Whodunit, China?; Austrindia Rises; Drifting Apart
Opinion Watch
Whodunit, China
March 11 marks third anniversary of the World Health Organisation (WHO) officially declaring the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic. In three years the world is not wiser on pandemic science, for the scientific community gropes in darkness. The Telegraph in an Editorial has summed up the virus outbreak debate going astray, as wet market and lab leak origin divide the scientific community.
The Kolkata-based daily has lent its voice on wet market theory, citing American scientists who believe that the virus spread over through natural transmission. The daily has quoted that the US Energy Department, which had been endorsed by the FBI, claim of lab leak was based on “low-confidence” intelligence. Yet, the daily has nailed China for being opaque in answering serious questions, while stymie the scientific community to prepare well for the next pandemic.
Millions of people died battling unarmed an unknown enemy. China surely had the advantage of knowing more than the world about the virus and shut the country to save its people even while allowing global transmission. This makes China singularly responsible for deaths of millions of people worldwide. The world should never trust China, and business should never be as usual with Beijing.
Austrindia Rises
India-Australia relations are growing with leaps and bounds. Indian diaspora and cricket infused warmth in bilateral relations, and now the two-way trade is booming. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese came aboard the INS Vikrant to announce that his country would next year host the Malabar Exercise of the navies.
The Asian Age has showered praises on the flourishing bilateral relations, saying that Albanese personally inviting Modi for the May Quad Summit in Australia underpins the bonding of the two nations. Several MoUs were inked, which significantly included mobility of tech-manpower and students. Cricket, said the daily, was indeed in the background of two premiers looking into shared future, bound by geostrategic pulls.
The Comprehensive Economic Partnership has given a fresh momentum to bilateral relations. Modi was upfront in raising attacks on the Indian diaspora by Khalistani elements and also on Hindu temples. Australia has been top destination for foreign-bound Indian students, and partnership for rapid skilling of the human resources could bring win-win gains.
Drifting Apart
The Hindu has warned that China and the US should not allow their differences to polarise the world. The daily made the comment in the backdrop of Chinese President Xi Jinping amplifying that the western block led by the US is resorting to “containing and suppressing China’.
The Chennai-based daily also underlined that China is planning a major Central Asia Summit this year, while embarking on to mend ties with neighbours and Europe. The daily has advised that “India should nimble enough to exploit the opportunities”.
The Hindu fails to mention that Chinese aggression against India on the line of actual control precedes the flare up of relations of Beijing with Washington. India must walk on path, and New Delhi must rediscover the confidence of 1987 when Beijing was worried about an assertive Indian Army.
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