China rushes to build bridges in coronavirus fight

China is supplying millions of masks and other desperately needed items to struggling governments, as it seeks to build political ties and defuse criticism over its early handling of the disease.

Serbia’s president Aleksandar Vucic plans to be at Belgrade airport this weekend to welcome a shipment of medical supplies from his “brother and friend,” Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Mr Xi’s government has flown gloves and protective clothing to Liberia.

It is sending 100,000 test kits to the Philippines.

More than 10 flights carrying millions of masks and other supplies are bound for the Czech Republic this week.

It is part of an effort by the Chinese Communist Party to reshape the narrative, from one of early missteps to a nation that acted decisively to bring the outbreak under control.

China is touting its deliveries of ventilators and masks overseas and its moves to send medical experts to share the lessons of its success.

Julian Ku, a law professor at Hofstra University in New York, said China hoped to benefit from a realisation in the West of how difficult it was to bring the virus under control.

“The Chinese government’s failures … will be less harshly viewed in light of the failures of other governments to respond effectively as well,” he said.

“I believe in my brother and friend Xi Jinping and I believe in China’s help,” Mr Vucic said, adding “European solidarity” was a myth.

EU officials denied they were stopping aid to Serbia, but said their first priority was EU members.

China has given $20 million (£17 million) to the World Health Organisation for Covid-19 efforts.

While the EU and the US have made larger pledges to combat the disease, they are now preoccupied by the crisis at home.

The Chinese “are winning points,” said Theresa Fallon, the founder of the Centre for Russia Europe Asia Studies in Brussels. “Serbia thinks that China is their saviour.”

Six weeks ago, Chinese authorities were trying to quell outrage at home and condemnation abroad. The critics said due to politically motivated foot-dragging, China had mishandled the viral outbreak racing through a major province and its capital, Wuhan.

Now the criticism is raining down on governments from Tehran to Washington, DC.

And a visiting Chinese Red Cross official chastised Italy on Thursday for letting so many people stroll the streets of Milan.

“Right now we need to stop all economic activity, and we need to stop the mobility of people,” said Executive Chairman Sun Shuopeng.

At one level, China is reciprocating assistance it received. Nearly 80 countries sent supplies to China, some on charter flights they sent to evacuate their citizens from Wuhan.

“It is China’s traditional virtue to repay goodwill with greater kindness,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said, citing an ancient Confucian saying: “You throw a peach to me, and I give you a white jade for friendship.”

But at the same time, China is deepening ties with countries that have been receptive to its outreach as it assumes a larger international role.

It is shipping supplies to Cambodia, whose Prime Minister Hun Sen has been an outspoken supporter of Mr Xi and even visited him in Beijing last month as the outbreak raged.

China moved quickly to send experts and equipment to Italy, which last year became the first western European country to join China’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.

China is ready to work with Italy to contribute to international cooperation on epidemic control and to the building of a “Health Silk Road,” Mr Xi was quoted as telling Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in a phone call Monday.

“It’s not an accident that the heat map of where Xi Jinping is sending condolences and China is sending N95 masks overlaps pretty closely with those countries that have demonstrated a willingness to accommodate China,” said Daniel Russel, a former senior US diplomat now with the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York.

Opinions vary on the effectiveness of China’s efforts.