• World
    • Africa
    • Asia Pacific
    • Central & South Asia
    • Europe
    • Latin America & Caribbean
    • Middle East & North Africa
    • North America
  • Coronavirus
  • Politics
    • US Election
    • US politics
    • Joe Biden
    • Brexit
    • European Union
    • India
    • Arab world
  • Economics
    • Finance
    • Eurozone
    • International Trade
  • Business
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Startups
    • Technology
  • Culture
    • Entertainment
    • Music
    • Film
    • Books
    • Travel
  • Environment
    • Climate change
    • Smart cities
    • Green Economy
  • Global Change
    • Education
    • Refugee Crisis
    • International Aid
    • Human Rights
  • International Security
    • ISIS
    • War on Terror
    • North Korea
    • Nuclear Weapons
  • Science
    • Health
  • 360 °
  • The Interview
  • In-Depth
  • Insight
  • Quick Read
  • Video
  • Podcasts
  • Interactive
  • My Voice
  • About
  • FO Store
Sections
  • World
  • Coronavirus
  • Politics
  • Economics
  • Business
  • Culture
  • Sign Up
  • Login
  • Publish

Make Sense of the world

Unique insight from 2,000+ contributors in 80+ Countries

Close

Coronavirus Outbreak Puts the World’s Governments on Notice

This latest coronavirus outbreak will have profound impacts on polities and economies around the world.
By Daniel Wagner • Mar 03, 2020
Coronavirus news, coronavirus outbreak, coronavirus affected countries, coronavirus US, coronavirus China, coronavirus Japan, coronavirus South Korea, coronavirus backlash, covid-19 news, coronavirus effect on economy

Chengdu, China, 1/23/2020 © IHOR SULYATYTSKYY / Shutterstock

A lot of attention is being paid to the profound impacts COVID-19 is having on the Chinese and global economy, steering us into uncharted waters with uncertain long-term consequences. Supply chain, trade, investment, lending and GDP impacts are readily measurable, but less attention is being paid to the political impacts the virus is having around the world, which are not only less easily measured, but usually take more time to evolve and be understood.

In China, the potential political impacts have compounded the nature of the Chinese government’s reaction to the coronavirus outbreak, which is to not be transparent, fail to provide accurate information and punish individuals who try to share data about the outbreak. It wasn’t the likely economic impact of the virus on the Chinese economy that prompted the government to act in such a manner — which is wholly consistent with how it controls and manipulates information more generally — but the potential political impact which was the driver.


Will a Struggling Global Economy Survive the Coronavirus?

READ MORE


As we know, Beijing fears instability more than anything else, yet its approach to this subject has succeeded in creating greater political and economic instability than may otherwise have been the case if it had provided transparent and accurate information, and had not punished those who dared to share it.

Backlash

The result has been a backlash against the government for, in essence, breaking the social contract it has with the Chinese people, which is to keep the economy strong, provide a better life for them than their parents had and to keep both the people and the nation safe. When events have great personal impact — as COVID-19 has had on the Chinese population, resulting in serious illness and thousands of deaths of loved ones and friends — many people feel they have no choice but to speak up and object to the way the government managed the outbreak.

Criticism of President Xi Jinping and the government has exploded on Chinese social media, faster than the government’s censors can eliminate it. The revulsion the Chinese people have for how this crisis has been managed will linger for years to come. Will it result in a political revolution? Unlikely, but few governments can withstand repeated bungling of consequential crises. The Chinese government has basically been put on notice.

logo

Make Sense of the World

Unique insight from 2,000+ contributors in 80+ Countries

Make Sense of the World
Unique insights from 2000+ contributors in 80+ countries

In Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s response to the virus has drawn comparisons with the government’s bungled response to the Fukushima crisis, which the Japanese people believe put them at great risk. The virus spread wildly for weeks on the Diamond Princess cruise ship and has been spreading for weeks now in the general population. It was only last week that Abe closed the country’s schools. His cabinet’s approval rating has slipped to 41%, imperiling his ability to pass additional economic reforms. The 2020 Olympics are likely to be canceled. The Japanese people appear to have lost confidence in his administration. How long will it be before they demand a change in government?

President Moon Jae-in was already on unsteady ground as the South Korean economy has been on the brink of recession for months. Protests against his administration were already growing before COVID-19 erupted in the country. More than a million Koreans have signed a petition seeking Moon’s ouster, stating that he has placed commercial relations with China ahead of public safety and that he waited too long to ban Chinese visitors. The South Korean people have lost confidence in his government and are demanding change.

Acceptable Performance

As the virus continues to spread, governments around the world are likely to experience a similar response from their people. How many governments are likely to prove to be proactive, ahead of the curve and provide a wholly acceptable performance? Very few, unfortunately, as most are ill-prepared either in terms of management style, resources or capabilities to address a crisis of this magnitude.

