Ryan Hass

The spread of the coronavirus has held a mirror up to the bilateral relationship and the image that has emerged is ugly. Now, leaders in both countries are consumed by arguments over where the virus emerged and who is to blame for its spread, rather than on what must be done, collectively, to stop it...China will struggle to persuade the world that it is a benign major power coming to the aid of those in need when it simultaneously is pushing out fringe conspiracy theories. It would be much wiser of Beijing to let its aid to others speak for itself, but it is unclear whether it has the discipline to do so at the moment.

In a normal functioning administration, my advice would be to identify practical ways where the U.S. and China can pool resources and expertise to help get the global spread of coronavirus under control. Such an approach is a bridge too far for the current administration, sadly. To be clear, there is much criticism to be levied against China, and there will be plenty of time for score-keeping, but now is not that time.