Page 26 - 2021 White Paper
P. 26
1 White Paper on the Business Environment in China
is not a safe place, and for many, staying home recent incidents of discrimination and excessive
is an unaffordable luxury. Saving lives during use of force, the report warned that emergency
this pandemic will require a different approach measures, especially if applied with a heavy hand
from simply “policing bad behavior.” Individual or disproportionately, could undermine the entire
failures are not driving high rates of infection— pandemic response (Wise).
rather, the infection reveals structural failures
in the manner in which societies are organized. On Sept 22, 2020, President Trump gave a
Those whose employment is precarious and combative address to the UN General Assembly
who cannot afford to stay home—because they referring to the coronavirus as the “China virus”.
lack paid sick leave or because they have been He demanded that China be held accountable for
designated “essential workers” but nonetheless “unleash[ing] this plague onto the world”. Chinese
lack protective equipment—struggle to protect President Xi Jinping, who addressed the General
themselves and their families. Those in congregate Assembly after Trump, urged nations affected
settings, such as nursing homes, prisons, and by Covid-19 to “follow the guidance of science…
homeless shelters, depend on others to reduce and launch a joint international response to beat
their risk of infection. The data in the US, although this pandemic ”. He added that “any attempt of
incomplete, tell a clear story. Death and illness politicizing the issue or stigmatization must be
are concentrated among people of color and in rejected”. As of October 2020, China had confirmed
neighborhoods where a large majority are poor. 90,604 cases of Covid-19 and 4,739 deaths, while
African Americans account for 13% of the country’s the US had registered 7,382,194 cases and 209,382
population but fully 30% of confirmed Covid-19 deaths. The UK has a population 20 times smaller
cases, according to the CDC. Hispanics and Latinos than China, yet it has seen five times as many
account for 18% of the population and 24% of cases of Covid-19 and almost ten times as many
confirmed cases. The United States is not alone in deaths (Burki).
recording such health inequities. In the UK, only
14% of the population identifies as black, Asian, All of which raises the question: How did China
or minority ethnic, but this population accounts manage to wrest control of its pandemic? Despite
for more than a third of the country ’s cases of being the first place to be hit by Covid-19, China
Covid-19 by April 2020. Even in Sweden, with its was well-placed to tackle the disease. It has a
egalitarian reputation, poor neighborhoods where centralized epidemic response system. Most
the vast majority of residents are immigrants Chinese adults remember SARS and the mortality
have the highest rates of infection and death. rate that was associated with it. The society was
The militarization of the Covid-19 response was very alert as to what can happen in a coronavirus
particularly troubling in light of these disparities— outbreak. Other countries did not have such fresh
and in light of the experience many communities memories of a pandemic. Ageing parents tend
of color and immigrants have had of excessive to live with their children, or alone but nearby.
surveillance and violence at the hands of police. Only 3% of China's elderly population live in care
Because law enforcement is so differentially homes, whereas in several western countries, such
received among different people, its use as a facilities have been major sources of infection. The
tool of public health could have the unintended speed of China's response was the crucial factor.
consequence of undermining health policy and They moved quickly to stop transmission. Other
provoking noncompliance. Such attitudes can countries, even though they had much longer to
have serious public health implications. Research prepare for the arrival of the virus, delayed their
from the Ebola epidemic in Liberia showed that response and that meant they lost control. Wuhan
those who distrusted government took fewer was placed under a strict lockdown that lasted
precautions against the disease and were less 76 days. Public transport was suspended. Soon
compliant with government-mandated social- afterwards, similar measures were implemented
distancing policies. In April, the United Nations in every city in Hubei province. Across the country,
issued a report underlining the importance of 14,000 health checkpoints were established at
respecting human rights in the global struggle public transport hubs. School re-openings after
against the novel coronavirus. Citing widespread the winter vacation were delayed and population
26
is not a safe place, and for many, staying home recent incidents of discrimination and excessive
is an unaffordable luxury. Saving lives during use of force, the report warned that emergency
this pandemic will require a different approach measures, especially if applied with a heavy hand
from simply “policing bad behavior.” Individual or disproportionately, could undermine the entire
failures are not driving high rates of infection— pandemic response (Wise).
rather, the infection reveals structural failures
in the manner in which societies are organized. On Sept 22, 2020, President Trump gave a
Those whose employment is precarious and combative address to the UN General Assembly
who cannot afford to stay home—because they referring to the coronavirus as the “China virus”.
lack paid sick leave or because they have been He demanded that China be held accountable for
designated “essential workers” but nonetheless “unleash[ing] this plague onto the world”. Chinese
lack protective equipment—struggle to protect President Xi Jinping, who addressed the General
themselves and their families. Those in congregate Assembly after Trump, urged nations affected
settings, such as nursing homes, prisons, and by Covid-19 to “follow the guidance of science…
homeless shelters, depend on others to reduce and launch a joint international response to beat
their risk of infection. The data in the US, although this pandemic ”. He added that “any attempt of
incomplete, tell a clear story. Death and illness politicizing the issue or stigmatization must be
are concentrated among people of color and in rejected”. As of October 2020, China had confirmed
neighborhoods where a large majority are poor. 90,604 cases of Covid-19 and 4,739 deaths, while
African Americans account for 13% of the country’s the US had registered 7,382,194 cases and 209,382
population but fully 30% of confirmed Covid-19 deaths. The UK has a population 20 times smaller
cases, according to the CDC. Hispanics and Latinos than China, yet it has seen five times as many
account for 18% of the population and 24% of cases of Covid-19 and almost ten times as many
confirmed cases. The United States is not alone in deaths (Burki).
recording such health inequities. In the UK, only
14% of the population identifies as black, Asian, All of which raises the question: How did China
or minority ethnic, but this population accounts manage to wrest control of its pandemic? Despite
for more than a third of the country ’s cases of being the first place to be hit by Covid-19, China
Covid-19 by April 2020. Even in Sweden, with its was well-placed to tackle the disease. It has a
egalitarian reputation, poor neighborhoods where centralized epidemic response system. Most
the vast majority of residents are immigrants Chinese adults remember SARS and the mortality
have the highest rates of infection and death. rate that was associated with it. The society was
The militarization of the Covid-19 response was very alert as to what can happen in a coronavirus
particularly troubling in light of these disparities— outbreak. Other countries did not have such fresh
and in light of the experience many communities memories of a pandemic. Ageing parents tend
of color and immigrants have had of excessive to live with their children, or alone but nearby.
surveillance and violence at the hands of police. Only 3% of China's elderly population live in care
Because law enforcement is so differentially homes, whereas in several western countries, such
received among different people, its use as a facilities have been major sources of infection. The
tool of public health could have the unintended speed of China's response was the crucial factor.
consequence of undermining health policy and They moved quickly to stop transmission. Other
provoking noncompliance. Such attitudes can countries, even though they had much longer to
have serious public health implications. Research prepare for the arrival of the virus, delayed their
from the Ebola epidemic in Liberia showed that response and that meant they lost control. Wuhan
those who distrusted government took fewer was placed under a strict lockdown that lasted
precautions against the disease and were less 76 days. Public transport was suspended. Soon
compliant with government-mandated social- afterwards, similar measures were implemented
distancing policies. In April, the United Nations in every city in Hubei province. Across the country,
issued a report underlining the importance of 14,000 health checkpoints were established at
respecting human rights in the global struggle public transport hubs. School re-openings after
against the novel coronavirus. Citing widespread the winter vacation were delayed and population
26
