At the beginning stages of the pandemic, there were many Western observers who noted that the outbreak could bring about the end of the Communist Party of China (CCP). However, it seems as though that may not be entirely true now. The Chinese government is known to come out with swift and evident policy responses in the face of crisis. This strategy combined with the ever-present censorship and propaganda has given the CCP regime a lot of wiggle room to operate within the pandemic and maintain control. Aside from the death of Chinese whistleblower Dr. Li Wenliang, a physician who was one of the first to leak information regarding the developing outbreak, there has been little to shake the infrastructure of China’s current political regime.
So at this point, if anything, the CCP’s standing has been bolstered by the COVID-19 outbreak. This is especially due to the political narrative held in place that the authoritarian system is what creates superior leaders, and the “effectiveness” of China’s COVID-19 treatment in “flattening the curve” has been depicted as highly successful by the CCP. As we all have heard, however, that success may not be entirely true since the current regime is known for using censorship and false news in order to strengthen their own standing amongst the world and their own population. However, I don’t know what will happen if a second wave hits China. There will only be a certain level that public censorship can do for the CCP as it tries to maintain control.
Some questions for the class:
What do you think will happen if the CCP continues to censor information about COVID-19 for their own population, as well as the rest of the world?
How might a second wave affect the CCP’s control and the health of the Chinese population?
Do you think US-China relations will change after the pandemic? How?