Page 32 - 2021 White Paper
P. 32
1 White Paper on the Business Environment in China
in the world, less than 1%. (The US reports a 6% through the management of the challenges
mortality rare; Italy, France and the U.K. are in accrued during the outbreak that its development
the range of 14-15%). Either the Russians have an and advancement to the top of the global system
exceptionally strong immune system or something is real and based on a solid foundation of mutual
is wrong with the way the government counts trust between the nation and the leadership of
the deaths. The gap between the number of the Communist Party.” He added that in spite of
officially acknowledged Covid-19 cases and deaths all kinds of sympathy and support that China has
may have political explanations: the pandemic received when faced with the outbreak, the world
interferes with the political agenda in Russia. has still noticed that many traditional international
Putin made the gambit of accepting high (but not powers have used the current situation in China
necessarily accurate) figures of Covid-19 infections as an opportunity for cheap political propaganda.
and simultaneously doing everything possible China's battle against coronavirus was a concern
to under-report the true number of Covid-19- for humanity, not a childish global leadership
related deaths. If successful, he would be able competition. It is obvious that China won the
to claim credit for handling the crisis better than battle against the coronavirus, but on the moral
other world leaders. On the other hand, Canada's front. “It is a foregone conclusion that China is
figures do not look controversial at first sight. The capable and has the ability to handle all current
country has neither an exceptionally high number and future challenges in a collective and organized
of Covid-19 cases nor an exceptionally high manner. This hard chapter in Chinese history
mortality rate (7.5%). But that doesn't mean there will definitely make it even much stronger. Their
aren't potentially some elements of bio-power at leadership model of communication during crises
play. Canada's government chose to complicate will become an example to be followed by the
the task of comparing the Covid-19 figures across rest of the world” (Elmansour). Of course, not all
its provinces and territories. The government’s countries are as in control of their bio-power as
Covid website only included the aggregate data China is.
and no death statistics. Comparing the responses
of each province requires an examination of 13 In the US, Covid-19 information is disseminated
different provincial websites, which have various by government agencies, universities, and the
formats of reporting the relevant figures. Access- media. Various levels of governments remain
to-information requests are not of great help here the ultimate source of the reported figures, but
either, despite the fact that there are access-to- how accurate are those figures? The US now has
information acts both at the federal and provincial the most confirmed cases and deaths caused
levels, and the government has full discretion by Covid-19. While this can be explained by a
what information concerning the virus to release. late response to the pandemic and the lack of
This means that in Canada, bio-politics manifests universal health care coverage, the political
itself through the fuzziness of information and, stakes in the Covid-19 crisis were also very
in the absence of clear information, the public is high. The social and economic crisis caused by
expected to uncritically accept the actions of their the pandemic was a major factor in the 2020
governments (Oleinik). elections. In an effort to shift attention from
his administration's response, President Trump
Shortly after the outbreak began, China’s indicated China should be blamed for the crisis.
allies described the country ’s fight against the The high number of infections and deaths
coronavirus as a story of pride. One Sudanese contribute to a feeling of fear and insecurity
diplomat said, “The world has witnessed China — which from a bio-power perspective helped
working under the leadership of President Xi Trump sell his message (Oleinik).
Jinping in harmony and setting unprecedented
measures to control the epidemic. Chinese people Americans continue to pay close attention
lining up behind their leadership, providing a to news about the coronavirus outbreak both
good example to the world that the Chinese nationally and locally. In doing so, they relied on
social system is one of the best in the history of a broad mix of media, government and other
humanity. It was for China to prove to the world providers of news. But the continuous news churn
32
in the world, less than 1%. (The US reports a 6% through the management of the challenges
mortality rare; Italy, France and the U.K. are in accrued during the outbreak that its development
the range of 14-15%). Either the Russians have an and advancement to the top of the global system
exceptionally strong immune system or something is real and based on a solid foundation of mutual
is wrong with the way the government counts trust between the nation and the leadership of
the deaths. The gap between the number of the Communist Party.” He added that in spite of
officially acknowledged Covid-19 cases and deaths all kinds of sympathy and support that China has
may have political explanations: the pandemic received when faced with the outbreak, the world
interferes with the political agenda in Russia. has still noticed that many traditional international
Putin made the gambit of accepting high (but not powers have used the current situation in China
necessarily accurate) figures of Covid-19 infections as an opportunity for cheap political propaganda.
and simultaneously doing everything possible China's battle against coronavirus was a concern
to under-report the true number of Covid-19- for humanity, not a childish global leadership
related deaths. If successful, he would be able competition. It is obvious that China won the
to claim credit for handling the crisis better than battle against the coronavirus, but on the moral
other world leaders. On the other hand, Canada's front. “It is a foregone conclusion that China is
figures do not look controversial at first sight. The capable and has the ability to handle all current
country has neither an exceptionally high number and future challenges in a collective and organized
of Covid-19 cases nor an exceptionally high manner. This hard chapter in Chinese history
mortality rate (7.5%). But that doesn't mean there will definitely make it even much stronger. Their
aren't potentially some elements of bio-power at leadership model of communication during crises
play. Canada's government chose to complicate will become an example to be followed by the
the task of comparing the Covid-19 figures across rest of the world” (Elmansour). Of course, not all
its provinces and territories. The government’s countries are as in control of their bio-power as
Covid website only included the aggregate data China is.
and no death statistics. Comparing the responses
of each province requires an examination of 13 In the US, Covid-19 information is disseminated
different provincial websites, which have various by government agencies, universities, and the
formats of reporting the relevant figures. Access- media. Various levels of governments remain
to-information requests are not of great help here the ultimate source of the reported figures, but
either, despite the fact that there are access-to- how accurate are those figures? The US now has
information acts both at the federal and provincial the most confirmed cases and deaths caused
levels, and the government has full discretion by Covid-19. While this can be explained by a
what information concerning the virus to release. late response to the pandemic and the lack of
This means that in Canada, bio-politics manifests universal health care coverage, the political
itself through the fuzziness of information and, stakes in the Covid-19 crisis were also very
in the absence of clear information, the public is high. The social and economic crisis caused by
expected to uncritically accept the actions of their the pandemic was a major factor in the 2020
governments (Oleinik). elections. In an effort to shift attention from
his administration's response, President Trump
Shortly after the outbreak began, China’s indicated China should be blamed for the crisis.
allies described the country ’s fight against the The high number of infections and deaths
coronavirus as a story of pride. One Sudanese contribute to a feeling of fear and insecurity
diplomat said, “The world has witnessed China — which from a bio-power perspective helped
working under the leadership of President Xi Trump sell his message (Oleinik).
Jinping in harmony and setting unprecedented
measures to control the epidemic. Chinese people Americans continue to pay close attention
lining up behind their leadership, providing a to news about the coronavirus outbreak both
good example to the world that the Chinese nationally and locally. In doing so, they relied on
social system is one of the best in the history of a broad mix of media, government and other
humanity. It was for China to prove to the world providers of news. But the continuous news churn
32
