China’s Moment of Vindication

While he was showing live pictures of a Chinese plane offloading medical equipment and doctors in Rome on 12 March, the Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said in a video he posted on facebook: “That is what we call solidarity”; “Today, Italy is not alone.”

When Italy’s call for help from the EU went unanswered, China stepped in, saying it was repaying the aid that it received from Italy not long ago. But that doesn´t capture the whole story of China’s new position on the world stage. These corona-times mark a turn of events, when China can finally see the goal of its long march towards global leadership, by gaining what it has lacked most: soft power. This is the moment of China’s restoration to world centre stage.

Soft power

China has aspired for the status of a responsible great power for quite some time, but its leaders clearly recognise that the country lacks soft power – cultural influence and the ability to foster and spread out ideas across the world— and to be respected as a major player in this regard  all over the world. That is not least because the West criticises China’s authoritarian domestic political system and warns of Beijing’s strategic ambitions hidden behind its overseas businesses.

Now the chance came for China to show that its domestic system works for the people, that countries of different political systems can cooperate with each other, and that what lies behind China’s global activities is nothing but good will.

Apart from Italy, China has recently sent medical equipment and battle-hardened experts to other countries worst hit by the coronavirus, including Spain, Iran and Iraq. Among respirators and masks, their assistance also includes Chinese medicines. Even with Japan, the two traditional regional rivals have supported each other like brothers. And to the US, the Chinese billionaire businessman Jack Ma of Alibaba Group sent millions of test kits and protective gear on Monday 16 March, along with similar goods to Africa and Europe. China donated US$20 million to the World Health Organisation for dealing with the epidemic, and Chinese president Xi Jinping and his health officials have been busy on the phone with various countries by their request to introduce China’s experiences in combating the virus. The message from Beijing is clear; ‘a community of common destiny for humankind’, an expression coined by the Chinese Communist Party, is the correct world view from a Chinese viewpoint. In contrast to what is portrayed as the narrowly nationalistic, xenophobic and even racist views represented by the president of the current world hegemon the United States.

Leadership legitimacy

While gaining soft power and winning hearts from helping other countries fight the virus, Chinese president Xi Jinping is also proving the legitimacy of its leadership to its domestic audiences. The leadership has earlier come under heavy criticism from some parts of the general public and elites for its initial handling of the virus.

The weaknesses in a fragmented authoritarianism became fully exposed by the crisis. The fragmentation resulted in ineffective implementation of central orders in some provinces, including the epicentre Hubei province, because of incapable officials, bureaucracy or government monopoly, initial coverage of information by sub-national government agencies, and a blaming game between some government agencies.

Authoritarianism in the form of censorship of whistle-blowers received a strong and rare pushback from a large number of Chinese netizens. The double health and economic crises could derail the target of doubling China’s real GDP between 2010 and 2021 and becoming a moderately prosperous society. The target the legitimacy of the Party has relied most on.

Recovery curve

As China rides on the recovery curve of the crisis now, the leadership is emphasizing the merits of the authoritarian system: it’s not just the ability to build hospitals within days, but also the top-down coordination of resources and personnel, the quick deployment of military and medical staff to the epicentre, the swift replacement of malfeasant officials with capable ones parachuted from other provinces,  and most of all, a compliant and resilient people that bear the inconveniences and costs of a wide shut-down.

The key words in China’s official communication are now confidence and responsibility.

As most parts of the world is focused on dealing with the pandemic, the background is a rapidly changing world order with China advancing towards global leadership. As China extends a helping hand to other countries, it is defining what is a shared future for mankind: economic and ecological interdependence, technological cooperation, and acceptance of different cultures and political systems.

Huge challenge

However, it is still too early for Beijing to claim victory over either the domestic battle against the virus or the gaining of a global leadership. A large number of the Chinese population in the marginalised and fragile sections of the society have suffered most from the crisis, and it is a huge challenge for the Chinese government to take care of their welfare and to stimulate the economy back to the normal track without heavy environmental or efficiency costs.

Some Chinese citizens worry that the strengthened surveillance, censorship and data collection would continue after the health crisis is over. Just like complaints over the government’s overseas aid, the domestic population may complain about China taking too much international responsibility at the cost of its own citizens.

Internationally, the countries that come up first with the vaccines and medicines would pick the next fruit of soft power, and in the long term the US would not stop deterring China’s rise. A different US presidency would also mean less of a chance for China to fill in the vacuum of world leadership. But for now, President Xi thinks it is China’s moment.

Yang Jiang is a Senior Researcher at DIIS. She studies China´s political economy and economic diplomacy.