In between a 'thuggish' state and a model for the world

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Would it be safe to say that the world is still trying to figure China out?

Perhaps. Although the country seems to have a pretty clear understanding of itself, others don't. On the one hand, China is perceived as constantly infringing on some of the "Western" values, driving people to criticize it at every turn. On the other hand, there's the astounding growth and development that many believe are reserved for "democratic" and "capitalistic" societies.

This convoluted picture just got even more intricate with the COVID-19 outbreak. The world is at the same time mesmerized by and critical of China's response to the situation. While acknowledging the authority of the World Health Organization (WHO) over public health issues, questions over China quarantining entire cities never ended. Though impressed by Chinese people's will to self-quarantine, suggestions of human rights abuses kept resurfacing. And even with businesses suffering greatly, talks about decoupling or weaning the world off of China's supply chain gained traction.

Some just can't resist to throw a punch at China. When asked by a reporter why the "U.S. was so much slower to get test kits out the door" during a press conference on March 5, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was quick to drag China into the mix. "We do know, when it started in China, there was a delay in informing the Chinese and the world of what was happening," said Pelosi, adding that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wasn't able to come up with appropriate measures and the 8.3-billion-U.S.-dollar bill was to "correct a great deal of that."

A person wearing a mask walks through Chinatown in New York, U.S., February 13, 2020. /Reuters

The fact that China notified the WHO more than two months ago and has since gotten the fast spread of the outbreak under control seems to have been forgotten. The same goes for the WHO repeatedly praising China over its response to the disease. It's okay for the U.S. to be warned beforehand and make corrections after the virus reaches its territory, but China not being able to perfectly manage an infectious disease without any prior knowledge of it? The world needs to be reminded of it as often as possible.

Even when China's efforts are acknowledged, the results are ascribed to the "disturbing mechanisms of state power employed to that end," as a March 5 article in The Economist said. "How less thuggish states can achieve similar results remains to be seen," the article said.

Since when did this negative view of China begin to stick? It's hard to say, but the effect has been clear. In its reaction to the arrest of

Jimmy Lai

, founder of Apple Daily, The Washington Post's Editorial Board wrote "It may be that Beijing sees an opportunity to dispose of key opponents in Hong Kong while the country and the world are preoccupied with the epidemic" – making connections between the event and the disease when hardly any dots between the two could be connected. And never mind the fact that he was arrested for illegal assembly and alleged intimidation of a journalist as part of a long-term investigation.

But it has been amusing watching those who share such a view trying to balance between their perception of China and reality. Those who view China as a norm-upending juggernaut now have to accept the fact that, when faced with this public health crisis, they might have to employ measures taken by China. More and more governments are using lockdowns and quarantines as measures to combat COVID-19. And when it comes time to choose between an outbreak within their own country and necessary measures, how would they justify their choices? Will they decry these "thuggish" actions? or are they going to say these actions are the only ones proven effective so far?

Soon, China might not be the only one caught in between the two.

Script writer: Huang Jiyuan

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