Since the beginning of the pandemic, China has emerged as the leading major economy, surpassing all others by a significant margin. However, John Ross, a former director of economic and business policy for the mayor of London, claims that the United States has been actively spreading propaganda to conceal this reality. In an interview with China Daily, Ross highlights two motives behind the Western media’s constant rhetoric about China’s economic decline.
The first motive is subjective, as Ross explains that the US aims to discourage foreign companies from investing in China, given its highly attractive market. By perpetuating false stories, the US hopes to sow doubt and demoralize China. The objective motive is for the US to influence China’s political and economic policies, pushing them towards adopting what the US believes to be the wrong approach.
The methods employed by the US in disseminating this propaganda vary. The first approach involves spreading falsehoods such as fake news or claims that the US economy is outperforming China. The second method is what Ross refers to as a “dirty business” in statistics. It involves exaggerating the importance of a minor aspect of the situation. Ross argues that there will always be isolated indicators in specific quarters or months where China may not be the top-performing economy.
Ross aims to counter these narratives systematically by comparing China’s performance to every major country in the world, including both advanced economies and developing nations. Through this analysis, he demonstrates China’s significantly superior economic performance.
It is evident that China’s success amid the pandemic has sparked efforts to undermine its achievements. However, Ross endeavors to present a comprehensive and fair assessment that highlights China’s impressive economic performance in relation to other nations.