Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- January 29, 2020

Chinese President Xi jinping speaks during a meeting with Tedros Adhanom, director general of the World Health Organization, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, January 28, 2020. Naohiko Hatta/Pool via REUTERS

Gordon Watts, Asia Times: Wuhan virus threat is Xi’s ‘greatest challenge’

Ruling Communist Party goes on a ‘war footing’ as confirmed cases continue to surge on the mainland and across the globe

President Xi Jinping has put China on a war footing against an enemy with more firepower than a carrier group.

As the microscopic predator continues to stalk the streets of the country’s major cities, the general secretary of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) conjured images of “demons” in the battle to curb the spread of the deadly Wuhan coronavirus.

Nearly 8,000 people have become infected by the 2019-nCoV disease with the death toll rising to 170. Already the tightly controlled state-owned media have called for calm and warned of the dangers of mass “panic” after practically ignoring the unfolding tragedy in the early part of last week.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- January 29, 2020

China faces bigger epidemic than Sars in ‘complicated and grave’ coronavirus outbreak -- Josephine Ma and Laurie Chen, SCMP

Coronavirus could strengthen China -- Frank Sieren, DW

New coronavirus may be much more contagious than initially thought -- Jessica Hamzelou, New Scientist

Factbox: What do we know about the new coronavirus? -- Reuters

What is coronavirus and how worried should we be? -- Sarah Boseley, Hannah Devlin and Martin Belam. The Guardian

New coronavirus looks set to cause a pandemic – how do we control it? -- Debora MacKenzie, New Scientist

How Africa is preparing for the coronavirus -- Jan Philipp Wilhelm, DW

China coronavirus: WHO in uncharted territory in dealing with emergency in world’s second largest economy -- Finbarr Bermingham, SCMP

Chaos in Iraq may further US regional strategy -- MK Bhadrakumar, Asia Times

Trump's Mideast plan: What's in it? -- Rami Ayyub. Reuters

The Long-Term Costs of NATO Expansion -- Michael Krepon, National Interest

Zelensky’s reform drive appears to have stalled -- Oleg Sukhov, Kyiv Post

Huawei Wins the 5G Battle for Britain (But America and China's 5G Fight Is Not Over) -- Daniel R. DePetris, National Interest

Brexit's divorce date is set. But what will happen to the UK on January 31? -- Peta Fuller, ABC News Online

What Did Canadians Do to Deserve This Government? -- Conrad Black, National Post

Russiagate Regrets: Why Washington Remains Focused on the Wrong Foreign Influence -- Lyle J. Goldstein, National Interest