This podcast presents three main arguments surrounding China’s development and delivery of the coronavirus (COVID-19) leading to a global pandemic.

First, in 2019, China was on the precipice of a financial meltdown with a declining GDP that had fallen from 12% in 2007, to 6.4% in 2019. In turn, exports had decreased dramatically. As a result, thousands of factories closed and millions of workers were laid off, while public dissension and protests spread throughout China.

Second, China’s grand idea of a One Belt, One Road initiative and implementation as an alternative to the Western financial system was in serious peril in 2019, because of its distressed economy, decreased exports, mass unemployment and growing protests, which prior to the outbreak of the coronavirus were strong
indicators pointing to civil unrest and the potential collapse of the Chinese communist government.

Third, the preceding factors paint a much bigger picture, in that, China decidedly allowed for the development of the coronavirus knowing a controlled outbreak could be utilized to contain the mass civil unrest ensuing throughout China by implementing forced quarantines; and, by delaying the notification of the outbreak of the virus, so the virus would spread throughout the world with resultant
repercussions on the Western financial system.

The podcast is based on a research paper by Cliff Smith who has completed academic programs in international criminal law, psychology, business and is former military.