International Relation Concern Posed by Covid -19

By: MICHAEL DAVE M. NALAGON

The Covid 19 pandemic strongly affects the entire world with varying intensities. It’s

been an experience that has exceeded the limit of human imagination the reason why we did not

anticipate its arrival. In the light of global pandemic, countries are struggling to stabilize its

economy; the peoples’ livelihood are paralyzed due to frequent “lock down” declarations on

boarders with various stay at home ordinances imposed to inhibit the chain of transmission,

massive unemployment that lead to income losses and economic breakdown.

The spread of the Covid-19 has meant anxiety, fear, unpredictability, mental confusion,

and the possibility of experiencing pre mature death especially to those people who are highly

vulnerable to the disease. While this reality is relevant on our time, pandemic greatly affects both

national and international institution and later turned the concern into a universal scope. Covid

19 pandemic triggered clashes on diplomatic relations across countries due to uncoordinated

information as regards to the spread of the pandemic its causes and possible mode of

transmission. China as the center of outbreak on the first phase of the pandemic became reluctant

to allow World Health Organization (WHO) experts manage the mitigation process. Apparently,

secrecy of the Chinese authorities on the spread of the pandemic created a huge impact in

international sphere and turned the virus into the realms of international concern, the reason why

Covid-19 is notably lack of everyone’s anticipation that it will turn into a global pandemic that

provoked WHO and other international health institutions struggling to find a vaccine. In effect,

countries are struggling to meet necessary preparations on public and private hospitals with the

lack of medical supplies, hospital beddings, quarantine facilities and inadequate testing kits the
reason why other countries also faced difficulties in trading supplies from one country to another

because of hoarding and different lock down declarations across borders.

World Health Organization(WHO) are operating in an increasing combative and divisive

political realm between and among member states. One of the highlighted Covid 19 concerns in

international perspective is the “China- USA showdown” which revealed the crisis has taken

place in the world politics. (Gardinii). On the early phase of the Covid 19 pandemic, more

conspiracy theories captured the attention of world leaders about the virus being used as a “bio

weapon” and allegations that Chinese authorities taking advantage of the pandemic as its way to

gain prestige by helping other countries greatly affected by pandemic presenting China as the

sole country to control the global mitigation of the pandemic and provide efficient management.

(Wenham and Davies 2).

Earlier this year, Italy, Spain, and Iran are greatly affected with vast numbers of fatalities

and call the help of other countries on the mitigation and management process. Three months

later, United States has been hardly hit by the pandemic which was succeeded by Brazil and

India. President Donald Trump was put to the limelight due to his hold on funding for the WHO

and took advantage of the crisis to discredit China and claiming that they are the main culprit of

the pandemic (Gardinii). More than ever before, China became the political and economic rival

of the United States the reason why Trump’s taking advantage to damage China’s prestige in the

midst of the global crisis. President Trump’s reaction towards China seem to have a negative

effect on US prestige due to its reluctance on the WHO ordinances and its refusal to lead a global

response to fight the pandemic.

This research will focus the impacts on how WHO managed to handle the public

diplomacy motivated by the Covid 19 crisis at the level of world leadership. The United Nations
notable agreements on their response to the global pandemic and the acceptance of the member

states on their recommendations for mitigation and management practices.

World Health Organization on Covid-19

It is nothing new that a specialized health agency of the United Nations is the World Health

Organization (WHO) to facilitate the provision of public good, encouraging cooperation and

collective efforts among its member states and delegate the task to domestic organizations

especially in the mitigation and management practices. Bursby, on his paper about What

International Relations Tell Us About Covid 19, WHO as an International Organization “have an

advantage of specialized expertise which – gives them issue –specific power, however, this

agency is always subject to the whims of the member states. WHO’s power can be determined to

the resources available, leaders, and memberships. Like any other international agency WHO is

also affected by international political tensions even in the previous pandemic that hit the world

especially during the Ebola outbreak in 2014 (Bursby). However, WHO is financially

incapacitated to provide relevant mitigation resources on the pandemic times as it is dependent

on the assessed dues relative to the member states wealth and voluntary contribution from non-

governmental agencies. This greatly affect the operation during pandemic as it is suffering for

years now on voluntary contribution and this problem seemed chronic that posed lack of vision

and strategic positioning. Although, WHO has funding mechanism acquired from the member

states and voluntary contribution, it is far compared to the national institutions like US Center for

Disease and Control and Prevention, Carribean Public Health Agency and other health agencies

who have better funding (Gardinii).

