| Summary/Abstract |
This article assesses US-China relations during the COVID-19
pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, the US-China trade war
created an atmosphere of bitterness and mistrust in bilateral
relations and also prompted the Chinese leadership to seek
to enhance its “discourse power” through “wolf warrior”
diplomacy. This atmosphere hampered US-China communication and cooperation during the initial phase of the pandemic. The unleashing of “wolf warrior” diplomacy as the
pandemic spread round the world, especially in the United
States, has exacerbated US-China relations and served to accelerate the transition of US policy toward China from constructive engagement to strategic competition.
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