Lawmakers fret as China funnels coronavirus aid to Europe

As the rest of the world battens down the hatches amid a rising tide of COVID-19 cases, Beijing is in the midst of a major charm offensive.

In the past few days, both the Chinese government and Huawei—China’s largest telecommunications firm and a global leader in 5G wireless equipment—have provided Europe with huge amounts of personal protective equipment to help combat the coronavirus’s spread.

The aid is being welcomed by European governments, many of which are already reeling from massive spikes in infection rates. But as the United States confronts its own shortage of face masks and other protective gear, lawmakers and experts worry that Beijing’s charity is designed to deflect blame for its poor initial response to the virus, boost Huawei’s faltering prospects in Europe, and drive a wedge between the U.S. and its allies.

Read the full article and more in National Journal.