https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/observations/2020/04/china-s-new-silk-road

Finland taps social media influencers during coronavirus crisis

The Nordic country is hoping to harness their networks to get people to #FlattenTheCurve.

https://www.politico.eu/article/finland-taps-influencers-as-critical-actors-amid-coronavirus-pandemic/

New school curriculum raises eyebrows in Orban’s Hungary

Anti-Semitic authors will soon be compulsory reading in Hungarian schools, and history books will be rewritten to promote pride in the nation. Viktor Orban’s controversial new school curriculum is drawing outrage

https://www.dw.com/en/new-school-curriculum-raises-eyebrows-in-orbans-hungary/a-52964617

Spain and Italy have been abandoned by the EU

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/spain-and-italy-have-been-abandoned-by-the-eu

EU leader Ursula von der Leyen risks Beijing’s ire by lauding Taiwan’s donation of 5.6 million masks for coronavirus battle

• ‘We really appreciate this gesture of solidarity,’ the European Commission’s president says in a Twitter post
• ‘Acts like this show that we are #StrongerTogether,’ she tweets

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3078032/eu-leader-ursula-von-der-leyen-risks-beijings-ire-lauding

Italy ‘still proud to be part of EU’ amid stronger ties with China and coronavirus pandemic

• Senior Italian foreign affairs official says all economies will need each other in post-coronavirus world
• Countries will need common approach to revive battered economies, Manlio Di Stefano says

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3077985/italy-still-proud-be-part-eu-amid-stronger-ties-china

China Politics World

Italy gave China PPE to help with coronavirus — then China made them buy it back

Reports of Beijing’s diplomacy go from bad to worse

https://spectator.us/italy-china-ppe-sold-coronavirus/