The Roles of China and the WHO in the Fight Against COVID-19 under the Trump Presidency and its Global Consequences

With an enormous loss of life and half of the world’s population in isolation at home, the COVID-19 pandemic has become a global impact event. Even if the geopolitical implications may appear less significant when compared to health and safety, they will prove important in the medium to long term, especially if placed in the context of Chinese peaceful development and amidst growing concerns that the rise of China has aroused – and still arouses – in the US and globally. The Chinese political and academic world rejects such concerns, particularly those regarding Chinese foreign policy and allegations of hegemonic purposes, as the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has been engaged for years in a significant effort to show itself to the world as a 'Responsible great power', actively contributing to the international community. This essay intends to discuss if the current COVID-19 pandemic - from an adverse event and initially likely to result in a loss of image for the PRC - could ultimately o er the PRC an additional international opportunity.