COMMENTS / COLUMNISTS
What happens if China stops mask supplies?
Published: Apr 03, 2020 07:00 AM

A worker produces face masks at a factory in Lianyungang, East China’s Jiangsu Province on Tuesday. Local government has encouraged enterprises to produce masks as China fights the epidemic. Photo: cnsphoto


Recent reports on Chinese-made face masks, and other medical supplies deemed sub-standard by other countries have emerged, and social media trolls, pundits, and politicians have had quite a field day with the stories. It’s another opportunity for them to bash China, their perceived common enemy.

So, they’ve thrown everything they have at it. Some repeated the old “Made in China” stigma that Chinese-made products are of poor quality. And some have accused China of profiting from the misery of others, and a few have concocted conspiracy theories that claim China is trying to kill people with  dysfunctional or poisonous masks. 

There are also those who have apparently put their advance degree in international relations to work and have come up with the theory “mask diplomacy,” a foolish idea that claims China is strengthening its global image through “propaganda” with the medical supplies.
Such attacks on China’s medical equipment manufacturing sector and on the country is not only despicable, and at a time when millions of Chinese factory employees are working around the clock to make the life-saving products, but also dangerous, as medical supply shortages in many countries have jeopardized while the number of confirmed cases continues to surge.  

Chinese officials are committed to shipping more medical supplies to foreign countries like Italy or the US. In a joint statement released Thursday, several Chinese government agencies, including the Ministry of Commerce, said they would continue to support qualified Chinese companies to export their products to support the global fight against COVID-19. They also vowed to increase regulations and inspections to ensure the quality of the medical supplies.

However, in light of the recent criticism, discussions have emerged among the Chinese on discontinuing the charitable donations. Domestically, the demand for face masks and other supplies is high as millions are returning to work, and concerns over a COVID-19 resurgence persist. 

Also, such good intentions could go to waste if they receive further criticism and backlash. China would be much better off if it kept its down and focused on its domestic situation.

These suggestions might seem cold, but they are not without  merit, given the ongoing smear campaign against China. After all, if you help, no matter how well-intended, are not welcome, so why bother? Given the scope of China’s assistance program to nearly 100 countries, it is inevitable that some problems would emerge. What if these problems come back and bite China?

It is unclear what the goal is for these critics and their attacks on China’s humanitarian assistance. 

"Do they want China to sit idle and do nothing while other countries are braving the pandemic with so many people suffering and the number of casualties climbing higher with each passing day? Or do they think that they can do more and better than China?” Hua Chunying, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, asked rhetorically during a press briefing on Monday. Hua was being polite when she said that China would indeed welcome if these critics are ready to step up to help other countries. 

The truth behind these heatless attacks is that some people don’t know what they’re talking about, and what the implications could be, let alone actually make medical products themselves and donate to others. Quite frankly, powerful governments, including the US, have failed and there is no one else but China with the capability to meet rising demand.

More probable than not, these critics are unaware of how the global supply chain works and what could happen if China suddenly cut off supplies. 

Before the coronavirus pandemic, China supplied about 80 percent of the world’s face masks. Specifically, about half of the EU’s face shields and garments, and 70 percent of mouth-nose-protection equipment was from China. For the US, over 40 percent of its face shields, 45 percent garments and 70 percent of masks were imported from China, according to a recent report from the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington DC. These are all essential equipment for health workers on the frontline to fight this deadly virus.

Since the epidemic began, China has increased its production capacity. For example, China now produces over 110 million masks a day, 12 times its daily output before the outbreak.   

For some US officials, who thought that they could count on domestic production, yes, many companies could make face masks a relatively simple process in the US. But they would still need certain materials and production equipment from China. An auto assembly line cannot be turned into a mask production line overnight, as we have already seen. And even so, it would be impossible to meet such massive demand. 

This is why the US is sending airplanes to China to pick up supplies, even as officials continue to attack China. The US  reportedly tried to “hijack” Chinese-made face masks ordered by France, as Americans offered higher price minutes before they were loaded onto a cargo plane. That should be a clear sign of what would happen. Countries, even close allies, would fight among themselves for the last masks available. Cities too. 

In the US, as its federal government is failing to coordinate the supplies because it’s not a “shipping clerk” for local governments, state officials are reportedly competing for  medical supplies. This is already happening, even as China continues to supply. Imagine the chaos that would ensue if China cut off its medical supplies to the world?

Actually, this would not be the worst if China indeed stopped. The worst outcome would be the death of health workers and subsequently, their patients. Thousands of doctors and nurses in Italy have been infected, and many have died. In New York City, the epicenter of the outbreak in the US, hundreds of health workers have been infected, including a few fatalities. That could be just the start as the shortage of medical supplies continues to worsen. 

If more doctors and nurses become sick, who will take care of the patients? It is estimated the number of cases worldwide could reach as many as one million. The hospitalization rate of COVID-19 infections in New York, for example, is between 9.6 percent and 48.96 percent depending on age, which means hundreds of thousands of people will need care from health workers.

This is as grim as it gets, in terms of a public health crisis. Sufficient medical supplies might not stop the virus altogether, but they could help mitigate it. So, when China says it wants to provide these supplies to help other countries, it’s not “propaganda,” it’s the reality. Such actions do not need “propaganda” to get people to understand. 

Regarding the face masks, gloves, gowns, and other equipment China has shipped, how many are of good quality, and how many are not should also be very clear. Is it fair or, more importantly, right to stop all supplies because of some mismatching masks? 

These are the questions everyone should ask themselves before writing such hateful words. When health experts say, “we are all in this together.” What each and every one of us does and says will have an impact. 

For many of us, we have remained at home and practice social distancing, while health workers worldwide save lives and factory workers in China and elsewhere are working non-top to keep the world safe. The least we can do is stay out of their way.

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. Bizopinion@globaltimes.com