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Opinion | How the coronavirus will humble America and Donald Trump, and strengthen China’s position on the world stage
- A few good things will come out of the pandemic. A Democrat may well be the next US president and end the trade war with China, which will be in a better position to bargain, having had a lead in tackling the virus and a head start in economic recovery
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Covid-19 is sweeping through Europe and the United States is feeling its effects. Domestic and global travel routes have been placed on lockdown, and US President Donald Trump recently decided unilaterally to suspend travel from Europe.
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Public gatherings have been curbed, prominent events have been postponed or cancelled, universities around the world have transitioned to online classes, and there has been a shift to remote working spearheaded by organisations such as Google.
These measures have prompted widespread panic about the transmission of the disease, and introduced high volatility into markets around the globe.
But while Covid-19 is having a negative impact on health and the economy, it also has positive implications for politics in the long term, potentially improving US-China relations. Economic and public health research allows us to forecast what Covid-19 means for the upcoming US presidential election and China’s global position in the coming year.
First, Covid-19 will shift the ground for the US election. Public health experts predict that the strained US health care system may well break under pressure from the coronavirus.
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