Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Tuesday, Feb 24, 2026

US to China: drop dead, we get our jobs back. China’s richest man to US: here, have 1 million masks & Covid-19 test kits

US to China: drop dead, we get our jobs back. China’s richest man to US: here, have 1 million masks & Covid-19 test kits

Chinese billionaire Jack Ma has in one fell swoop seemingly forgiven the US for its treatment of China in the dark days of its coronavirus epidemic and one-upped the capitalist system with a donation of much-needed supplies.

The Alibaba billionaire announced a donation of 1 million face masks and 500,000 coronavirus test kits on Friday, releasing a statement calling for “all humankind” to work together to fight the recently-declared pandemic. Signing off with “united we stand, divided we fall,” Ma managed to make the US government, which all but congratulated itself on the increased business opportunities presented by thousands of Chinese drowning in their own phlegm, look like bumbling (and cruel) idiots.


The e-commerce mogul’s statement was all sweetness and light, wrapped around what could be perceived as a dig at Washington’s preparedness: “Hopefully, these supplies can help some people in the US.”


 


The contrast between Ma’s gift and the US’ response to China sinking into coronavirus-flavored hell months ago could not be more stark. US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross all but danced on Beijing’s grave, predicting that the virus would “help accelerate the return of jobs to North America,” and while President Donald Trump himself offered praise of President Xi Jinping’s containment efforts, it was accompanied by little more than closing US airports to flights from China and the equivalent of a “good luck.”

Now that the shoe is on the other foot, the kits and supplies couldn’t come at a better time. The White House signed $8.3 billion in emergency aid into law earlier this week to fight the coronavirus, and an emergency declaration on Friday freed up $50 billion more for disaster response, but Americans nationwide have reported difficulties accessing testing, on top of concern over the mixed messages coming from healthcare authorities and the Trump administration.


Health and Human Services secretary Alex Azar has admitted his agency has no way to track the number of Americans who have been tested for coronavirus - let alone who have tested positive - but bragged earlier this week about having a “surplus” of coronavirus testing kits awaiting order. CDC officials, however, have admitted the agency lacks the equipment needed to properly respond to the epidemic, and scrambled to get the testing right after an initial round of kits proved defective. The development of testing was further slowed by the CDC’s insistence on developing its own test rather than using that of the World Health Organization. State authorities report tests being shipped incomplete and therefore unusable. While Ma has made similar donations to Europe, Japan, South Korea, and other coronavirus-stricken parts of the world, the US healthcare system is rapidly proving to be the least able to deal with the crisis.

The Trump administration has kept up its China-bashing even as the number of new Covid-19 cases in that country has dropped off. National security adviser Robert O’Brien complained earlier this week that “we could have dramatically curtailed” the epidemic if it weren’t for China supposedly dragging its feet going public, though he could only cite “open-source reporting from Chinese nationals” to back up his assertion that China’s response had cost the world two months’ prep time. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and others have repeatedly referred to “the Wuhan virus,” while Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton went even further down the blame-China rabbit hole, insisting the disease escaped from a high-security bio-research laboratory in Wuhan.

Trump himself at least spread the blame for the “foreign virus” around a bit, criticizing the “fake news media” for hyping Covid-19 and his predecessor Barack Obama for hampering the US response by tying up the CDC in “red tape.” But he has fueled concern in his own way by repeatedly downplaying the seriousness of the virus while fretting over the cratering stock market, all but advising sick Americans to keep a stiff upper lip while trotting out a series of potential economic band-aids for the gaping wounds on Wall Street (including a bailout of the tanking shale oil industry even his own party has slammed as irresponsible).

