A CRITICAL JUNCTURE? COVID‐19 AND THE FATE OF THE U.S.–CHINA STRUGGLE FOR SUPREMACY

Thomas Ameyaw‐Brobbey

World Affairs, 2021, vol. 184, issue 3, 260-293

Abstract: This article compares the United States’ and China's international efforts of responding to the current coronavirus (COVID‐19) pandemic and considers how the global public is receiving both to project how such measures would likely shape the international leadership competition. How do the international efforts of the United States and China on COVID‐19 affect their respective soft power? How does the global public perception of the United States' and China's COVID‐19 efforts affect their competitive advantage for global leadership? Based on the theory of soft power, I use Europe and Africa as cases with global perception data from the Pew Research Center (2017–2020) to argue that China would likely win some admiration for its COVID‐19 efforts. However, it is unlikely to substantially shape positive global public perception of China to gain a competitive edge over the United States. This argument is based on the narrative China presents in the pandemic, its diplomatic style, and the ideational attachment the U.S. style has established. I utilize a phenomenological approach with narrative analysis. Este documento compara los esfuerzos internacionales de Estados Unidos y China para responder al COVID‐19 y considera cómo el público global está recibiendo ambos para proyectar cómo tales medidas probablemente darían forma a la competencia internacional de liderazgo. ¿Cómo están los esfuerzos internacionales de Estados Unidos y China sobre COVID‐19 a su respectivo poder blando? ¿Cómo afecta la percepción pública global de los esfuerzos de COVID‐19 de Estados Unidos y China a su ventaja competitiva para el liderazgo global? Basado en la teoría del poder blando, utilicé Europa y África como casos con datos de percepción global del Pew Research Center (2017–2020) para argumentar que China probablemente ganaría cierta admiración por sus esfuerzos COVID‐19. Sin embargo, es poco probable que moldee sustancialmente la percepción pública global positiva de China para obtener una ventaja competitiva sobre Estados Unidos. Este argumento se debe a la narrativa que China representa en la pandemia, su estilo diplomático y el apego ideológico que ha establecido el estilo estadounidense. Utilicé el enfoque fenomenológico con análisis narrativo. 本文分析了美国和中国在新冠肺炎（COVID‐19）响应一事上作出的国际努力，并衡量了全球公众如何感知二者，以预测这类举措将如何影响国际领导力竞争。美国和中国在新冠肺炎响应上所作的国际努力如何影响各自的软实力？全球公众对美中两国的响应举措感知如何影响美中两国在全球领导力上的竞争优势？基于软实力理论，我将欧洲和非洲作为案例，结合皮尤研究中心（2017–2020年）的全球感知数据，并论证认为，中国很有可能因其响应举措而获得赞扬。不过，这不太可能从实质上形成全球公众对中国的积极感知，进而使其比美国更具有竞争优势。该论断源于中国在大流行中的叙事、其外交风格、以及美国外交风格已建立的观念依恋（ideational attachment）。我使用了现象学方法和叙事分析。

Date: 2021
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