Chinese sociologist Dr. Li Yi said in an October 16, 2020 speech delivered at the Shenzhenwan Dialogue Forum in Shenzhen, China that China would overtake the United States in GDP by 2027, and that COVID-19 has been harmful to the U.S. and Europe but beneficial to China and North Korea. He praised North Korea and its system for having “zero” COVID-19 infections and said that the number of COVID-19 deaths in China, which he claimed is 4,000, is virtually zero compared to America’s 220,000 deaths. In addition, Dr. Li Yi said that China is growing rapidly in economy, military, trade, and diplomacy, and that its development cannot be stopped, unless a Gorbachev-like leader comes to power “who would mess up China’s own internal affairs and cause China to disintegrate.” In addition, he said that most Americans hate China because it has pushed the U.S. into a corner, but he predicted that the U.S. will not sever diplomatic relations with China. Furthermore, he said that there will not be a war between the U.S. and China because they are both nuclear powers. He did, however, say that China has yet to take over Taiwan. Dr. Yi holds a PhD in sociology from the University of Illinois and according to his Linkedin account, he is a full-time professor at Renmin University in China. Following Dr. Yi’s October 16 speech, Renmin University issued a statement denying his employment at the university. Dr. Yi’s speech was uploaded to his personal YouTube account.
