The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) used its Global Times state newspaper to lash out at Canada on Monday, insulting Canada as a “giant baby” throwing a temper tantrum because it dared to join the United States in “bashing” the World Health Organization (W.H.O.).

The specific Canadian action that enraged the CCP was a summons issued by the House of Commons to Bruce Aylward, a Canadian citizen who works as a senior adviser to W.H.O. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The Global Times forgot to mention that the Canadian legislature cordially invited Aylward to address it twice, on April 14 and May 1, and only issued the summons on Friday after those invitations were refused. Canadian members of parliament even said they would be willing to accept a reasonable substitute for Aylward if he is unavailable, but W.H.O. simply declined their invitations.

In the CCP’s mind, any questioning of Chinese influence over the World Health Organization is completely out of bounds, and Canadian politicians would only ask such questions because they seek to curry favor with the evil United States:

Canada is again becoming an accomplice in the US “buck-passing” campaign and scapegoating either WHO or China for its flawed handling of the epidemic to cover up its systematic loopholes. 

By exerting pressure on high-level medical expert Bruce Aylward, some Canadi-an politicians fawn on the US by expressing their dissatisfaction with the WHO and express doubts about China in dealing with the epidemic in the earlier stage. 

Like the US, Canada acts like a country with a self-centered “giant baby” mentality who refuses to accept the fact which it is unwilling to believe. 

The coronavirus had struck a blow to their once vaunted “superior” capabilities in responding to public health crises. The death rate from coronavirus in Canada, higher than that of China, crushed their illusions and sense of superiority.

Canada’s deep skepticism reflects its extreme ideological anxiety and frustration.

This has become the standard insulting line taken by the CCP toward all of its critics: foreign officials only accuse China of lying and exerting malign influence over W.H.O. to distract from their own poor response to the coronavirus. China’s coronavirus propaganda campaign certainly could not be mistaken for a diplomatic charm offensive.

The Global Times also insinuated the Canadian legislature is somehow racist and arrogant for wanting testimony from a Canadian who works for W.H.O.:

Their narcissistic view of their own system leads them to expect that all things can go in line with their imagination. If not, they will suspect that there must be something wrong. They are still reluctant to wake up even though such blind confidence has dragged them into chaos and made them bear the consequences.

They are pointing a finger at a renowned epidemiologist who led a group of WHO experts to China for a joint mission on COVID-19 in February because Aylward revealed some facts those politicians long balked at.

Aylward praised China’s coronavirus prevention work, saying potential patients were well-organized and tested quickly at a press conference in Beijing in February.

But some in Canada continue to hold on to their prejudice against China, ignoring some of the key elements of China’s success in fighting the epidemic, which Aylward summarized and applauded.

Canada should invite Aylward back to the country for more experience sharing and consultations, but not for being blamed for its own mismanagement. 

Taiwan News on Sunday reported that Aylward has been summoned to participate in a “mandatory video conference” with Canadian legislators, during which he will be asked to “explain WHO misinformation on person-to-person transmission of the virus, as well as the use of masks,” a topic upon which W.H.O. has issued some confusing statements.

Taiwan News also mentioned an infamous videoconference interview Aylward had with a Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) reporter in early April. When the reporter asked if the Chinese Communist Party used its influence with W.H.O. to block membership for Taiwan, which has attributed its exemplary success at fighting the coronavirus to ignoring Chinese disinformation passed through W.H.O., Aylward pretended not to hear the question, then flatly refused to answer when it was repeated, and finally disconnected from the interview.

Hong Kong’s Beijing-controlled government later reprimanded RTHK reporter Yvonne Tong for asking Aylward about Taiwan, on the grounds that such questions violate the “One China” principle that treats Taiwan as a Chinese Communist possession.