If coronavirus unmasked Donald Trump’s hostility to China, could a Joe Biden presidency contain it?
- Analysts say a reset in relations would not be easy, but target public health as a potential area of mutual benefit
- The Democratic presidential candidate is seen as less distrustful of Beijing and a coordinated pandemic response could be an icebreaker
As voters in the United States prepare for the presidential election on November 3, the South China Morning Post is exploring the potential ramifications for China. The 13th part in the series looks at whether Covid-19 could provide common ground for Beijing and Washington if Joe Biden wins the White House. Read the entire series here.
Amy Wu, a 32-year-old start-up owner in Beijing, was well aware in mid-March that shortages of masks were likely to be a problem for her friends in the American epicentre of the disease, where infections were rising quickly into the thousands.
“I was worried masks would be out of stock in the United States, as was the case when China was at the chaotic initial stage of its outbreak,” said Wu, who had spent two years in New York studying for her master’s degree.
She went online and ordered 200 masks for two families she knew in the city, who received them gratefully three weeks later. The purchase and overseas delivery via e-commerce platforms had been easy and Wu was planning to buy more for her American friends.
But by April, she was surprised to find that more than half the brands for sale online – including the one she herself used – were no longer available for overseas sales.