The United States is no exception. Major airports in the US still are not checking passengers arriving on flights from abroad for their temperature as they walk toward passport control. Only this week did the Centers for Disease Control agree to grant commercial and university laboratories permission to produce COVID-19 testing kits because of a severe shortage. Federal and state governments are not working together closely enough to craft a coordinated response to the virus.

COVID-19 will have profound impacts on polities and economies around the world. As this outbreak continues to slowly unfold, all types of governments — democracies, autocracies and military governments alike — will prove to their people just how unprepared they are to tackle this viral pandemic. Likewise, citizenries the world over will voice their displeasure with the lack of proper planning, devotion of resources or sheer incompetence in addressing the virus. In some cases, the net result will be a change of government. The world’s governments have now been put on notice.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.

Share Story
Categories360° Analysis, American News, Asia Pacific, China News, Chinese politics news, Coronavirus, Health, Insight, North America, Politics, US news, US politics news, World Leaders News, World News Tagscoronavirus affected countries, coronavirus backlash, coronavirus China, coronavirus effect on economy, coronavirus Japan, coronavirus news, coronavirus outbreak, coronavirus South Korea, coronavirus US, COVID-19 news
Join our network of more than 2,000 contributors to publish your perspective, share your story and shape the global conversation. Become a Fair Observer and help us make sense of the world.

READ MORE IN THIS 360° SERIES

In Sierra Leone, COVID-19 Could Make Maternal Mortality Worse
By Emma Minor • Jul 06, 2020
Herd Immunity May Be Our Best Hope
By Daniel Wagner & Mark Eckley • Jul 06, 2020
The EU Should Collect Health Data Centrally
By Susan Bergner & Isabell Kump • Jun 29, 2020
How Will COVID-19 Change Our World?
By Atul Singh • Jun 26, 2020
How Mismanaging a Pandemic Can Cost Countries Their Soft Power
By Valerio Alfonso Bruno • Jun 18, 2020
COVID-19 Contact Tracing: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing?
By Claire Downing • Jun 10, 2020
If the Pandemic Is a “War,” Then India Needs to Spend More
By Bobby Ramakant, Sandeep Pandey & Shobha Shukla • Jun 08, 2020
What Is the Key to Tunisia Successfully Beating COVID-19?
By Bill Law • Jun 08, 2020
The Humanitarian Disaster Before Us: COVID-19 in Somalia
By Arden Bentley • Jun 06, 2020
East Africa Faces a Cascade of Crises
By Bettina Rudloff & Annette Weber • Jun 04, 2020
The Swiss People’s Party Versus COVID-19
By Hans-Georg Betz • Jun 03, 2020
The 2020 Pandemic Election
By Saurabh Jha • May 29, 2020
COVID-19 Casts a Shadow Over Swedish Exceptionalism
By Mette Wiggen • May 21, 2020
Has COVID-19 Launched a New Era of Deadly Pandemics?
By I.P. Singh & Atul Singh • May 19, 2020
COVID-19 Arrives in Refugee Camps
By Phil Cole • May 18, 2020
The Worst President at the Worst Time
By Larry Beck • May 14, 2020
South Korea Faces Challenges in a Post-Coronavirus World
By Thomas Kalinowski • May 13, 2020
Debunking Trump’s China Nonsense
By John Feffer • May 08, 2020
Global Health Policy Is World Politics
By Susan Bergner, Maike Voss & Nadine Godehardt • May 07, 2020
Will We Ever Know the True Origin of COVID-19?
By Daniel Wagner • May 06, 2020
COVID-19: What Indonesia Can Learn From South Korea and Taiwan
By Luthfi Dhofier • May 05, 2020
Brazil Struggles to Find a Unified Approach to the Coronavirus Pandemic
By Thiago Alves Ferreira & Stephanie Fillion • May 05, 2020
Narendra Modi Is Fighting COVID-19 With Little Logic
By Satish Jha • May 01, 2020
What You Need to Know About the COVID-19 Crisis in the US
By Sunil Asnani & Kshitij Bhatia • Apr 30, 2020
History Will Judge Britain’s COVID-19 Response
By Rupert Hodder • Apr 30, 2020
China’s Uncertain Recovery From COVID-19
By Maa Zhi Hong • Apr 29, 2020
Rohingya Refugee Camps Are the Next Frontline in COVID-19 Fight
By Daniel Sullivan • Apr 28, 2020
Brazil Is Heading Into a Perfect Storm
By Lenin Cavalcanti Guerra • Apr 28, 2020
India's Tactical Victory on HCQ Misses the Bigger Picture
By Mauktik Kulkarni • Apr 27, 2020
Will COVID-19 Alter the Global Order?
By Joel Blankenship • Apr 27, 2020
South Korea Shows the Way Forward for Post-Pandemic Recovery
By John Feffer • Apr 24, 2020
Why Maximum Pressure on Venezuela Is the Only Way Out
By Leonardo Vivas • Apr 22, 2020
Can the WHO Restore Credibility After Its Handling of the COVID-19 Pandemic?
By Hans-Georg Betz • Apr 22, 2020
For Cybercriminals, a Global Pandemic Presents an Opportunity
By Beau Peters • Apr 17, 2020
Playing Catch-Up With the Next Pandemic
By John Feffer • Apr 17, 2020
The Politics Behind the Coronavirus in Brazil
By Helder Ferreira do Vale • Apr 15, 2020
Remembering the Easter Sunday Victims in the Shadow of COVID-19
By Amjad Saleem • Apr 14, 2020
China's Mask Diplomacy Won't Change the World Order
By Brennan Kau • Apr 09, 2020
How the US Government Failed to Prepare for a Pandemic
By Daniel Wagner • Apr 09, 2020
As President, Donald Trump Has a Duty
By Gary Grappo • Apr 08, 2020
Should We All Have Been Wearing Masks From the Start?
By Hans-Georg Betz • Apr 07, 2020
In Tajikistan, It’s Someone Else’s Virus
By Andrea Schmitz • Apr 06, 2020
Why Are Mexico and Brazil So Slow in Reacting to COVID-19?
By Lenin Cavalcanti Guerra • Apr 01, 2020
Are We Wrong About COVID-19 Death Rates?
By Daniel Wagner • Mar 31, 2020
One Antidote to Coronavirus: More Multilateralism
By Gary Grappo • Mar 30, 2020
Saudi Arabia’s Wars on Three Fronts
By Bill Law • Mar 30, 2020
The Politics of the Coronavirus
By John Feffer • Mar 27, 2020
What the Coronavirus Says About Us
By John Feffer • Mar 24, 2020
Why It’s Taking Britain So Long to Tackle COVID-19
By Rupert Hodder • Mar 23, 2020
COVID-19: What Italy and the US Are Doing Wrong
By Valerio Alfonso Bruno • Mar 10, 2020
The British Government Is About to Fail on Coronavirus
By Rupert Hodder • Mar 09, 2020
Coronavirus Outbreak Exacerbates Italy’s Political Divisions
By Valerio Alfonso Bruno • Feb 27, 2020
China’s Influence Dampens International Response to Coronavirus Outbreak
By Daniel Wagner • Feb 24, 2020
How Effective Is China’s Response to the Coronavirus Outbreak?
By Maa Zhi Hong • Feb 04, 2020

