Opinion

China’s coronavirus success boosts confidence that its system is the best answer to the country’s challenges

Name: Returning to Wuhan one year since the Chinese city became ground zero of the Covid-19 pandemic
Uploaded: 2020-12-28T11:00:10.000Z
Duration: 5 min 47 s
Description: Returning to Wuhan one year since the Chinese city became ground zero of the Covid-19 pandemic

China’s leading Politburo said last week that it had achieved ‘an extremely extraordinary glory in this extremely unusual year’

China is set to be the only Group of 20 nation to post economic growth in 2020, with the likes of the US, Europe Union, Britain and Japan still struggling with lockdowns

2-MIN READ2-MIN

China’s Politburo is the top decision-making body of the Communist Party and is headed by President Xi Jinping. Photo: Xinhua

Zhou Xin

Zhou Xin is Tech Editor of the Post, following stints as Political Economy Editor and Deputy China Editor.

Published: 7:00pm, 28 Dec 2020Updated: 10:43pm, 28 Dec 2020

The year 2020 started off with huge challenges for China, but it is ending as a year of victory for Beijing and the ruling Communist Party.

It is a remarkable turnaround for the Chinese leadership from the night of Dr Li Wenliang’s death in early February – the moment when the legitimacy of the party and its way of governing was in doubt – to the day in December when the Politburo proudly their “extremely extraordinary” success in handling the coronavirus outbreak domestically.

It offered Beijing fresh confidence in its own values and capabilities. This, in turn, will leave a mark on China’s political, economic, diplomatic and even military decisions in the coming years.

This new confidence is backed by facts. Few can deny that China has been successful in bringing the coronavirus under control and restarting a normal social and economic life for most of the country.

China’s trajectory in 2020 has offered strong support for the belief that China is on the right path while liberal democracy is in decline

Some may complain about the huge human and social costs involved in China’s rigid testing and quarantines, and others may continue to question whether China’s handling of the coronavirus in the early days missed an opportunity to contain its global spread, but it does not change the fact that China’s results are among the best.

05:47

Returning to Wuhan one year since the Chinese city became ground zero of the Covid-19 pandemic

China’s success in dealing with the coronavirus, in contrast to the United States, Europe, Britain and Japan, offers evidence for China’s leaders to convince themselves and the Chinese people that the strong, centralised rule of the Communist Party is a blessing for the country, especially in times of challenge.

China’s trajectory in 2020 has offered strong support for the belief that China is on the right path while liberal democracy is in decline.