How coronavirus is poisoning US-China relations, one accusation at a time

Historically, pandemics affected international relations in many ways. By causing a massive loss of human life, a pandemic could undermine a country’s fiscal revenue base. The Plague of Justinian in the sixth century, the first recorded pandemic, reduced the population of Byzantine Empire by 40-50 per cent, shattering its dream of re-establishing the old Roman empire. A pandemic could also weaken a nation’s military power. Intensified exposure to bubonic plague in the 14th century, for example…

from South China Morning Post https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3089131/how-coronavirus-poisoning-us-china-relations-one-accusation-time