place of the West, which is often burdened by natural disasters or public health emergencies, as President Donald Trump increasingly promotes "America first" and gradually withdrawing American leadership on the international stage.

"This could be the first major global crisis in decades without outstanding US leadership, but instead an important Chinese lead," said Rush Doshi, director of the China Strategic Initiative. Quoc at the Brookings Institution in Washington, said. He emphasized that a few years ago, the United States led the global fight against Ebola.

China has used abundant tools and resources to build partnerships around the world, relying on trade and investment. During the Covid-19 crisis, they had the advantage of being the world's largest manufacturer of medicines and masks. Their generosity now helps alleviate anger about how to handle the initial delay. Covid-19 started in Wuhan in early December 2019, but on January 20 China recognized nCoV from person to person and began taking drastic anti-epidemic measures.

"I don't know and I don't care," Michele Geraci, former Italy's Deputy Minister of Economic Development, said when asked whether outside China's humanitarian concern would China's support reflect its geopolitical ambition. treatment or not.

He said the urgent issue was to provide medical resources to save lives, something that EU allies cannot or do not want to do. Many European countries have banned export of medical supplies. "If anyone is worried that China is doing too much, then let's get in," he said. "That's what other countries should do."

China has long aspired to play a more prominent role at the United Nations and other international organizations, and sought to expand its influence in more and more places in the world, sometimes competing directly with America.

"China is trying to correct the international image that was seriously damaged by the poor handling of the epidemic in Wuhan in early January," wrote Minxin Pei, a professor at Claremont McKenna University in California. "China has shown itself to be a responsible and generous world power when it donates medical supplies to other countries. They are also boasting of their success in controlling Covid-19."

On March 18, China said it would supply more than two million masks and 50,000 test kits to Europe. "We are grateful for the support of China," Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, wrote on Twitter.

Leading Chinese businessman Jack Ma announced it would donate 500,000 test kits and a million masks to the US, where hospitals are short of supplies despite weeks of preparation to deal with the epidemic. In February, the United States sent 17 tons of medical supplies to Wuhan on four flights that took Americans out of the city.

"This is no longer a challenge that a nation can solve on its own, it requires all of us to respond together," Ma's fund wrote in a statement, listing the dozens of countries he supported. households, including all 54 African countries.

The statement also quoted a post on Ma's Weibo, which uses the familiar slogan of American politics: "Solidarity is alive, divided is dead".

However, many expressed doubts about China's generous actions. Many people in Italy angrily point out that China is selling masks and medical devices rather than giving them and saying that some supplies are only for Chinese nationals in the country.

Others warn that China is using its strength in mask production to "reward" countries that have good relations with them. China produced about half of the world 's masks before the Covid - 19 outbreak and they subsequently increased production capacity by nearly 12 times, but were holding back a large portion of their products instead of exporting them.

Li Hung Can, official of China's Ministry of Commerce, said the government did not issue any export cessation rules, but they needed to keep the goods to meet the big domestic demand.

But many countries that are being supported by China are not much concerned about the question of their motives. That is particularly evident in Iraq, which has been a focus of US foreign policy for decades.

Ten days ago, a team of seven Chinese medical experts came to Iraq, bringing medical equipment and supplies, including two machines that helped Iraq quadruple the number of tests they could carry out every day. "The Iraqi people appreciate China's initiative," said Iraqi Deputy Health Minister Jassim Al-Falahi.

In the days that followed, Chinese experts instructed Iraqi doctors and health officials to take steps to fight nCoV, remote meetings with Iraqi hospital leaders, according to Hassan Al-Tamimi, leader of the Hospital Complex. Practice Medical City in Baghdad.

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry made a statement, making it clear that Covid-19 was just one of many projects the two countries work together. Other projects include oil exploration and Iraqi electricity grid upgrading.

It is not clear whether Iraqis will fully receive Chinese epidemic prevention instructions. On March 17, during the signing ceremony of installing a new laboratory in Medical City, Chinese ambassador in Iraq Zhang Dao expressed concern.

"There are a lot of people in the room, important people, government advisers and ministers, but no one is wearing a mask or gloves," Zhang told the pulmonary doctor at Medical City Mohammed Waheen at the event.

"Your country's Prime Minister is over 70 years old," the ambassador said. "You don't take the danger of serious translation seriously."