7. The Pandemic Further Sickens US-China Relations

If the US-China relationship had pre-existing health problems, the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020–2022 worsened these problems to a near-fatal level. The Chinese government seemingly weathered the COVID-19 storm at home, but its overbearing damage-control diplomacy largely failed to gain respect for China in the developed world. The continued foreign criticism of China, especially from the United States, produced an angry response from China, which launched a series of shrill rhetorical attacks on the US government. The ruling political party in the USA reciprocated by making China-bashing a prominent feature of America’s November 2020 elections. The increased bilateral acrimony exacerbated previous US-China economic, political, and strategic tensions. Taiwan’s pandemic experience was the opposite; its international prestige unambiguously increased, and it enjoyed an upgraded relationship with Washington.