Mark Esper: China became more aggressive, trying to use COVID-19 for propaganda purposes

Amid tensions between two world powers, United States of America and China. A new development has come up, United States defense secretary Mark Esper quoted China as more aggressive during coronavirus pandemic, he also added that China has deployed troops along Line of Actual Control with India and is acting out in a way that is "inconsistent" with international rms. Mark Esper said China is using coronavirus pandemic for its advants and Propaganda purpose. "What we have seen with regard to what happened in last seven months coming as part of COVID, if you will, we've seen China become more aggressive, trying to use trdy, of COVID-19 to ir advant for propaganda purposes. y have really overplayed ir hand and we've seen m continue to try and exercise this muscle in South China Sea," he said on August 5.

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South China sea matter

Around 1.3 million square kilometer area of south China sea is claimed by mainland China as its own sovereign territory. t only this, but China is also building military bases on artificial islands on region claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. While Aspen Security Forum discussion Mr. Esper said that Chinese sank a Vietnamese fishing vessel a few months ago.

"y continue to twist arms of ors. y’ve deployed troops along line of actual control in India. We see m acting out in a way that is inconsistent with, you kw, international rms, rules of behavior if you will, and many of our allies and partners are reacting as well," he said.

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According to Mr. Esper, best way to take on Chinese aggression is to multilateralism efforts against Beijing. " US being unable to travel, we found new ways to communicate and to do it in a multilateral way. We need to continue to advance that. We need to multilateralism. Maybe t officially, right? But in terms of knitting things up so we talk more as a group," he said.

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(With inputs from ncy)