 Precisely at this time, Political tensions are mostly observed in the domestic arena, but in the

onset of Covid 19 pandemic, The WHO had gamble in the political realm while being combative

on proxy battles between states. China and USA have been the epicenter of world debates

triggered by the pandemic. Delving deeper to the issues between this states, the World Health

Organization was put to the center of issue that the other member states considered WHO to be

either political thus putting the WHO to the spotlight.

The WHO through Director Tedros in particular, have been bombarded by several criticisms

for being praiseworthy of the Chinese government, arguably maintained their secrecy on the

global threat posed by the pandemic. In the mid of January, China has been resistant allowing

international organizations to conduct a monitoring on their fight against Covid 19. If only

Chinese government would have the ability to cooperate in WHO and CDC on the early phase of

the pandemic, it would have been easier for this agencies to have an early mitigation process and

recommend strategic efforts to fight the disease. It was until February that China discloses what

is going on and allow WHO to intervene while making joint effort and recommend lifesaving

responses to Covid 19. Dir, Tedros and his team provided the world with foundational

information on the disease and China’s response strategies. WHO’s position in going to China

was a strategy to get accurate epidemiological data about the disease, although, China resisted

calls from the agency on the early spread of the disease. My personal view about it, the fact that

WHO has no position for being confrontational with China and the use of threat does not

conform to the mission of the agency. If this happened, China could have denied WHO’s access

to the country and still made the world blind of what is going on.

This has been the subject of discussion in the realms of the international sphere. Trump

accused the WHO allowed to be controlled by Chinese authorities which find him ineffective. He
was convinced that China has laid conditioned the international reaction while establishing

protocols and patterned some responses making China as the frontier of solidarity among other

states. Trump was forced to cut off the funding to WHO while convincing other US charities and

foundations giving voluntary donations to WHO to also suspend their contributions. China, US

and WHO has been put to the spotlight, at the opposite ends, might raise certain issues on

scientific approach on international relations to create a cooperative and participative atmosphere

during this tough times.

This action perhaps, was misinterpreted by other member states who accused the agency

political in bed with China. As soon as WHO and other health agency is concerned, Political

tensions had made things worse as this may not be required to achieve international cooperation

and solidarity.

United States and China Showdown in the midst of Global Pandemic

The paradoxical impact caused by the pandemic is that although overcoming to the best

efforts of health experts it mostly requires international cooperation on the first place. However,

this key initiative is greatly challenged by political tensions in the midst of the pandemic. Covid,

19 has revealed many international and cultural clashes between allies of the powerful states.

Some topic about the pandemic was centered on the propaganda of Hindu nationalism coined the

term coronayihad to accuse Islamic states as the culprit of the virus which also gave rise to the

suspicions that the state separated Hindu and Muslim patients in hospitals (Gardinii).

One of the most highlighted international issue on the spotlight was the United States –

China showdown on Covid 19 outbreak. Earlier this year, China became resistant to the call of

the WHO to take a lead in conducting a lifesaving response while studying relevant features of
the spread of infection and imposed proper health protocols, however, the state is not open for

this key initiative. Apparently, secrecy of the Chinese authorities turned the virus into the realms

of international concern as countries around the world struggled to find a vaccine and some had

already experience economic downfall. However, paradoxical belief remains as some countries

believe that the pandemic could help mitigate some of the negative trends in the world

(Gardinii).

