The Impact of Covid-19 on International Politics

The COVID-19 pandemic has showcased the overwhelming amount of countries unprepared for the severity and impact of this virus. The virus has not discriminated but has created a three-pronged health, financial and political crisis. COVID-19 has drawn out weakness in governances all over the world. It has caused conflicts within countries and international institutes.

In the United States, the Trump administration withdrew from the World Health Organization, after claiming that the WHO were slow in updating members concerning guidance and scientific evidence. The United States’ relationship with China has steadily become more fragile throughout the past few months. With President Trump’s refusal to use the scientific name of COVID-19, and instead referring to it as the “Chinese Virus”. In addition, escalations continued to rise when China expelled 13 American journalists. China’s Foreign Ministry announced in March 2020 that press credentials would not be renewed for American journalists representing The Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and the New York Times. The intensification of conflict between Washington and Beijing has left the bridge for business on a path to burning. The pandemic has made it more difficult for policymakers to focus their attention on other pressing matters. For example, strikes against US bases in Iraq are still happening and Congress has not gotten our troops out of the region. This crowding-out effect can also be used to address the approximately two weeks in June when the government and media became tremendously focused on the Black Lives Matter protests, and abruptly forgot the pandemic that was resurging across the country.

In March, countries in the EU argued over decisions regarding financial government assistance to its citizens. Some, such as Spain and Italy argued for issuing debt bonds, while Germany opposed doing so. French President Emmanuel Macron has acknowledged the dangers the pandemic has caused for EU unity. As the United States’ economy began to plummet, China accelerated its drive to replace America as the world’s largest power. In Brazil, President Jair Bolsonaro has become more dedicated to the economy rather than the general public’s health. Not to mention, President Bolsonaro’s handling of the crisis has been blurred as his implications and scandals have taken over.

Works Cited

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Guha, Seema, et al. “COVID-19 Impact on Global Politics: US, China Compete for Leadership.” The Federal, 22 Apr. 2020, thefederal.com/analysis/covid-19-impact-on-global-politics-us-china-compete-for-leadership/.

Rogers, Katie, and Apoorva Mandavilli. “Trump Administration Signals Formal Withdrawal From W.H.O.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 7 July 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/07/07/us/politics/coronavirus-trump-who.html.

Watson, Katy. “Coronavirus: How Pandemic Turned Political in Brazil.” BBC News, BBC, 12 June 2020, www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-53021248.

Wilkinson, Tracy. “China to Expel 13 U.S. Journalists, an Unprecedented Number, Correspondent Group Says.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2020, www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-03-17/china-revoke-media-credentials-new-york-times-washington-post.