Should China be forced to pay reparations to the world for damages from the virus?

[Rogue Karl]

Now before we start this off this isn't to argue the source of the virus. While I believe that topic plays into this one it isn't something that can be determined beyond speculation at the moment.

This is to simply ask the question if china should suffer some kind of economic penalty for their efforts in suppressing information about the virus in the early days of its spread and their continued efforts to hide its impact.

If not should any country be free to purposely to suppress information about a virus that damages the entire world?

[nonameelf]

There's not going to be a way to punish them or demand anything from them. Especially since they have the WHO in their pocket.

What should happen is making supply chains less dependent on China because that is very clearly an issue.

[bmjclark]

Should they have downplayed things? No. But honestly, most countries reacted poorly to it even after seeing how bad it was so I doubt it would make a difference. The US in particular.

[Breccia]

Now before we

No.

Besides "how would anyone make them?" and "how would you demonstrate fault?" there's (to me) the big question: what kind of precedent would that set? Especially considering a country that completely fucked up its preparations (cough USA cough) should not be in a position to demand higher compensation just because they fucked up.

Also...if, say, infected people from the USA went into Canada, does Canada get damages from the USA?

This is an avenue that's both dangerous and unrealistic. Boycott Chinese goods if you want.

[gobio]

Should they have downplayed things? No. But honestly, most countries reacted poorly to it even after seeing how bad it was so I doubt it would make a difference. The US in particular.

What kind of downplay?
Are all downplay the same?
Are all "reacted poorly" the same?

Is making doctor disappeared by raising concern back in late 2019 "downplay", or "reacted poorly"

You don't get to use the word "honestly". Disgusting.

[Toppy]

Considering they have already reopened the wet markets, yes, they should, because they're doing it again.

[Stelio Kontos]

Honestly, this whole fiasco goes to show the West has grown too dependent on China. The big lesson is that we should not be relying on China even a fraction as much as Europe and North America does.

China will always leverage its economic power into political power eventually, as they are doing now, sending out PPE supplies (some of it either defective or just outright rubbish) while pushing conspiracy theories blaming everyone else but themselves for causing this pandemic.

[Draco-Onis]

No because how far do you want to take this? are you going to go after Europe, US and other countries for damages from diseases while you are it? Also the failures of leadership from many countries have nothing to do with China. Unless you think South Korea, Thailand and other countries have magic power it shows how many leaders failed. I honestly think we should thank them because Covid-19 is a beta test hopefully when something far more deadly comes up the world would have learned its lesson and be ready.

[Aeula]

Absolutely, but it’ll never happen.

I just hope the west moves our business elsewhere, we use China to manufacture a lot of shit. It’d be nice to swap them out for some smaller Asian country.

[beanman12345]

They're not going to, so discussion on it is pointless.

[Inuyaki]

Anyone that thinks they should have to pay is an idiot.

They should have to pay because they downplayed a disease in their country? Oh wow, downplaying a disease has NEVER happened before, how could China do something like that.
(Not defending China here, they absolutely should not have done that. But I have the feeling this question is only asked here because it is China)
Does that mean that everyone that downplayed the virus has to pay? So the US, too? Trump did the same thing for weeks, despite knowing better at that time.

But if you want reparations for that, you have to start paying reparations for a lot of other stuff, too...
When will the US pay all the trillions in reparations for all the wars they have started or destabilizing the Middle East and South America for more than half a century?

Or how about the reparations for downplaying climate change for 4 decades? This is way more serious than Covid-19 btw and was downplayed way longer, not only 2-3 weeks.

[Acidbaron]

The current geo-political situation might even lead to this virus outbreak becoming an overall positive event for the Chinese government.

China has been working on a modern day "Silk Road" for some time, look up One Belt One road initiative, it is strange that the western press is not reporting more on this. But let's just say that them helping Italy as they are now is not out of guilt or any other sentiment.

Perhaps now it doesn't come as such a big surprise that the White House is already offering aid to Italy and Europe while their own nation is still combatting the virus.

I might even go so far as saying that this China is also the reason why Orban in Hungary has grown bolder over the years. Although that is pure speculation on my part to be honest.

Geo-politics, interesting, complicated and sometimes even a depressing topic if you look at the possible outcome.

So making them pay? The US will find little to no support for this, one of the many negative side effects from having a populist, nationalistic entourage in the White House who focusses on short term plans and political wins to maintain momentum.

[Gaidax]

China will toss plenty of $$ at this to make important countries chill about the whole thing and sweep it under the rug. So I guess that's their "damages" there. China will keep going business as usual until the next time, where they will again just put off the fires with another bunch of yuans.

[Low Hanging Fruit]

I would be happier if they just regulated wet markets a little better. Make rules where things need to be cleaner, maybe a few things taken off the menu, and other things to improve food safety to prevent this from happening over and over again. End of the day a virus is pretty unpredictable and really can pop up anywhere but at least do what you can to minimize an area that's an obvious breeding ground for them.

But it won't happen. It would mean doing and spending instead nothing and getting paid.

[JohnBrown1917]

I would be happier if they just regulated wet markets a little better. Make rules where things need to be cleaner, maybe a few things taken off the menu, and other things to improve food safety to prevent this from happening over and over again. End of the day a virus is pretty unpredictable and really can pop up anywhere but at least do what you can to minimize an area that's an obvious breeding ground for them.

But it won't happen. It would mean doing and spending instead nothing and getting paid.

Exotic animals already got banned.

[Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang]

The current geo-political situation might even lead to this virus outbreak becoming an overall positive event for the Chinese government.

China has been working on a modern day "Silk Road" for some time, look up One Belt One road initiative, it is strange that the western press is not reporting more on this. But let's just say that them helping Italy as they are now is not out of guilt or any other sentiment.

Perhaps now it doesn't come as such a big surprise that the White House is already offering aid to Italy and Europe while their own nation is still combatting the virus.

I might even go so far as saying that this China is also the reason why Orban in Hungary has grown bolder over the years. Although that is pure speculation on my part to be honest.

Geo-politics, interesting, complicated and sometimes even a depressing topic if you look at the possible outcome.

So making them pay? The US will find little to no support for this, one of the many negative side effects from having a populist, nationalistic entourage in the White House who focusses on short term plans and political wins to maintain momentum.

The twisted irony is that the special relationship between China and Italy is one of the main reason the latter was so hard hitten : being the bridgehead of the Belt and Roads in Europe, and 2020 being the China-Italy year of culture and tourism...

[jonnysensible]

I mean its a natural disaster, incompetence isnt unique to China. They didn't do this out of malice, it happened because local apparatchiks tend to be egoistic bootlickers who are paralysed by fear and cronyism.

[Acidbaron]

The twisted irony is that the special relationship between China and Italy is one of the main reason the latter was so hard hitten : being the bridgehead of the Belt and Roads in Europe, and 2020 being the China-Italy year of culture and tourism...

Yes that is true and what makes it interesting to see how Italy's public opinion and there for reaction of an ever growing populist political landscape is going to respond to that.

[Temp name]

No, absolutely not. Do you get forced to pay if someone else got sick after you? No.

If, somehow, it came to light that China manufactured this virus as a biological weapon (there's no proof that they did, just making a hypothetical), then it would be an act of war and should be treated as such, and again, financial reparations wouldn't be in order, but a military strike would

[Hif]

Its not China's fault that the West was too stupid and unprepared for the virus. Look at Singapore, South Korea and Japan. They dealt with it perfectly.

The problem is not china. The problem is that the US, Italy, Spain etc did nothing to prepare.