Commentary Recent events in China, such as Beijing’s treatment of a tennis star and its COVID-19 cover-up, show that the country resembles the dystopian society of “1984.” The book “1984” has reached the stage in popular culture where it’s quoted a great deal. The author, George Orwell, depicts a scary future where an authoritarian government erases history, denies basic freedoms, and changes the acceptable truth based on political expediency. This is happening in mainland China and depicted through three events: the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) treatment of female tennis star Peng Shuai; its mishandling of COVID when it first broke out in Wuhan and the current underreporting of cases and deaths; and its bizarre claims in the South China Sea. Peng did what many in the West take for granted. She revealed on social media that a former high-ranking CCP official allegedly sexually assaulted her. Her post was deleted within minutes after …