When you buy or sell from/to any Chinese company, you are dealing directly or indirectly with the Chinese state, which of course runs the Chinese military. You can be sure that every time you buy a Chinese product, you are funding their military and their quest to dominate the world. It's called economic colonialism. And it's working because we (the West) are too PC to stop it.
I think it’s working because we are, in recent history, primarily motivated by money. ( this could change given the right circumstances).
China is clearly setting itself up for global domination, anyone who reads a newspaper can connect the dots. The half decent leaders have known for over a decade.
China operates under a system that Western countries have fought to avoid.
There’s really only one way this is sorted out, it’s just a matter of when.
My 2cents.
PS I don’t believe Covid has anything to do with the above.