Why Wuhan? Why China?

Duration: 1 hour 5 mins

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Description:	The panel explores the political and institutional factors that led to similar mismanagement of past epidemics and natural disasters in China.


Created:	2020-05-11 21:10
Collection:	Centre for Geopolitics
Publisher:	Centre for Geopolitics
Copyright:	Centre for Geopolitics
Language:	eng (English)
Keywords:	COVID-19; China; epidemic; geopolitics;


Abstract:	How have the party-state's management of information and compliance, and more generally central-local relations in a fragmented authoritarian setting, affected local responses at the early stages of the crisis management? What processes and mechanisms were likely at play at the early stages of reporting and response? How are today's bureaucratic dynamics different than during the Great Leap Forward? Or during SARS, HIV and the more recent swine fever outbreaks? What are the geographical and cultural specificities of Wuhan? Past pandemics have occurred along borders or along the Southern coast, hence it is odd to see this one in Wuhan. How do we read the official statistics on the pandemic? Once the damage control is in place, what motivations and processes influence the updating of information? What alternative sources can we obtain from local citizens, NGOs/GONGOs, or different data points in the Chinese bureaucracy to piece together a more accurate picture? Moderator: KC Lin, Centre for Geopolitics, University of Cambridge Panel: Christos Lynteris, Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology, University of St Andrews Chris Courtney, Assistant Professor (Modern Chinese History), Durham University Jasper Becker, author, commentator and journalist, founder of Asia Weekly

Abstract:

How have the party-state's management of information and compliance, and more generally central-local relations in a fragmented authoritarian setting, affected local responses at the early stages of the crisis management?

What processes and mechanisms were likely at play at the early stages of reporting and response? How are today's bureaucratic dynamics different than during the Great Leap Forward? Or during SARS, HIV and the more recent swine fever outbreaks?

What are the geographical and cultural specificities of Wuhan? Past pandemics have occurred along borders or along the Southern coast, hence it is odd to see this one in Wuhan.

How do we read the official statistics on the pandemic? Once the damage control is in place, what motivations and processes influence the updating of information? What alternative sources can we obtain from local citizens, NGOs/GONGOs, or different data points in the Chinese bureaucracy to piece together a more accurate picture?

Moderator: KC Lin, Centre for Geopolitics, University of Cambridge

Panel:
Christos Lynteris, Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology, University of St Andrews
Chris Courtney, Assistant Professor (Modern Chinese History), Durham University
Jasper Becker, author, commentator and journalist, founder of Asia Weekly

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