The past few months have seen an unprecedented crisis unfold across most continents. The coronavirus pandemic and the disease it causes, COVID-19, have infected nearly 1.6 million people and led to more than 100,000 deaths. These numbers are expected to rise.
Perhaps just as shocking as the virus and the social and economic destruction it has brought with it is the lack of leadership from China and the US and their mishandling of the situation.
Maybe even more surprising is the responsibility and adeptness shown by middle powers in Asia, such as Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore.
China, led by the Chinese Communist Party, originally silenced journalists and doctors who tried to inform the world of the virus, first reported in Wuhan.
After weeks of denying the seriousness and spread of the virus, as well as spinning shifting narratives, Beijing locked down hundreds of millions of citizens, including entire cities. Information related to the public made many skeptical about the validity of the number of reported cases and casualties.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) disappeared for 12 days, leaving many to wonder what kind of signal this sent.
Under the leadership of US President Donald Trump, the US has not fared any better and has arguably failed much worse. With a near three-month head start, the Trump administration seems to have pre-emptively acted on very little.
Now, with more cases than anywhere else, and with dire death rates in cities such as New York and New Orleans, the US seems to be inundated in its own mismanagement.
Over the past few weeks, Trump has attempted to monopolize a potential virus cure, lied to the public by saying “anybody that needs a test gets a test” and stirred up anti-Chinese rhetoric endangering Asian-Americans.
This amalgamation of selfishness, deceitfulness and hatred is not what the country, nor the world, needs in a time of panic.
While these superpowers have blundered their responses to the crisis, Asian middle powers have stepped up by showcasing swift government responses, transparency and accountability.
Contrary to China’s lack of openness, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) mandated that Taiwanese media relay information related to the coronavirus hourly for near-constant updates. Taiwan also implemented initiatives the day the virus was reported to the WHO, of which it is not a member.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s government acted swiftly after an initially slow start; mass testing, social distancing and listening to medical experts all helped flatten the curve throughout the country.
Singapore kept infected patients in hospitals over concerns of a second wave and has contact tracing teams investigating potential transmissions.
That Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore have different forms of governments proves that the comparison of whether a democratic or authoritarian regime works best in times of duress is moot.
Rather, what theses nations have proven is that middle powers rose to the occasion when larger ones did not. With transparent and competent leadership nationally, regionally and globally, the ascendancy of these nations offers much to hypothesize on what the world order would look like after the pandemic has ended.
Will the squandered leadership by China and the US be forgiven? While it is certain the globe would still need these behemoths to play a pivotal role in geopolitics, perhaps some of the social, political and economic power the bipolar world once saw would diminish, leaving a vacuum for middle powers to fill.
Will Doran is an independent researcher who lives in Jakarta. He is a graduate of the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies.
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