Changing the narratives of the “Chinese Virus”: Chinese Coronavirus Diplomacy or a PR offensive?

Source: Reuters

The COVID-19 Coronavirus is spiraling out of control and has disrupted the livelihoods of millions of people. The world is struggling under the weight of this major health emergency, and we see an exponential upsurge in the number of affected cases worldwide. In such times, China has been blamed by the international community for failing to contain and suppress the virus initially at Wuhan, the epicenter of the deadly pandemic. Many experts on the issue have even gone ahead to refer to COVID-19 as the “Chinese Virus”. Stories of the Chinese coverup and mismanagement has been dominating headlines. However, since the last few weeks, we see the Chinese government desperately trying to reshape this global discourse.

At a time when states are battling with a major shortage of ventilators, test kits, surgical masks, and health equipment for dealing with the pandemic, the Chinese have put their best foot forward by positioning themselves as the global leader in fighting the pandemic. China has assumed a unique leadership status where it is seen taking proactive measures through the distribution of medical aids. This is no surprise; China is a dominant global supplier of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Now that the outbreak has reached its peak, it also possesses a surplus of medical supplies. As of this day, China has already donated medical test kits to Serbia, gloves and protective clothing to Liberia, 100,000 test kits to the Philippines and millions of masks to the Czech Republic. It has also dispatched its medical experts across the world with the aim of highlighting Chinese success lessons in dealing with COVID-19. The country has also donated $20 million to the World Health Organisation for its efforts. 

Furthermore, in order to deepen its political ties with nations that have been receptive to its outreach, China has been making extra efforts. Beijing has shipped supplies to Cambodia, a country that is an outspoken supporter of Xi Jinping. In Italy, one of the first countries to join China’s Belt and Road Initiative and happens to be one of its strongest supporters, China has sent a shipment of ventilators along with 300 doctors and nurses. The infamous, China-Pakistan friendship has been rekindled with Beijing announcing a fund of $4 million to Islamabad. To tackle the pandemic, the country has offered a concessionary loan of $500 million to Sri Lanka. Most recently, China also held a Video Conference on Prevention and Control of Covid-19 with 19 South Asian and Eurasian countries.

Surprisingly, Chinese tactics have been successful so far. There are now talks of a “Health Silk Road” to bring the epidemic under control which has been supported by countries such as Italy. According to Geng Shuang, spokesman of the Chinese Foreign Ministry: “It is China's traditional virtue to repay goodwill with greater kindness”. Not wrong to say that China has strategically maneuvered the criticism away from the country. China is benefiting from the fear of COVID-19, the realization across governments, about how difficult it is to bring the virus under control, and the failures of other governments to respond effectively. In fact, the inability of developed countries in providing aid to struggling nations has helped the Chinese government in establishing Beijing as a savior to many of these countries.

In conclusion, the Chinese international response to COVID-19 has changed gears. However, it is not sure how the states have viewed the efforts by China and how big an impact the country will have on containing the virus. Yet, China’s projection of its soft power to tackle the crisis is worth applauding. It has successfully whitewashed its responsibilities for unleashing a pandemic that was “Made in China”. It has altered the global narrative, from one of Chinese government coverup and mishandling to one where a nation acted responsibly to bring the outbreak under control.