China Offers To Help India in COVID Emergency

April 25 , 2021 (EIRNS)—The Chinese government is offering to help India, despite the chill in bilateral relations between the two countries. “The Chinese side notes that the epidemic situation in India is severe and there is a temporary shortage of epidemic prevention and medical supplies. We are ready to provide necessary support and assistance to India so that they can control the epidemic,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin April 22.

China’s Global Times editorialized at length on the matter, yesterday. “India’s COVID-19 epidemic situation is clearly out of control.... The Indian medical system has, in fact, collapsed. Many hospitals lack oxygen for critically ill patients.... The New Delhi High Court angrily asked the Modi administration to ‘beg, borrow, steal or import’ oxygen to save people’s lives.”

(International media also report the Delhi High Court pleading with state and federal authorities: “It’s a tsunami. How are we trying to build capacity?” and warning darkly: “We know how people react, let’s not have a law and order situation.”)

The Global Times editorial continued: “It took less than two months for India’s daily COVID-19 infections to jump from about 10,000 to over 300,000. There has never been such a spread rate anywhere in the world, even during the peak of the U.S.’ outbreak.”

The daily urged for international aid to India, including from China. “International society [has] to cooperate with India to alleviate the epidemic situation. It is all parties’ joint responsibility to promote such cooperation together. China on Thursday has expressed its willingness to provide necessary support and assistance for India to control the epidemic. China-India relations have worsened due to their border disputes. It is a test of whether the two countries can put disputes aside and actively reach urgent cooperation on the COVID-19 fight.... China and India feel more empathy for each other. In terms of fundamental interests, including development and improvement of people’s livelihood, the two countries should have been partners in the same camp. But it is a pity that the significance of border disputes is amplified, concealing the true bond of China-India relations and blurring the two countries’ huge common interests.... Can China and India take an active exploratory step in this direction together? People will have to wait and see.”