COVID-19 & CHINA'S SOFT POWER AMBITIONS (MULAKALA & JI)

Flashcards about COVID-19 and China’s soft power ambitions

How did China frame its COVID-19 humanitarian response?

as the most intensive humanitarian operation since 1949, involving supplies to 120 countries and 4 international organizations. This strategic framing served to project China as a responsible global actor and enhance its soft power amid geopolitical rivalry and criticism over its early handling of the pandemic.

What role did Chinese civil society and private sector play in pandemic aid?

Entities like the Alibaba Foundation and provincial governments supplied medical aid, while tech firms supported telemedicine and online education, broadening China’s soft power channels beyond state mechanisms.

What criticism has China's pandemic aid attracted?

Critics argue that China used the crisis to distract from its initial cover-ups and to extend influence under the guise of humanitarianism. Concerns include lack of transparency, potential debt traps, and strategic motives behind aid distribution, feeding skepticism about China’s global intentions.

Health Silk Road initiative

A component of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) focusing on health collaboration. During COVID-19, it was revitalized as a key diplomatic and aid platform, enabling China to distribute medical supplies, share pandemic knowledge, and reinforce its geopolitical alliances through health diplomacy.

How does the article suggest China can legitimize/sustain its soft power ambitions post-pandemic?

China must deepen transparency, engage multilaterally with global institutions like the WHO, and build partnerships that include civil society and private sector actors. Demonstrating genuine solidarity, equitable collaboration, and a commitment to shared global norms will be crucial for lasting influence.

What distinguishes China’s COVID-19 response from traditional aid models?

Unlike traditional Western aid, which often channels through NGOs and civil society, China’s response emphasized government-to-government aid, supplemented by state-owned enterprises, tech firms, and philanthropies. This revealed the breadth of China’s soft power apparatus.