• With the world bracing for a drawn-out fight against Covid-19, the last thing Hong Kong needs is to be caught again in the crossfire of US-China tensions
• Trump’s signing of a legislation supporting Taiwan’s international standing comes at an odd time, and may further stir the city’s volatile politics

South China Morning Post
Date: 29 Mar, 2020
By: Tammy Tam

“We are at war” is perhaps the most widely used phrase by world leaders these days in the global fight against Covid-19, with no end in sight to the pandemic.

In mainland China, where the coronavirus first emerged, President Xi Jinping had declared a “people’s war” since early February. Now, just as the country is slowly recovering, the pandemic has exploded in Europe and the United States, where Donald Trump has declared himself a “wartime president”.

Whatever that means, Trump has realised this is a fight he cannot afford to lose, for himself if he is to win November’s presidential election, and for the country as it faces a massive public health emergency.

To win a war of such magnitude, world leadership and solidarity are essential, and political bickering is not helpful.    [FULL  STORY]