Staff Reports
The Chinese media has been criticizing US President Joe Biden for how he handled the wildfires in Hawaii. The Communist Party of China has also criticized the government's response to the disaster, saying that it prioritized military spending over the recovery efforts.
They talked about how the warnings about wildfires weren't sounding, how the lack of evacuation assistance led to looting, and how the media focused too much on Trump's legal problems instead of wildfires. They also took a dig at Biden for his "no comment" remark.
Chinese media noted that the US government did not ask the military to help in Hawaii due to the presence of its Pacific Fleet. They compared this to China, where the government has deployed rescue units and military forces to respond to disasters. According to the Global Times, the US is regarded as a leader when it comes to responding to international disasters, but it seems to be slow and inadequate when it comes to handling domestic issues.
The media criticized the US for providing military aid to Ukraine but only giving the victims of the wildfires in Hawaii $700 each in disaster relief. They claimed that the country was prioritizing confrontation with Russia and China instead of helping those affected by the disaster.
The US Defense Department deployed resources to help with the wildfire response in Hawaii. However, it noted that rushing in these resources could cause additional logistical issues during the rescue operations.
An editorial from a conservative publication stated that China was using the situation in Hawaii as a way to criticize and mock the US government. Although there were various issues with the disaster response in Hawaii, it is unfair to assume that authoritarian administrations are better suited to deal with disasters.
The comparison of the US government's disaster relief and military spending is misleading, as the former is a vital aspect of national security. While the US government's response should be evaluated, it should not be made a subject of political and satirical point-scoring in China.