Historically, relation between these countries were already intense even before the

pandemic. China and US trade war, where China as the great challenger of the US was forced

into a major commerce on trade. According to Channel news asia, Beijing has pledged to

acquire more imports of goods with an estimated amount of goods by $200 billion over two year

as part of the deal to combat the slow global economic growth with Trump increasing trade

tariffs on imports from China. China’s aggressive approach on the midst of the 2008 financial

crisis has posted a tremendous bipartisan consensus in the US that tougher and applied

competitive approaches towards the People’s Republic of China.

Another confrontation that heightened bilateral tensions was captured during the pro-

democracy protests in Hongkong where China and US clashed over the series of protest in some

parts of Hong Kong due to the imposition of new security legislations. Trump was forced to sign

an executive order to stop preferential economic treatment over Hong Kong. This executive

order would allow him give sanctions and stop issuance of visa on Chinese officials while

banning financial institutions involved as prescribed in enacting the law. China has threatened

retaliatory sanctions as defense on its own.

Massive repression against the Uighurs in Xinjiang and other Muslim minorities in China

has occurred in the course of history with the US giving sanctions to all Chinese officials,
financial institutions and companies over human rights violations. Meanwhile, naval activities in

disputed waters off China’s coast particularly in the South China Sea that is actually part of the

Philippine territory also contributed to the tensions. China has built a military empire and US

made its way to intervene on the issue. The economic and technological competition between

China and US have impacted the global economies while affecting and influencing more

countries world-wide. The Huawei company was banned by the US and included in the entry list

along with other companies due to national security reasons and US encouragement among other

nations to drop the Huawei products. However, the recent pandemic has reshaped approaches in

the international system as these two countries are finding ways to reshape the global order.

President Donald Trump addressed the Chinese officials that they ignored their reporting

obligations especially to the International organizations like UN and WHO and insisted that they

mislead the world. The lack of transparency of the Chinese authority and secrecy on the spread

of SARS-COv2 which killed hundreds and thousands of people while affecting more urged

Trump to discredit China and accused them as the culprit of the virus. Nonetheless, this

pandemic regenerate another clash with conspiracy theories, criticisms and somehow hostility on

both parties taking advantage of the issue to cause greater damage with each other.

Taking an in-depth analysis of the situation posed by Covid 19 on US and China would

impact each other while affecting international relations between countries and among allies.

China’s “mask diplomacy” made its way for China to boost their image as they take the lead for

outbreak and a model for European countries greatly affected by the pandemic. China continues

to be an icon of solidarity conducting a wide operation of help and cooperation by offering aid

on European partners through giving sanitary mask that are exclusively manufactured from their

country. Through mask diplomacy, Chinese diplomatic service significantly denied negative
information about their secrecy of the virus while giving more information of relief on the most

affected countries in the European nations. Wong believed that “China’s mask diplomacy is best

understood as a rather successful emulation and adaptation of long-standing diplomatic best

practices, which – coupled with the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak – have lent the battered regime

a seeming chance at global redemption”. While these realities are happening US on other hand,

is still pushing its way to destroy the image of China and blamed WHO for tolerating their

mismanagement of the virus. Having struggled for more than thousands of casualties while

infecting more citizens, Trump blamed China, and redirecting from its own mismanagement of

the outbreak. On this matter, US response and dealing with crisis remained erratic. Although,

citing reasons while influencing more allies to look down China, it posed paradoxical

consequence on the part of the US due to Trump’s behavior over WHO reflecting an act of

refusal to lead a global response on the pandemic and subsequently affect its global prestige.

Undeniably, pandemic has caused a greater competition on the US-China Bilateral

relationship which can impact the international system. Geraci believed that “although there are

many areas where the current political environment is simply not conducive to full and complete

cooperation, past experiences indicate that the U.S. and China can work together to solve some

of the world’s most pressing issues. The international development finance institutions of the

world cannot face these challenges alone, but if a limited channel of communication and

cooperation can be utilized, their impacts to the global pandemic recovery will be immense and

the road to recovery for the U.S.-China relationship could begin rebuilding trust in certain areas.”

