The global politics of a pandemic

The Great Game of the 21st century is upon us and as ever it’s a scramble for resources. This time, though, the thirst is not for land or diamonds or gold. Personal protective equipment has become the oil of the contemporary moment: desperately needed by a world that is strafed by coronavirus. Britain has its own urgent PPE supply problems. But what about the broader international struggle? The answer to this question offers the clearest glimpse of how our post-pandemic global politics is likely to look. 

 At the top of this scramble stands China. Ahead of the curve (for obvious reasons), it imported about 2.5 billion healthcare items between 24 January and 29 February, thereby denying vital equipment to other countries. Now Beijing forces many of the states it bought the equipment from to buy it back, often at bloated prices. Now Beijing plays God, deciding which countries will benefit from its ‘largess’ and which will not.