BEIJING -- China is straining its relations with the rest of the world, taking a hardline stance against countries questioning its role in the spread of the new coronavirus and ratcheting up tensions in the South China and East China seas.
The aggressive posture is partially meant for a domestic audience in the leadup to the National People's Congress, which starts on Friday. But it is also meant to signal the nation of 1.4 billion people intends to make its presence felt in global affairs and that its naval ambitions must be reckoned with.
