Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

China pursues global leadership ambitions as it offers aid during the coronavirus crisis

China pursues global leadership ambitions as it offers aid during the coronavirus crisis

This is the first international crisis where China is actively taking a global leadership role and it stands in particular contrast to the US, which has disdained international cooperation and invested more political capital in criticizing China for its role in allowing the outbreak to spread

Beijing is bolstering its soft power and taking the lead in a global response to the coronavirus public health crisis. The moves come as China’s daily number of new infections decline while those in the U.S. rise.

In the last few weeks, Chinese President Xi Jinping has been busy calling leaders across the world and rallying for global coordination in managing the coronavirus outbreak. Chinese health experts have hosted video conferences with those from other countries to share experiences.

“This is the first international crisis where China is actively taking a global leadership role and it stands in particular contrast to the US, which has disdained international cooperation and invested more political capital in criticizing China for its role in allowing the outbreak to spread,” said analysts from the Eurasia Group in a report this week.

On social and state media, China continues to promote its shipments of medical supplies to hard hit countries in Europe and Africa.

China’s officials have also used Twitter — blocked in the country — to trumpet Beijing’s efforts. They laud China’s success in containing the outbreak domestically, even though the virus was first reported there and was met with missteps initially.

“I think this is the opportunity of the century for China to build trust in the world, which it has found so difficult to come by as a rising nation, and to rebuild its international image — China doesn’t (want to) waste an opportunity like this,” Keyu Jin, associate professor of economics at LSE.

She also told CNBC on Tuesday that the public health crisis could be the “opportunity of the century” for China to cement its place as a global power.

But the world’s second largest economy will not be able to fulfill its ambitions easily, according to risk consultancy Eurasia Group.

“Countries like the Netherlands, Spain and Turkey have found defects with masks and tests from China and this setback won’t be the last,” Eurasia analysts wrote.

‘International diplomacy for a domestic audience’

China’s diplomacy, even on Twitter, is one that is not just meant for the global audience, it is also for a domestic one.

Eurasia analysts said highlighting China’s leadership accomplishes two important political goals for Xi.

“First, it buttresses his claim in the superiority of China’s governance model, an implicit pushback against some of the criticism that has come from within China about aggressive containment measures and silencing of early warnings about the outbreak,” they said.

“Second, it taps into patriotic sentiment at home, rallying support for Beijing as Xi guides the economy through a painful year. Many of Xi’s conversations with foreign leaders have focused on keeping supply chains open and trade running as well as the delivery of aid,” they added.

But, such efforts also reveal China’s insecurities and weaknesses, said Ryan Hass and Kevin Dong at the Brookings Institution.

“They serve as reminders of China’s lethally botched initial response to the outbreak of the virus in Wuhan,” they wrote in a recent web post. “Recognising this reputational risk, Chinese propagandists are feverishly attempting to rewrite the COVID-19 narrative to place their leaders in a favourable light.”

This throws the world’s two most powerful countries in a narrative war, underscoring geopolitical rivalry and further tensions in the future.

Domestic stumbles

Although much of the posturing caters to the domestic population, it may not play that well all the time.

For instance, Beijing has downplayed Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian tweeting a conspiracy theory that the virus was brought to the city of Wuhan from the U.S. This came as “his war of words with the US risked getting out of control,” said the Eurasia Group.

News of Beijing’s generous aid is also not always well received at home, as the crisis worsens income equality within China, the consultancy added.

“This will act as a constraint on the scale of Beijing’s aid, and also leads to a tendency to frame China’s assistance in ways that highlight the benefit to China. Chinese officials have openly said that one of their criteria for providing assistance is how those potential recipients have treated China in the past,” Eurasia Group said.

But this perpetuates a perception that China’s aid comes with strings attached or is narrowly targeted at furthering China’s strategic objectives, said Eurasia Group.

The EU in particular “has long been wary of China’s efforts to build relationships with smaller European economics and countries considering EU membership and is paying close attention to China’s ‘mask diplomacy’ in Italy, Hungary, and Serbia,” added the Eurasia Group analysts.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell recently raised that point in a blog post warning about the “battle of narratives” that has emerged in the public health crisis.

“China is aggressively pushing the message that, unlike the US, it is a responsible and reliable partner,” he wrote.

“We must be aware there is a geo-political component including a struggle for influence through spinning and the ‘politics of generosity,’” Borrell added.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
×