Obviously, in a highly political tension during a health emergency, global cooperation is more

important while rebuilding solidarity among nations to combat the ill effect of Covid19.
 International Relations Theories and Covid-19 Pandemic

International Relation theories is a separate discipline that specializes the studies on international

interactions from a theoretical perspective (Gardini). Through conceptual frameworks of IR

scholars, it helps us understand the underlying motives of the issues in the status quo in

international arena and serves as the deep driving force of international behavior.

Delving deeper to the core of the crisis, political problem is one of the driving force that makes

the world suffer more from the virus as much it us a health tragedy. The crisis is opening giving

us an apparent image how the world behaves in the midst of a global concerns. The world isd

characterized by anarchy that makes us understand that no overarching government than the

other, hence; the world should have an international magnet that brings the world together in

solidarity to abolish global problem where everybody is affected.

Analyzing the pandemic in a liberal perspective and how countries behave, somehow open

us to a reality that health related threats create a powerful demand for solidarity where no

country can stand by their own. The reluctance of China on the early phase of Covid 19 has

brought many other concerns where lifesaving response is no longer available due to lack enough

knowledge on mitigation. Unfortunately, secrecy of Chinese Authorities has turned the virus into

an international concern where countries suffer for hundreds of fatalities while infecting more

people. Covid 19 was treated more than a health crisis through the onslaught it caused.

Analysis by International relations theorists on a liberal view give insights to international

organization as to how they implement diplomatic agreements, management practices, directions

and policies. Global public health concerns generally need cooperation, the joint efforts and

gains of working together in fighting for health security and protection to avoid infectious
disease and help to minimize economic disruptions at large. History proved how cooperation

works at the expense of fighting the threat posed by health crisis. The United States and Soviet

Union had joint gains through cooperation on small pox eradication in the midst of the Cold war

( Bursby). During the 2008, US and China cooperated in mitigating the effect of the global

financial crisis, and had a joint gain to discuss climate change and had made a mutual

cooperation during the Ebola outbreak. Taking steps in core of the crisis should consider

cooperation as a means to eradicate the recent global concern.

In public health. United States had proved its prestige being in the frontline of cooperation

in combating different crisis in the past years. According to Bursby “United States is still the

richest country on earth, and still has the most gain or lose from the current global economic

order becoming untenable”. US seemingly maintained its hegemony over the years, however,

with present situation and in the midst of the crisis, US is seemingly having a hegemonic decline.

Recently, Covid 19 crisis had hit the United States unexpectedly and apparently making the

situation worst due to lack of leadership in the global order at the expense of fighting the

pandemic. With the states reluctance to support the WHO by withdrawing its contribution and

influencing other charities to contribute it may be hard to mitigate the concern. While China

began to support other countries who had suffered in the intense effect of the crisis, while there

is, it gives a notion for competitive dynamics. Looking deeply into it, I think that it will be

beneficial for countries as it has no motive in generating a race to cooperate but it is self-dealing

with underlying predatory behavior. I think that interdependence among countries may help to

achieve a win-win solution for the eradication of the crisis. However, with the Chinese strategy

could boost mutual interest and international solidarity and may contribute to reshape the

international system.
 After all, taking the views on liberalism as an international theory, may help to mitigate the

effects of the crisis through cooperation and joint gains which serve as an indication of

international solidarity. If US continues its reluctance over the issue and cooperate on the global

order it may be hard for the international system to create a unifying strategy that would help to

eradicate the crisis. Norrlöf argue that “ to mitigate the hazardous long-term effects of Covid-19

on liberal international order, governments should renew their commitment to core liberal

principles, reducing social and economic inequities including access to quality healthcare”. With

the US declaration to withhold the WHO funding, it may pose a domino effect in impeding the

WHO support for developing countries with the rising geostrategic competition between two

powerful countries and different political systems creates a huge gap in cooperation.