Perhaps unsurprisingly amid such chaos, the Trump administration has not issued an official response to Ma’s gift - though in their defense, the State Department was probably too busy summoning the Chinese ambassador to chew him out over the foreign ministry spokesman’s tweeting to notice.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
GCC Secretary-General Holds Talks with EU Ambassador in Riyadh
Gulf States’ AI Investment Drive Seen as Strategic Bet on Technology and U.S. Security Ties
African Union Commission Chair Meets Saudi Vice Foreign Minister to Deepen Strategic Cooperation
President El-Sisi Holds Strategic Talks with Saudi Crown Prince in Riyadh
Lucid Unveils Up to $12,000 Incentive for Air and Gravity Models in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia Enters Global AI Partnership, Expanding Its Role in International Technology Governance
Saudi Arabia’s Landmark U.S. LNG Agreement Signals Major Strategic Shift
Saudi Arabia Accelerates Global Gaming Push with Billion-Dollar Deals and Expanded PIF Mandate
Saudi Arabia Reports $25.28 Billion Budget Deficit in Fourth Quarter of 2025
Alvarez & Marsal Tax Establishes Dedicated Pillar Two and Transfer Pricing Team in Saudi Arabia
United States Approves Over Fifteen Billion Dollars in Major Arms Sales to Israel and Saudi Arabia
Pre-Iftar Walks Gain Momentum as Ramadan Wellness Trend Spreads
Middle East Jackup Rig Fleet Contracts Further After Saudi Drilling Suspensions
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Prepare to Sign Five Gigawatt Renewable Energy Deal at COP31
King Mohammed VI Congratulates Saudi Leadership on Founding Day, Reaffirming Strategic Ties
US Envoy Huckabee Clarifies Remarks on Israel After Expansionism Controversy
Saudi Arabia Introduces Limited Exceptions to Regional Headquarters Requirement for Foreign Firms
Saudi Arabia Joins Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence, Elevating Its Role in Shaping AI Governance
Saudi Arabia and Arab States Mobilise Diplomatically After U.S. Envoy’s Israel Remarks
Cristiano Ronaldo Reaffirms His Commitment to Saudi Arabia Amid Transfer Speculation
Proposed US-Saudi Nuclear Deal Raises Questions Over Uranium Enrichment Provisions
Saudi Arabia Sends 81st Aid Flight to Gaza as Humanitarian Air Bridge Continues
Global Games Show Riyadh 2026 Positioned as Catalyst for Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030
Saudi Arabia Eases Procurement Rules, Allowing Foreign Firms Greater Access to Government Contracts
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Seal Two Billion Dollar Solar Energy Agreement
Saudi Crown Prince Reportedly Sends Letter to UAE Leader Over Yemen and Sudan Policies
Saudi Arabia Voices Concerns to UAE Over Sudan Conflict and Yemen Strategy
Saudi Arabia Joins Global Artificial Intelligence Alliance to Strengthen International Collaboration
Shura Island Positioned as Flagship of Saudi Arabia’s Ambitious Red Sea Tourism Drive
Saudi Arabia Rebukes Mike Huckabee Over Remarks in Tucker Carlson Interview
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman praises the rapid progress of Chinese tech companies.
Concerns Mount Over Potential Saudi Uranium Enrichment in Prospective US Nuclear Accord
Trump Directs Government to Release UFO and Alien Information
Trump Signs Global 10% Tariffs on Imports
Investability Emerges as the Defining Test of Saudi Arabia’s Next Market Phase
Saudi Arabia’s Packaging Market Accelerates as Sustainability and E-Commerce Drive Transformation
Saudi Arabia Unveils $32 Billion Push Into Theme Parks and Global Entertainment
Saudi Crude Exports to India Climb Sharply, Closing Gap With Russia
Saudi Arabia’s Halal Cosmetics Market Expands as Faith and Ethical Beauty Drive Growth
ImmunityBio Secures Saudi Partnerships to Launch Flagship Cancer Therapy
United Kingdom Denies U.S. Access to Military Base for Potential Iran Strike
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Launch Expanded Renewable Energy Partnership
US Supreme Court Voids Trump’s Emergency Tariff Plan, Reshaping Trade Power and Fiscal Risk
Mongolian Mining Family’s HK$247 Million Stanley Home Purchase Highlights Resilient Luxury Market
UK Intensifies Efforts to Secure Saudi Investment in Next-Generation Fighter Jet Programme
Saudi Arabia Tops Middle East Green Building Rankings with Record Growth in 2025
Qatar and Saudi Arabia Each Commit One Billion Dollars to President Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ Initiative
Ramadan 2026 Prayer Times Set as Fasting Begins in Saudi Arabia and Egypt Announces Dates
Saudi Arabia Launches Ramadan 2026 Hotel Campaign to Boost Religious and Leisure Tourism
Saudi Arabia Seeks Reroute of Greece-Bound Fibre-Optic Cable Through Syria Instead of Israel
×