China began stockpiling PPE months before COVID-19 outbreak - TheBlaze

China began stockpiling PPE months before COVID-19 outbreak - TheBlaze: 

Asher told the Telegraph, "It was a persistent uptick [of Chinese purchasing]. And it was significant enough that my colleagues at DHS heard about it from American companies that manufacture PPE, and most importantly from U.S. hospitals reporting they weren’t able to get the normal supply of masks, gloves, gowns, and goggles."

The report added that China – the biggest manufacturer of PPE in the world – started "severely restricting" the export of medical gowns and masks months before the COVID-19 outbreak.