Opinion | Beijing tried to use the coronavirus crisis to enhance its global standing. It’s not working

Despite American errors and poor leadership, the pandemic only proves that the foundations of underlying strength are still solid for the United States and fragile for China

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Chinese President Xi Jinping takes part in a tree-planting event in Beijing on April 3 amid the coronavirus pandemic. Despite China’s ‘mask diplomacy’, the rest of the world is arguably paying the price for its missteps in the early days of the outbreak. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 12:00pm, 14 Apr 2020Updated: 12:40pm, 14 Apr 2020

As more Americans die from Covid-19, the Chinese economy is gradually recovering. Beijing is sending medical supplies, ventilators and even doctors to other countries in a public show of largesse.

This is leading to speculation that one of the first casualties in a post-Covid world will be American leadership, and that China is well positioned to move into the resulting vacuum.

Within America, there is much finger-pointing occurring, especially towards Donald Trump who was slow to prepare for the pandemic. The disorganised state of the country’s health system is being exposed. In turn, the president has deflected that blame back onto Beijing as a virus which was “made in China” and could have been “stopped in China”.

Indeed, one should make the case that far more grievous errors were committed by Xi Jinping arising out of recklessness and, in particular, obfuscating the nature of the virus for several weeks when the Communist Party knew how contagious and lethal Covid-19 actually is.

Regardless, assessments of the changing of the guard ought to be based on far more than what we think about the respective leaders and their immediate responses to Covid-19. If anything, the pandemic has only served to emphasise that the foundations of underlying strength remain solid for the US and fragile for China.

Medics and paramedics from China salute as they board a Red Cross vehicle upon arrival in Milan, Italy, on March 18. Some 37 medical staff were sent from China along with 18 tonnes of equipment. Photo: AP

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.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;} Despite American errors and poor leadership, the pandemic only proves that the foundations of underlying strength are still solid for the United States and fragile for China

Despite American errors and poor leadership, the pandemic only proves that the foundations of underlying strength are still solid for the United States and fragile for China