CHINA’S GLOBAL HEALTH DIPLOMACY : Revisiting Beijing’s Pre- and Post-COVID-19 Outreach Efforts

pushes the global economy into chaos, the ‘China, the first responder’ narrative will persist in developing states. The pandemic revealed China’s global capabilities. Geostrategic considerations guided China’s donations, with key BRI countries receiving the lion’s share. The pandemic also highlighted the party-state’s ability to promote a streamlined global narrative via digital channels. China has established a parallel COVID-19 information bubble targeting developing states, in which China is the responsible major power, and the West is in decline. China’s COVID-19 diplomacy failed in the West and Southeast Asia but succeeded in the Middle East and Africa. Political elites from third states welcomed Beijing’s health aid, often endorsing policy positions of the PRC at the UN level. COVID-19 served as a catalyst for Beijing’s health outreach efforts. Chinese provinces have been cultivating close relationships with individual countries for decades by sending medical teams. After SARSCoV- 1 (2002–2004), which challenged China’s economic and political stability, the PRC stepped up its international health cooperation efforts. The 2015 launch of the Health Silk Road marked the beginning of China’s more strategic and centralized health diplomacy. The pandemic fasttracked the formation of Beijing’s envisioned global (China-centered) health cooperation network. Despite the PRC’s quixotical Zero-COVID-19 policy, decision-makers should recognize the long-term effects of Chinese aid. Taking China’s ambitions in the global competition over the support from third (developing) states into account, Europe should be more strategic in its health diplomacy. Health diplomacy is essential to the future of the international order. Decision- makers should invest in social media outreach efforts in recipient states, map their interests, and utilize (non-essential) health aid as a political bargaining chip. Europe should focus on countries with whom health cooperation has already developed, or which are of key strategic interest for both Europe and China. Regional EU+x formats should be built. At the multilateral level, Europe needs to anticipate and match China’s increasing level of engagement.