The real reason China is pushing for a better global response to the Covid-19 pandemic
- China’s support to other nations is not about seeking greater influence or vaccine diplomacy. Rather, Beijing knows it cannot keep its people safe or sustain economic recovery until the world battles the pandemic as one
For the northern hemisphere, this winter will be long and harsh due to the pandemic. More than a dozen European countries have seen a second round of lockdowns as Covid-19 cases rise.
Yet China, the first country to be hit hard by the virus, has essentially returned to normal.
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China’s great strides in public transport in the past decade have driven its economic development. Last year, 3.66 billion trips were made on the railways while civil aviation transported 660 million people. And the number of private cars is expected to continue to increase. A decade ago, there were 60 million on China’s roads; today that figure stands at more than 200 million.
This all relates to mass domestic migration as people flock to cities and the job opportunities there. Some studies estimate that rural-urban migration has contributed as much as 20-30 per cent of China’s economic growth. Tourism and related businesses are also booming.
Second, outbreaks can easily overwhelm city health care systems, given the population size relative to the available facilities. This is especially so as city outbreaks have a greater potential to accelerate.
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Third, social sentiment in such an integrated society has an effect on epidemic prevention policies. During China’s first Covid-19 wave, its underdeveloped rural areas implemented more stringent measures than were required.
Outsiders were barred from entering some neighbourhoods in Shanghai and Beijing, while others violated rules by closing off roads. Some of the drastic measures fit the needs at the time and were welcomed by the public.
This sense of self-protection means that, as long as the pandemic continues, the social economy will not return to normal even if the government lifts restrictions. Self-enforced measures bred by insecurity may be irrational and stricter than necessary, causing a greater loss to the social economy than the situation requires.
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Last, but not least, international cooperation is important – and China recognises this. Its leaders support the WHO’s coordination and leading of the global pandemic response, and have provided financial and material support to international organisations and other countries.
Some have pushed the erroneous belief that China was trying to increase its international influence. The true reason is fundamental – without effective pandemic control worldwide, China cannot secure its own health and would pay a heavier price to make an environment safe enough for its social economic recovery.
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Covid-19 is the best argument for countries to come together and better coordinate their efforts. No one wants a second global wave, but if it comes, the hope is that it will push the international community into collective action for everyone’s benefit.
Tang Bei is an associate professor at Shanghai International Studies University and a China Forum Expert