Sukayna Abbas
THE outbreak of the global pandemic was avowed by the WHO as a public health emergency on 30th January. The disease emerged from Wuhan, China in December 2019. To date, the disease has distressed 187 countries. Knowing the fact that the disease is contagious and easily transmissible, countries began to take preventive measures. To control the increasing spread an International Lockdown was imposed. As a preventive measure people are bound to adhere themselves to observing quarantine. Consequently, the postponement or cancellation of events occurred. The outbreak of this pandemic has caused life to have an impediment.
COVID-19 disrupted life in multitudinous ways and exposed competency of governments. The massive global recession has prevailed due to pandemic since period of ‘great depression’ while 73.5% of the student population is being affected as educational institutions are closed. Some fundamental and unsettling questions that the pandemic poses: is the pandemic one of the pivotal moments when life will change permanently? Are the damages going to be irreversible, and most importantly will the balance of the political and economic powers shift?
The way both the West and East are tackling the situation says a lot about the future of states and their governments. The modern economies of the West simply failed to cope with chaotic situation caused by outbreak of pandemic, they have not been able to curb the rapid transmission of disease and increasing death toll in their states. These industrialized economies include United States, United Kingdom, France, Italy and Germany. On the other hand, Eastern world, such as China, Japan, India, Malaysia and Korea, wrestled in a much better way. The response time of Asian countries was also less than that of the most developed countries.
The disease originated in China and there came a time when circumstances aggravated to a much higher extent. The authorities were bound to impose a complete lockdown and to prevent spread of the disease, no one was allowed to leave the country. But the phenomenal and noteworthy efforts of China made it capable of coping with the situation and to turn misfortune into a success story. Till date, China has attained almost full control. Also, the lockdown has been lifted. After gaining some stability the country is now aiding the other states by sending them medical equipment, doctors and even financial help. By doing this China added to its credentials of becoming a global leader.
Other countries that have endeavoured for the cause are also being accoladed. These indications are enough to make interpretations on the matter of how powerhouses are changing! The United States now seems to be losing the title of lone superpower, as it failed to take lead in combating epidemic and its systemic failures are being exposed. COVID-19 displayed how a state may fail when its government does not address a problem properly. Today no one is looking to Washington for solution of the catastrophe or band-aid! The pandemic has become a hotbed for the shifting of the powers from West to East.
There seems a great difference in the post-COVID-19 world and pre-COVID-19 world. In the post-COVID-19 world, China seems to be taking over as the superpower if the US continues to not rise, meet and address the situation in the exact way it needs to be met and addressed. Beyond the shadow of a doubt, this unforeseen event is an era-defining challenge for political, economic and all other sectors. Drawing any conclusion right now would be ahead of time. There might be a shift from US-dominant-globalization to a China-dominant-globalization. The power strategy of America may become inadequate and it may need a new power strategy.
If nothing else, the spread of the pandemic has turned many states inwards; rather than focusing on what’s going on, on the borders now. Even if America now rises and copes with the situation, it would always be remembered for how America’s leadership failed the test and it may never be seen as an international leader. On the contrary, China will always be remembered for how dexterously it curbed with one of the most challenging events of human history.
—The writer is freelance columnist, based in Islamabad.
