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Event Report

The conference was organised to discuss the place of China in the Post COVID-19 world order. Prof. Shen Dingli was the key speaker, who is a professor and former executive dean at Fudan University, Institute of International Studies and former director of the Fudan Centre of American Studies. He is also an honorary visiting professor at Washington University, St. Louis. His research focuses on China-America security relations, regional security, arms control, non-proliferation and foreign policy of the USA and China.

Prof. Dingli begins the conversation by comparing the economic might of China and the USA and how China has caught up with America In the last three decades. In the year 2000, China’s aggregate GDP was 1 trillion dollars, which was 10 percent of the US GDP. Currently, China is 70 percent of the US GDP. He insinuates that the world order would have changed without COVID-19 as well because in the last twenty years China has grown unprecedentedly. Even in 2019, China was registering good numbers whereas the American economy was struggling comparatively. He lists the Chinese achievements in manufacturing and containing COVID-19 while emphasising that China is winning through fair practices of globalisation.

Prof. Dingli points out that the US COVID-19 strategy is unscientific and ineffective, leading the American economy to a bad start in the next year also. India and Brazil have also struggled heavily. In contrast, China will recover from the damage and present decent economic growth in the coming quarters. He calls out the American administration and society for not following mask mandates. In his opinion, President Trump didn't set an example of following scientific practices. Briefly, he also touched upon the ‘Black Lives Matter movement. Driving the point home, he describes that western countries have failed to live up to the expectations in handling COVID-19 whereas countries like China, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan have performed significantly well. East Asian nations have followed the scientific approach in dealing with COVID-19 and their capability will place them ahead in the new world order.

Prof. Dingli mentions that the Chinese state had adopted a rigorous strategy to prevent COVID 19 but at times people coming from foreign countries have brought the virus into the country, adding a lot of complications. He criticises the USA for quitting the international organisation and weakening the world order. The world needs a leader and the US has not been able to fulfil that role. He indicated that the US wants to lead without donating anything to global infrastructure which does not settle well for a superpower. Even though China is not aspiring to be a leader, nonetheless the world needs a leading power.

Further, Prof. Dingli elaborates on China’s climate goals. He mentions that by 2030 China would stop the net increase of Chicago emission goals, contrasting it to the US declaration for Chicago emission goals. He believes that China and other countries will use the technology to fight the menace of climate change and consequently build a new world order. In addition, he makes the case that China and the US need to come together to fight global challenges such as COVID-19, it doesn’t matter who leads the world order unless the global population gets the benefit.

Only by preventing COVID-19 globally, individual countries can be saved. It is impossible to contain COVID-19 in an extremely connected world without cooperation. In conclusion, Prof. Dingli suggests that the world will benefit from China and the US cooperation. He opines that China is ready to share the burden of global challenges with other world powers. It is expected of the US to carry the greater burden and go back to the responsible role it used to play once upon a time. He wishes for a world order where nations come together and the US as a technological power should focus on sharing its technological prowess with the rest of the world to fight global challenges.

Prepared by Rahul, Intern at NIICE.