How China is planning to Use the Coronavirus Crisis to Its Advantage
The novel coronavirus and the resultant COVID-9 have caused devastation in nearly all countries of the world. An issue that began as a new virus outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhuan soon escalated into a global crisis of unprecedented proportions. The World Health Organization aptly declared COVID-19 a pandemic following thousands of infections and deaths. In essence, the global economy has been turned upside down, and all economic projections for the year 2020 declared superfluous. The pandemic has affected human life and relationships in ways unimaginable, barely five months ago. The cancellation of major sporting events, including the Olympics, disruption of the global supply chain, and the interruption of ordinary life are some of the effects the coronavirus has visited on humanity. One interesting takeaway from the crisis is the reaction of China when viewed against the West. A critical examination of China’s behavior shows the country intends to use the coronavirus to its advantage and to entrench itself as one of the most powerful states.
China’s reaction to the crisis was swift and calculated and this led to the lockdown of regions and cities that enabled the country to contain the spread of the virus. China has managed to bring the virus under control even as the West struggles with indecisions and mass deaths. As the West grapples with the virus, China has already opened some of its factories and began exporting goods to the nations that need them the most. In reality, the country wants to turn the coronavirus disaster into an opportunity to demonstrate its strength and leadership credentials juxtaposed against the indecision and helplessness the West displays (Knight n.p.). Doubtless, China has managed to outsmart the West and established itself as a leader in the medical sector and a robust economy capable of withstanding tremendous shocks.
Following the devastation the pandemic has caused so far, seemingly stable economies and the developing world have both suffered unparalleled economic downturns. These countries require resources to combat the effects of the pandemic and restore public confidence in the systems. Under normal circumstances, the world would look to the United States, but the world’s superpower has demonstrated rare weaknesses in the wake of the crisis. Subsequently, the U.S. continues to blame China for the virus, while the rest of the world looks up to China for timely and much-needed assistance (Penney n.p.). Hence, China has effectively taken over the leadership role traditionally reserved for the U.S. China has perfected the art of distributing medical supplies and masks to distract the world from recognizing its global leadership agenda (Macaes n.p.).Besides, the U.S. is embroiled in domestic squabbles over the management of the crisis such that other nations cannot look up to it for leadership.
Effective leadership manifests best under crises and China has demonstrated unparalleled ability to marshal resources to deal with an issue of global significance. Initially, countries thought that the new coronavirus would be confined to China and that it would weaken the country and reverse the economic gains it has made over the last few decades. However, China has emerged as a leader capable of showing leadership and providing assistance to other countries in their time of need. On the other hand, the West has failed to live up to expectations and has continued to make a series of missteps that have seen the virus spread. In this regard, China can be said to have turned a crisis into an opportunity and usurped global leadership from the West. It will be interesting to watch the reaction of the West in the post-COVID-19 era, even as China maintains its newly acquired status as a global leader.
Works Cited
Knight, Will. “China Flexes Its Soft Power With ‘COVID Diplomacy.” Wired, 2 April, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.wired.com/story/china-flexes-soft-power-covid-diplomacy/, 17 April 2020
Macaes, Bruno. “China Wants to Use the Coronavirus to Take Over the World.” National Review, 3 April 2020. Retrieved from https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/04/coronavirus-pandemic-china-seeks-increase-geopolitical-power/, 17 April 2020
Penney, Joe. “As The U.S. Blames China For The Coronavirus Pandemic, The Rest Of The World Asks China For Help.” The Intercept, 18 March 2020. Retrieved from https://theintercept.com/2020/03/18/coronavirus-china-world-power/, 17 April 2020