Could the Pandemic Ease U.S.-China Tensions? | Asia Society Skip to main content

Unsupported Browser Detected.
It seems the web browser you're using doesn't support some of the features of this site. For the best experience, we recommend using a modern browser that supports the features of this website. We recommend Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge

  • Center for China Analysis
    • About
    • Domestic Politics
    • Economy and Technology
    • Foreign Policy and National Security
    • Climate, Energy, and the Environment
    • Society, Culture, Public Health, and Education
  • Topics
    • Climate & Energy
    • Security & Diplomacy
    • Trade, Investment, & Innovation
    • Society, Technology, & Public Health
  • Countries & Regions
    • Australia
    • Central Asia
    • East Asia
    • Oceania
    • South Asia
    • Southeast Asia
    • West Asia
  • Publications
    • All Publications
    • ASPI Notes
    • Initiatives
  • Interactives
  • Watch & Listen
    • Video
    • Podcasts
  • Events
    • Past Events
  • About
    • Mission
    • How We Work
    • Institutional Independence
    • Staff and Fellows
    • Network of Experts
    • Supporters
    • News
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Schwartz Book Award
    • Join Our Email List
  • Support Us
Search
Asia Society Policy Institute
  • Center for China Analysis
    • About
    • Domestic Politics
    • Economy and Technology
    • Foreign Policy and National Security
    • Climate, Energy, and the Environment
    • Society, Culture, Public Health, and Education
  • Topics
    • Climate & Energy
    • Security & Diplomacy
    • Trade, Investment, & Innovation
    • Society, Technology, & Public Health
  • Countries & Regions
    • Australia
    • Central Asia
    • East Asia
    • Oceania
    • South Asia
    • Southeast Asia
    • West Asia
  • Publications
    • All Publications
    • ASPI Notes
    • Initiatives
  • Interactives
  • Watch & Listen
    • Video
    • Podcasts
  • Events
    • Past Events
  • About
    • Mission
    • How We Work
    • Institutional Independence
    • Staff and Fellows
    • Network of Experts
    • Supporters
    • News
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Schwartz Book Award
    • Join Our Email List
  • Support Us

Could the Pandemic Ease U.S.-China Tensions?

Op-ed in Foreign Policy

Face masks at a factory in Handan, China

(STR/AFP via Getty Images)


April 7th, 2020

The following is an excerpt of ASPI Vice Presidents Wendy Cutler and Daniel Russel's op-ed originally published in Foreign Policy.

As the coronavirus circles the globe, it’s proving a startling reminder of just how interconnected our world has become. The virus has moved along our global supply chains, and it can be stopped only with global cooperation. But the war of words between U.S. and Chinese officials last month shows how the pandemic can bring out the worst in the two countries. While the rhetoric has abated somewhat, there is now an opening for both nations to reverse course, and they must act fast—particularly in working together to develop vaccines, proliferate life-saving medical equipment, and keep open vital global supply chains.

U.S.-China relations had sharply deteriorated long before the discovery of a mysterious virus in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late December. Friction increased over long-standing points of contention such as Taiwan and the South China Sea. Other disagreements, such as those over human rights, cybertheft, and the future of Hong Kong, have lingered or worsened. Tit-for-tat tariff retaliation during the 18-month trade war has paused but not ended, while a cutthroat battle for primacy in areas like 5G and artificial intelligence, as well as the expulsion of journalists, has coincided with the breakdown of regular dialogue between the two governments.

It is hardly surprising, then, that when COVID-19 came onto the scene, it would be deeply politicized by both nations. A close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that the virus had been created by China in a biochemical laboratory in Wuhan. A Chinese government spokesman countered that the disease was brought to Wuhan by visiting U.S. Army personnel. A senior U.S. official publicly gloated that the crisis would bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States. As outbreaks spread in California and New York, Chinese officials flaunted their schadenfreude. Accusations of cover-ups and incompetence are flying in a contest to demonize the other and show that their respective systems are more effective to cope with the challenges posed by the pandemic.

This is a contest with no winners. Propaganda and recriminations won’t defeat the coronavirus or stem the looming global recession. The blame game playing out between the world’s two major powers has real-world consequences. China’s own veteran ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, seemed to distance himself from his comrades’ conspiracy theories in a recent Axios interview, tacitly acknowledging that the U.S.-China relationship desperately needs de-escalation, not denunciation. He may have provided just the opening that both sides need to get relations on a better footing at a critical time.

Read the full article on Foreign Policy's website.

About
  • Mission & History
  • Our People
  • Become a Member
  • Career Opportunities
  • Corporate Involvement
visit us
  • Hong Kong
  • New York
  • Texas
global network
  • Australia
  • France
  • India
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Northern California
  • Philippines
  • Seattle
  • Southern California
  • Switzerland
  • Washington, D.C.
resources
  • Arts
  • Asia Society Magazine
  • ChinaFile
  • Education
  • Policy
  • Video
shop
  • AsiaStore
initiatives
  • Arts & Museum Summit
  • Asia 21 Next Generation Fellows
  • Asia Arts Game Changer Awards
  • Asia Game Changer Awards
  • Asia Society Museum: The Asia Arts & Museum Network
  • Asia Society Policy Institute
  • Asian Women Empowered
  • Center on U.S.-China Relations
  • Coal + Ice
  • Creative Voices of Muslim Asia
  • Global Cities Education Network
  • Global Talent Initiatives
  • U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit
  • U.S.-China Dialogue
  • U.S.-China Museum Summit
Connect
. Asia Society Twitter Account . Asia Society Instagram Account . Asia Society Facebook Account . Asia Society LinkedIn Account . Asia Society YouTube Account
Email Signup For the media
Asia Society logo
©2023 Asia Society | Privacy Statement | Accessibility | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap | Contact

Asia Society takes no institutional position on policy issues and has no affiliation with any government.
The views expressed by Asia Society staff, fellows, experts, report authors, program speakers, board members, and other affiliates are solely their own. Learn more.

 

 

  • Visit Us
  • Hong Kong
  • New York
  • Texas
  • Global Network
  • Australia
  • France
  • India
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Northern California
  • Philippines
  • Seattle
  • Southern California
  • Switzerland
  • Washington, DC