Systemic Competitions Against COVID-19 Among Big Powers

 Systemic Competitions Against COVID-19 Among Big Powers

United Daily News Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

March 13, 2020

 Translation of an Excerpt

Mainland leader Xi Jinping went to Wuhan for inspection on the 10^th, symbolizing that the COVID-19 pneumonia epidemic had been brought under preliminary control, and that Wuhan's shut-down was expected to be lifted in an orderly manner, with economic activities gradually returning to normal.

The rains in the east have stopped, while a rain storm in the west has arrived. In Italy, the epidemic situation sees no end after the outbreak; the country’s prime minister has been forced to order the shut-down of the whole country. In the US, the virus has been spreading, with confirmed cases extending to 40 states and the District of Columbia; amid a chaotic flurry, the Trump government was at a loss, with no good countermeasures.

From the US to countries in Europe, even Italy, which followed Wuhan, ordering an all-out shutdown, all showed their hands bound, with no countermeasures. In complete contrast, the PRC’s totalitarian system immediately operated with vigor and dynamism everywhere, demonstrating rapid, highly-effective capabilities, thus quickly suppressing the spread of the virus. In comparison, the democratic governments in Europe and the United States lacked forcefulness in enforcement; society didn’t follow government instructions, moving around without restrictions, so that the epidemic situation is now spreading rapidly.

The waves washing the sands on the beaches, the beginning and end, as well as the various countries’ trends are all clear before the eyes of the public. People in Taiwan should not stay with a stereotyped impression, but must see through the merits and demerits, as well as the rise and fall, and trends and direction of the various countries’ national strengths, so as to reconstruct a more precise international image and a worldview with insights into world affairs.

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