East meets West: challenges and responses in pandemic times

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has few recent parallels in terms of its scale and scope in contemporary human history. Its after-effects are ongoing, many of which include a devastating impact on economies and societies the world over. Within this Special Issue, we reflect on the major impacts, trends and consequences that have arisen from spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in the past two years. In doing so, we highlight the varying responses of national governments and international institutions, explore the causes behind the choice of different models to suppress the pandemic, and evaluate the way in which those choices have had material impacts on communities, economies and governments. We also focus on some of the specific interactions between China and the outside world, including its relationship and cooperation with Asia and Europe, amidst US-China rivalry.