Post navigation

Previous PostPrevious CNN and the Art of Overstatement
Next PostNext How “Social” Is Social Media?
Subscribe
Register for $9.99 per month and become a member today.
Publish
Join our community of more than 2,500 contributors to publish your perspective, share your narrative and shape the global discourse.
Donate
We bring you perspectives from around the world. Help us to inform and educate. Your donation is tax-deductible.

Explore

  • About
  • Authors
  • FO Store
  • FAQs
  • Republish
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contact

Regions

  • Africa
  • Asia Pacific
  • Central & South Asia
  • Europe
  • Latin America & Caribbean
  • Middle East & North Africa
  • North America

Topics

  • Politics
  • Economics
  • Business
  • Culture
  • Environment
  • Global Change
  • International Security
  • Science

Sections

  • 360°
  • The Interview
  • In-Depth
  • Insight
  • Quick Read
  • Video
  • Podcasts
  • Interactive
  • My Voice

Daily Dispatch


© Fair Observer All rights reserved
We Need Your Consent
We use cookies to give you the best possible experience. Learn more about how we use cookies or edit your cookie preferences. Privacy Policy. My Options I Accept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Edit Cookie Preferences

The Fair Observer website uses digital cookies so it can collect statistics on how many visitors come to the site, what content is viewed and for how long, and the general location of the computer network of the visitor. These statistics are collected and processed using the Google Analytics service. Fair Observer uses these aggregate statistics from website visits to help improve the content of the website and to provide regular reports to our current and future donors and funding organizations. The type of digital cookie information collected during your visit and any derived data cannot be used or combined with other information to personally identify you. Fair Observer does not use personal data collected from its website for advertising purposes or to market to you.

As a convenience to you, Fair Observer provides buttons that link to popular social media sites, called social sharing buttons, to help you share Fair Observer content and your comments and opinions about it on these social media sites. These social sharing buttons are provided by and are part of these social media sites. They may collect and use personal data as described in their respective policies. Fair Observer does not receive personal data from your use of these social sharing buttons. It is not necessary that you use these buttons to read Fair Observer content or to share on social media.

 
Necessary
Always Enabled

These cookies essential for the website to function.

Analytics

These cookies track our website’s performance and also help us to continuously improve the experience we provide to you.

Performance
Uncategorized

This cookie consists of the word “yes” to enable us to remember your acceptance of the site cookie notification, and prevents it from displaying to you in future.

Preferences
Save & Accept