Who can you trust?
It’s a big question popping up in a number of places in this strange new world we live in.
In the U.S., trust in state governments has been front-page news since anti-lockdown protests started taking off.
Beyond that, new polls suggest that many Americans trust disease experts when it comes to information about the virus.
On the other hand, the media and the federal government have only seen further decline when it comes to whether or not people trust them.
But what about on the world stage?
As countries navigate the pandemic in their own way, we’re seeing a familiar narrative taking on new life.
There’s cooperation in the form of aid and help with supplies between some nations. Between others, the story is one of fragile bonds being pushed even closer to their limits. Erosion of trust in some areas of the world stage is happening in a way that at best, will heighten tensions and, at worst, may lead to conflict.
Blame and Responsibility
When it comes to erosion of trust with the potential to be deadly, look no further than China. It wasn’t long ago that officials with the country’s government were suggesting that the virus’ spread was the work of the U.S. army. It was an attempt to shift the blame that led to another crack in the strained relationship between the two countries.
Fast forward a few weeks and videos and reports of African immigrants in parts of China being mistreated began emerging. Some were evicted from their apartments while others were denied services in places like supermarkets and hotels. This all stemmed from forced testing for, and isolation related to, COVID-19. When the reports and videos began circulating, the outrage rose.
That outrage was loudest when it came to the African nations that these immigrants came from. Government leaders in countries like Nigeria, Uganda, and Kenya summoned their Chinese ambassadors to explain, but the damage is done in the eyes of many. China has spent the last few decades making economic inroads in Africa but now there is a growing chorus wondering whether African governments should consider severing ties with Beijing.
It’s a sentiment that’s being shared across the world. Japan and India are offering incentives to have their companies leave China and come home due to the pandemic. Here in the U.S. there is a growing movement for the Trump administration to consider doing the same.
The feeling is that China isn’t being held accountable for its role in the pandemic and that is emboldening the country’s government to see what it can get away with.
Just ask Taiwan and Hong Kong.
In recent days, China has branded Hong Kong’s Democracy Movement as a “Political Virus” and has used the recent turmoil to arrest some of its leaders.
It’s also had its warships stalking the South China Sea, particularly the waters near Taiwan, to assert its dominance and make known that it has plans for the island.
And don’t think for a second that China will end its ambitions there.
Just 1,700 miles away is the Pacific port of Guam, which is a U.S. territory. U.S. Navy warships and bombers that had recently moved into that port are gearing up for a possible confrontation with China’s Shandong aircraft carrier group, which the Peoples’ Liberation Army is planning to move into the South China Sea.
It’s hardly the first time naval forces from the two countries have prepared to face each other and it won’t be the last. What’s different this time is China’s bold new attitude in dealing with its rivals.
War?
Whether or not there will be an actual physical confrontation between the two powers is still up in the air.
What is known is that China had been prepared for a confrontation for some time now. The country’s military has been field testing a new weapon that has targeted American pilots with great success.
It’s a laser weapon that can attack vehicles as well as infrastructure, making it a threat not just to the military but to our very way of life. It wants to use this weapon to back America into a corner while it takes what it wants.
But America has a way to fight back.
It’s been working to create its own version of this laser and has teamed up with the only company outside of China capable of creating a key component for this weapon.
Our country’s trust in China is all but shattered because of the virus, its military movements, and countless other grievances. China seems determined to sacrifice that trust in order to forge its new path.
That means this company is going to be busy making sure American interests are safe over the next few years. As that happens, early investors will be poised to get rich.
The details are here in this new report. Learn just what this weapon is that China’s building and how America plans to fight back.