Post-Covid 19 Times: Looking Back and Ahead

Like any other forms of heath crisis in the past years, Covid 19 pandemic is both a

challenge and an opportunity. As challenge it caused disruptions, human fatalities, suffering and

create an intense adjustment both psychologically and economically. As an opportunity it allows

us and our political leaders to reflect in finding new solutions at the expense of maintaining

international solidarity to stabilize global order in times of the crisis. The recent crisis also helps

us reflect on how to do alternative ways in doing things better for the future.

Covid 19 have made things even more complex, and there can be no easy way to ran away

from the damage it caused as no vaccine is yet available to fight against it. Mitigation process is

still tough although we are learning from China the way they handled the management over the

pandemic. Yet parts of the world have different experiences and coping strategies may differ too

based on political orders and cultural orientations. The perceptions of global leaders may differ

too.
 By way of conclusion, everyone has no idea when and how the crisis will end, and this will

help us foresee of what lies ahead taking some possible effects and consequences. The pandemic

is much more than a health crisis and uncertainty will continue along with pandemic until it

disappears. The post pandemic consequences cannot be overcome with the help of international

organization that take the lead the eradication of the virus. But looking on what is happening on

the present times, I think that countries around the globe must continue to make joint efforts

through cooperation and stop blaming each other.

At a global level, taking the significant influence of the pandemic over powerful states, US

although in the frontline of technological supremacy and economic superiority would somehow

experience hegemonic decline due to Trump’s mismanagement in mitigating the virus. Trying to

withhold funding on the WHO would also cause diplomatic consequences on countries present

allies and would reshape the international system. While China is taking its move although they

had suffered much on the early phase of the pandemic, it had given them an opportunity to gain

prestige in its hegemonic rise.

I think that, global order would be impossible if US continues to move according to its own

rules, and standards without taking the recommendation prescribed by WHO as the sole health

agency at international level, the world will be struggling not only for the ill effect posed by the

pandemic but also affected by political tensions that will create negative consequences. In

helping the mitigation process and management of the pandemic among countries, US must need

to support a global reconstruction effort and coordinate with allies to find solutions especially for

the equitable distributions of intervention drugs and vaccines.

Politics must be given right value and place. By way of analyzing things around, no can tell

how and when will the virus ends and what particular ways to manifest in eradicating it as soon
as possible, but through rethinking and reflecting on past pandemics correlative to the present

societies and global order, international relations could somehow give presumptions that might

give help political leaders and International organizations in doing possible ways to manage the

crisis. By way of cooperation taking advantage of the liberal theories views it may help achieve

future healing process.

Work Cited:

Bursby, Joshua. What International Relations Tells Us about COVID-19. 2020. What

International Relations Tells Us about COVID-19 (e-ir.info). Accesssed October 28, 2020.

Gardini, Gian & Bernardini-Zambrini, Diego. THE WORLD BEFORE AND AFTER COVID-

19 INTELLECTUAL REFLECTIONS ON POLITICS, DIPLOMACY AND

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS. 2020.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342665603_THE_WORLD_BEFORE_AND_AF

TER_COVID-

19_INTELLECTUAL_REFLECTIONS_ON_POLITICS_DIPLOMACY_AND_INTERN

ATIONAL_RELATIONS_The_world_before_and_after_Covid-

19_Intellectual_reflections_on_politics_diplomacy_and_in. Accessed October 29, 2020.

Geraci,,,,,,

Norrlöf, Carla Is covid-19 a liberal democratic curse? Risks for liberal international order,

Cambridge Review of International Affairs, 33:5, pp. 799-813,

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09557571.2020.1812529 . Accessed

November 2, 2020.
Wenham, C and Davies, S. Why the COVID-19 response needs International Relations.

International Affairs, Volume 96, Issue 5, September 2020, Pages 1227–1251,

https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiaa135.