The Geopolitics of the Coronavirus

As the coronavirus outbreak continues to accelerate, the international community is facing a global crisis with public health, geopolitical, and economic repercussions. In the two months since the initial outbreak, doubts over the trustworthiness of information from the Chinese government and other sources, combined with a lack of comprehensive timely scientific understanding of the virus, have stoked fears of an uncontrollable global pandemic. Meanwhile, Chinese criticism of US “overreaction” and delayed acceptance of US medical support suggest that geopolitical considerations continue to limit effective coordinated responses to the outbreak. Likewise, as industries dependent on China for their supply chains are directly impacted as a result of the crisis, concerns are also mounting that the outbreak could further decelerate Chinese economic growth and undermine global growth outlook.

What are the latest projections for the further development of the coronavirus outbreak in China and worldwide? How are health-related misinformation and disinformation shaping the crisis? How does a global health emergency such as this affect geopolitics, including the unfolding strategic competition between the United States and China? What might be the broader geopolitical and economic consequences? Ultimately, how can the United States, Europe, China, and other nations and key non-state actors cooperate to stop the spread of the virus and mitigate the global economic repercussions?