My approach to the impact of COVID-19 on the global economy would be, to focus on the rising tensions and economic conflicts between the United States and China. I would come from an angle that shows how much each country suffered, economically, during the mass shutdowns and compare that to how each country is doing now. This would be an attempt to show where each country’s priorities lie. Is it more important to keep the economy growing, or is it more important to focus on the health of citizens? I would want to speak with an economist from the United States and an economist from China, or at least an economist who has a firm understanding of the Chinese economy. It is also important to discuss how rising tensions between the United States and China, due to the pandemic, has affected our economic relations. As we have learned from watching China’s new world media order, and the Pew Research Center article from last week, China is creeping up on the United States in regard to economic power (Poushter & Moncus, 2020; RSFinternet, 2019). I would discuss how COVID-19 may end up giving China the upper hand in the long run. Since the first outbreak took place in China, theoretically, they would be one of the first countries to recover. While the United States may still be struggling to kick-start the economy, China might be past that point, and since they are the second largest economic power, it could make it easier for them to surpass us. I would then tie that into how each country has handled the pandemic. For instance, after seeing how China handled the crisis, many countries turned to them for medical goods and work equipment (Reuters, 2021). Many news sources predict the United States economy will sore as well, but we are still in the process of fully opening back up. Which raises the question I think needs to be answered this year. Is it more important to keep the economy growing, or is it more important to focus on the health of citizens?

Poushter, J., & Moncus, J. J. (2020, September 23). How people in 14 countries view the state of the world in 2020. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/09/23/how-people-in-14-countries-view-the-state-of-the-world-in-2020/.

Thomson Reuters. (2021, March 7). China February exports post record surge from COVID-19-depressed 2020 levels. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/china-economy-trade/update-2-china-feb-exports-post-record-surge-from-covid-19-depressed-2020-levels-idUSL2N2L30DQ.

YouTube. (2019). #RsfReport: China’s new world media order. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APj0KuvQC0E.