China's vaunted coronavirus diplomacy may be backfiring

As China's reported coronavirus cases dropped while other countries' outbreaks escalated into lockdowns, Beijing was hoping to take diplomatic advantage of the situation and solidify its global influence. It hasn't worked everywhere.

While some countries in Eastern Europe have been receptive, much of the continent has grown increasingly skeptical of China's reporting on its internal coronavirus outbreak. Some are angry about alleged price gouging from Chinese suppliers of medical equipment even if political leaders are less willing to be openly critical than, say, the Trump administration, Bloomberg reports. "Over these months China has lost Europe," said Reinhard Buetikofer, a German Green party lawmaker who heads the European Parliament's delegation for relations with China.

There's something similar happening in India, The Atlantic reports. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has refrained from challenging China, but citizens of the world's second most populous nation aren't hiding their resentment, regularly referring to the coronavirus as the Wuhan virus and employing social media hashtags like #ChinaLiedandPeopleDied or #MakeChinaPay. The Atlantic notes India's relationship with China has always been complicated, but it does depend heavily on Beijing for trade and investment, and — especially now — medical equipment. The public's willingness to decry China's efforts may therefore signal that Beijing could face resistance anywhere.

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Even in some parts of Africa, where Beijing has steadily and quietly built up its presence over the decades, anti-China sentiment is rising, especially after Guangzhou-based communities of Nigerians, Ghanaians, and Malians have been subject to racism and unfair treatment during the pandemic, Quartz reports.

None of this is to say China will simply fade from the world stage, but Beijing's plans could be significantly altered if many countries are determined to become less reliant on China.