Coronavirus infects China-US relations as blame game over pandemic intensifies
- The global health crisis has killed tens of thousands of people, battered economies and put a severe dent in Beijing’s relations with other countries
- In the face of a possible global backlash, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the country must be prepared for unprecedented external adversity and challenges
This is the second in a series of five stories exploring the global backlash that China may face as a result of its actions and rhetoric during the coronavirus pandemic. This story examines the outlook for China-US relations, including the risk that the pandemic’s impact and the responses of China and the US to it will push the two largest economies in the world into a new Cold War.
The world’s two biggest economies are still trying to grasp the unprecedented scale of the pandemic’s consequences.
Global growth forecasts have been ripped up and job losses are running into the millions and counting, while governments are pulling together rescue packages worth hundreds of billions of dollars that dwarf those of the financial crisis 12 years ago.
Although it remains unclear when and how the pandemic will end, Beijing looks set to brace for increased opposition to its global ambitions. Chinese President Xi Jinping said this month that the country must get ready for unprecedented external adversity and challenges in the long run.