China and America Relation
The relationship between America and China has experienced a taste of both friendship and deep rivalry over the years. The relationship between the two giant economies experienced sharp deterioration over trade and immigration, among other issues. The current coronavirus pandemic that has circled the globe shows just how interconnected the world is, and present some critical lessons to both the society and the media. The pandemic has changed the relationship between China and America in many ways.
There has always been a misunderstanding between America and China, which has had implications in both countries. Many graduates used to favor China in their constant dispute by America, but not anymore primarily because of the current pandemic. China has played a significant role in driving global trade with its position as the second-largest economy (Clayton, 2019). The coronavirus pandemic has forced the collapse of markets in China with sharp reductions in its services, manufacturing, and non-manufacturing industries. The collapse in the markets has had severe implications on the economy from the decline of the gross domestic product in China. The pandemic has had positive impacts on the environment because of the lockdown that led to reduced pollution from industries in China. The air pollution resulted in the deaths of a large number of people in China from the coronavirus pandemic spread through contaminated air onto surfaces and objects. The lockdown led to the closure of several industries and limited economic activities, leading to less pollution and the spread of the virus. The United States keeps reminding people that the pandemic originated from China about the infamous phrase, ‘the sick man of Asia.’ The phrase which has its origin from Persia upsets the Chinese citizens even more. Despite the initial slow reaction to the pandemic, Chinese scientists concentrate their focus on developing a vaccine for the virus. The vaccine will allow people not only from China but around the world to focus on economic productivity and growth once again. The pandemic presents an opportunity for both China and America to mend their broken relationship. And to reverse the course of the coronavirus by working together in developing vaccines and medical equipment to save lives and keeping the global markets active.
Americans also have misperceptions of the Chinese according to the sentiments of Janet Yang, a veteran and successful Hollywood producer from China. She decided to visit her country after spending her childhood in America. People do not seem to recognize the magnitude of her decision to visit her country both in their lives and the Chinese entertainment industry. The misconception of the Chinese by the Western countries, especially America, has led to discriminations, especially with the reference of the pandemic as Chinese. Many Chinese live in fear in America due to threats from their neighbors (Janet, 2016). The relationship between the two countries has not only been of misunderstanding. Some of the decisive moments of friendship include the time when President Nixon visited Chairman Mao of China, which led to the promotion of visits to China by the Americans. Trade relationships also heightened that saw the Chinese acquiring the America Cinema Chain to mark the beginning of their success in Hollywood. The Chinese presence in Hollywood improved over the years after the end of the Cultural Revolution. The new leadership under Xiaoping endorsed capitalism of the entertainment industry, leading to a combination of both communist and capitalist systems. The new system did not last long because of the movies produced that the Chinese felt portrayed them as weak against the western cultures. The Chinese later reverted to their communist system because of the strained relations with Hollywood. The movies produced in the preceding years to the turn of the century did not perform well in China compared to how they performed in other parts of the world. The return of Janet Yang to China after her remarkable success with Hollywood boosted the Chinese entertainment industry since people became more receptive to entertainment. Just like their bitter-sweet relations in entertainment, politics, and trade, the coronavirus pandemic has had mixed impacts on both America and China. The coronavirus has reminded the media and the society of how the world is interconnected. It has changed the relationship between China and America and calls for their cooperation to reverse the effects of the pandemic on world populations and the economy.
References
Clayton, D. (2019). America Keeps Getting China All Wrong. Scheer Intelligence. Retrieved from https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/scheer-intelligence/america-keeps-getting-china-all-wrong
Janet, Y. (2016). Janet Yang: A Ground-Breaking Producer. Scheer Intelligence. Retrieved from https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/scheer-intelligence/janet-yang-a-groundbreaking-producer