US Senator from South Carolina Lindsey Graham introduced in the us Congress the bill “About responsibility for COVID-19”. This document provides a number of sanctions measures that will be subject to China if Beijing “will not cooperate and will not provide a full account of the events leading to the outbreak of coronavirus”. While this is only a bill, but in the near future it can be passed by the Senate, where Republicans hold the majority of seats. Official representatives of China has praised the bill as “immoral” and called it an attempt to “shift the blame”.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham is one of the brightest personalities in the U.S. Senate. It is a staunch hawk, which has traditionally supported tough measures against those countries which oppose the United States. At the same time, in matters of internal policy Graham until recently was considered a very moderate Republican, in 2016, he firmly opposed the Donald Trump. Then Graham called the future President “a moron” and claimed that “it is better to lose without Donald trump, than to win with him.”
But times change, and after President trump was able to win, Graham, unlike his friend, the late Senator John McCain, went to meet the President and decided to become one of the politicians uniting polarisavenue the Republican party. Graham began to assert significantly more right-wing positions, lost old sponsors and acquired new, and has become one of the most influential figures in the party.
Graham is a talented speaker, and now he’s one of those politicians that represent the Foundation of the Republican party. That’s why the bills deserve special attention – this policy is not characteristic of radical populism. And, as a rule, his proposal is seriously considering the Senate.
the Bill “About responsibility for COVID-19” is guaranteed to be one of those that will be seriously discussed at the meetings with senators.
Already, the sponsors of the law are the Republicans, Tom Tillis, Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mike brown, Rick Scott, Steve Daines, Todd young, Jim Inhofe and Roger Wicker. All these politicians share one trait – they defend the very right-wing positions in the party and enjoy the support of Donald trump.
the Idea is to punish China for “false” information about the outbreak of coronavirus in the Republican party are very popular. Moreover, a crucial role was played not even the pandemic. The US has long been in the economic confrontation with China, and sanctions will be just another of the possible measures of pressure on China.
in addition, the prosecution of China in the creation of the coronavirus is not one month is part of the Republican agenda. The logic is simple – if the virus is there itself any questions regarding the number of victims are addressed to the President, who was unable to protect its citizens. But if the coronavirus is a planned attack of an external enemy, and responsibility, Donald trump is much smaller.
currently, Washington insists only on “detailed investigation of the causes of coronavirus”. However, China is not ready to let international experts in the biological laboratory of Wuhan and prove that they have not developed anything forbidden. In such circumstances, the bill Graham should increase pressure on China and force China to allow experts from the Wuhan laboratory, or to consolidate Beijing’s guilt in the American legal field.
Chinese foreign Ministry quickly responded to the bill by Senator Graham. The representative office Zhao Lijiang said: “Made by legislators in the U.S. Senate, the bill completely ignores the facts. They want to start an investigation, guided by the “presumption of guilt”, to shift the blame. It is immoral. We officially reject such”. However, at the moment it is unclear – whether to admit China experts in Wuhan. If not, then soon, this bill may obtain the status of law and further strain relations between the US and China.
