A CRITICAL JUNCTURE? COVID-19 AND THE FATE OF THE U.S.–CHINA STRUGGLE FOR SUPREMACY. (September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ameyaw-Brobbey, Thomas
• Is Part Of: World affairs. Volume 184:Number 3(2021)
• Page Start: 260
• Page End: 293
• Publication Date: 2021-09
• Subjects: COVID-19 -- Soft Power -- Global Public Perception -- Global Supremacy -- Global Leadership Competition -- International Aid -- Diplomacy -- United States -- China -- Africa -- Europe -- Image-building -- COVID-19 Aid -- Ideational Attachment -- Pandemic -- World Leader; COVID-19 -- Poder blando -- Percepción pública global -- Competencia de liderazgo global -- Estados Unidos-China -- África -- Europa -- Construcción de imagen -- ayuda COVID-19 -- Apego a las ideas -- Pandemia; 新冠肺炎（COVID-19） -- 软实力 -- 全球公众感知 -- 全球领导力竞争 -- 美国-中国 -- 非洲 -- 欧洲 -- 形象建立 -- 新冠肺炎援助 -- 观念依恋（Ideational Attachment） -- 大流行; International relations -- Periodicals; Peace -- Periodicals; Arbitration (International law) -- Periodicals; United States -- Foreign relations -- Periodicals; Arbitration (International law); International relations; Peace; United states; Foreign relations; Internationale politiek; Periodicals; 327.05
• DOI: 10.1177/00438200211024622
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0043-8200

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.