LettersWhy China needs to look at soft power fails, despite Covid victory and vaccine diplomacy

Name: New York’s Chinatown on edge after Asian man stabbed in back
Uploaded: 2021-03-12T22:45:17.000Z
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Assumptions that global power will shift to China and away from the US as a result of how well it has handled the pandemic are misguided

China’s political elites must think hard about how to reorient their approach to become a universally accepted global leader going forward

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Senior Congolese officials pose for a photo with Chinese Ambassador to the Republic of Congo Ma Fulin at the airport in the capital Brazzaville on March 10, when the first batch of Covid-19 vaccines donated by the Chinese government arrived. Photo: Xinhua

Letters

Published: 6:45am, 13 Mar 2021Updated: 6:45am, 13 Mar 2021

I refer to Mr Zhang Lin’s article last month “Coronavirus pandemic has made the US more dependent on China, and cut chances of decoupling” (February 2) regarding the geopolitical implications of China’s strong recovery from Covid-19.

China’s recovery, in global terms, has enabled it to share its experiences and resources with other countries. This has led Zhang and other observers to argue that global power will shift noticeably to China and away from the US as a result of the pandemic.

This argument is narrowly conceived. Yes, China has reinforced its influence over its existing allies, yet the country has established remarkably few new-found ties as part of its Covid-19 diplomacy. Despite significant efforts to create closer ties, more than 110 countries in the World Health Organization supported Australia’s call for an investigation into the origin of Covid-19 and disregarded China’s strong opposition, which is clear evidence of their collective determination.

Even during these difficult times, trade restrictions on China have not let up. The United Kingdom has prohibited Huawei Technologies Co. from being part of its 5G network, for example, while Australia tightened rules for acquisitions to keep Chinese enterprises out.

Apart from events at the international level, we must not forget the rise of anti-Asian and anti-Chinese sentiment among Western societies sparked by the Covid-19 outbreak. Such a pointed public backlash, however disappointing, could negate any limited gains that might have been made through China’s soft power outreach.

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New York’s Chinatown on edge after Asian man stabbed in back

Opportunities always come with challenges and vice versa, as they say. China has learned this lesson in the past year, and its political elites must think hard about how the country can reorient its approach to become a universally accepted global leader going forward.