Corona Virus Impact on the US and China Relationship
Introduction
The first case of the Coronavirus outbreak was first reported in December 2019 in China in Wuhan city. Although China tried to contain the virus by imposing various restrictions such as locking down Wuhan and the affected areas, usage of masks, and social distancing measures, the virus found its way out and is now affecting the whole world. The World Health Organization (WHO) later declared it a pandemic on 11th March 2020. The reports that the virus first originated from China elicited different adverse reactions from across the globe, which impacted relationship ties with countries like the United States both positively and negatively.
Cons of the Corona Virus Impact on the US and China Relationship
One of the Pros of the pandemic is that it has allowed many organizations to start a new opportunity in re-strategizing their businesses and looking for new opportunities because the economic recession made companies stagnate (Brustein 4). Organizations, therefore, had a chance to restructure firms so that they would be sustainable and competitive as now and also for the future. Fry et al., also assert that recently, there have been strengthened ties between the United States and Chin scientists who are working together with many scientists worldwide in pursuit of a vaccine. The relationship means that the tensions between the two countries are only politically induced; therefore, if the political leaders have peaceful talks that will lead to an amicable agreement, they could work together for the common good of the two countries and their citizens well.
Cons of the Corona Virus Impact on the US and China Relationship
The Covid -19 has fueled anti-Chinese, anti – Asian, and xenophobia attacks globally, especially in the United States (US) (Nicola et al. 188). This is due to the conspiracy theories that the Chinese government manufactured the virus and released it to the world. According to reports by the media, the Chinese and people of Asian origin have become targets of belittling language by local citizens and some politicians in the United States since the pandemic outbreak. The extent of these acts has been witnessed on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, where hate speech related to Covid 19 is directed towards the Chinese people and people of the Asian origin. Some politicians and leaders of the United States, such as Donald Trump, the president of the United States, and Mike Pompeo, the secretary of State referral to Covid 19 as the “Chinese Virus” or “Wuhan virus.” This has also promoted hate speech against the Asian American people and Chinese people living in the US. Even though by the end of March, Trump had halted using the term Chinese virus and wrote a tweet in support of the Asian American people, he has not yet issued or directed a specific response towards protecting the Chinese and Asian people living in America (Nicola et al. 186).
The Covid 19 has also caused and fueled political tensions between the United States and China, both superpower countries in the quest for global power (Francis, “The Pandemic and Political Order” 4). From the conspiracy theories among many people in the world that the virus was meant to be a political war by China against the United States, more political tensions have been seen. Even though before, there was still mistrust and rivalry between the two countries for years, and the virus opened room for more hostility, which, if not addressed by the leaders of the two countries, may lead to a cold war in the future. Many see the Donald Trump administration as a failure because the US was one of the most hit countries globally in terms of Covid 19 cases and fatality. As much as Trump insists that the outbreak did not pose threats to America, some critics have labeled his call as the worst intelligence failure in the history of the United States. Thus, Trump’s administration is seen as a failure contrary to Xi Jinping, who is the president of China, administration, who was able to put the virus under control in Wuhan city, which was the epicenter of the outbreak. The two cases come out as two administrations strive to prove their superiority in terms of intelligence, control, and resources, which further fuels the political rifts between the two superpowers. Also, China has gained control of the virus quicker than the United States. They have already started putting measures to regain their economy as the US is still trying to control the infection (Garrett, 16).
Nicola et al. (188) assert that there has been witnessed global trade impacts between the United States and China, as seen from a remark made by Josef Braml, an expert in US affairs at the German council on foreign relations. He mentioned to the,” Deutsche Welle,” newspaper, that the Covid 19 pandemic has accelerated and reinforced economic and geostrategic global trade competition between the two countries, both world powers. In his statement, he further mentions that China and the United States are now competing and vying to control global trade streams, financial streams, and global streams. The latter is the most important for the two. Global trade fights have also been witnessed in recent conflicts and claims that China’s Huawei 5G network has data spy software. The allegations further made Richard Grenell, the US ambassador to Germany in March 2020, write a letter to Peter Altmaier, the Minister for Economy in Germany. In the letter, he warned that the United States would stop cooperation with German intelligence if Huawei, a Chinese mobile phone company, will still be involved in building a 5G network in Germany.
Global trade between the US and China have also been dramatically affected as the two countries rely on comprehensive and bilateral trade to sustain and balance their economies. The pandemic which has halted so many sectors of the economy from agriculture, infrastructure, education, transport sectors by closing down schools, business, and churches to mention a few. This has contributed to halting many more operations that contribute to the economy has, for example, seen the imports in the United States go down compared to previous years. This means that in most parts of the world, the dollar rate is going down as the United States imports more than it exports. The pandemic period is said to be the worst period for the United States recession.On the other hand, China exports more than imports, and the United States is one of its main markets, which means that exports for China have lowered, which has also affected its economy (Nicola et al. 188). Therefore, both countries underwent a period of economic recession and are both in a competition to see which country picks up first to maintain their superpower titles. In conclusion, the cons outweigh the pros of the Covid 19 pandemic impact on the US and China relationships. As seen, the pandemic has triggered the political tensions and trade wars that existed between the United States and China in the pursuit of superpower supremacy.
Works Cited
Garrett, Laurie. “How Trump, Xi Set the Stage for Coronavirus Pandemic.” MSNBC.Com, 3 Apr. 2020, www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/how-trump-xi-set-the-stage-for-coronavirus-pandemic-81592901527.
Brustein, Joshua. “Deep inside the Deep State, a Tiny Agency Is Working to Stop Covid-19 Disinformation. Under Trump, It Hasn’t Stood a Chance.” Bloomberg Businessweek, May 2018, pp. 1–5.
Francis, Fukuyama. “The Pandemic and Political Order.” Foreign Affairs Are, vol. 99, no. 4, 2020, pp. 1–6. Academic Search Complete, www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/world/2020-06-09/pandemic-and-political-order.
Nicola, Maria, et al. “The Socio-Economic Implications of the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19): A Review.” International Journal of Surgery, vol. 78, 2020, pp. 185–93. Crossref, doi:10.1016/j.ijsu.2020.04.018.
Petropoulos, Fotios, and Spyros Makridakis. “Forecasting the Novel Coronavirus COVID-19.” PLOS ONE, edited by Lidia Adriana Braunstein, vol. 15, no. 3, 2020, p. e0231236. Crossref, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0231236.