Follow CGSP on Social Media

Listen to the CGSP Podcast

Beijing’s “Mask Diplomacy” Now a Simmering Issue in the Increasingly Acrimonious U.S.-China Relationship

by Eric Olander

U.S. policymakers, journalists and other Washington, D.C. stakeholders have noted with growing alarm how China is leveraging the distribution of masks and other PPE used to contain COVID-19 to advance its diplomatic agenda around the world.

There is a sense of deep unease at the fact that Beijing is performing a role once natural to the U.S. (and Europe to some extent.) That fear of China’s growing influence in Africa and other developing regions is blended with concern over the lack of any meaningful counter-measures from the Trump administration.

Lead the Conversation on China

Subscribe Today to Get Full Access to The China-Global South Project

Check Out Everything You'll Get With Your Subscription

The China-Global South Daily Brief delivered to your inbox at 6AM Washington time

Full access to exclusive news and analysis from editors based in the Global South

Transcripts of CGSP’s twice-weekly podcasts

Students and teachers with a valid .edu email address are eligible for a 50% discount off monthly or yearly subscriptions. Email us to receive a discount code.

You Might Like

Conservative U.S. Media Outlets Focus Their Ire on China’s Ambassador to South Africa

China’s ambassador to South Africa, Lin Songtian, tweeted for the first time just six months ago. If the outspoken envoy planned from the beginning to use his new social media presence to provoke ...

Chinese State Media and Ethiopian Twitter Are Gleefully Comparing How Wang and Blinken Handled Ethiopia

Lead the Conversation on China Subscribe Today to Get Full Access to The China-Global South Project ...

China’s Ambassador to DRC Gets Into Online Spat With Former Trump Administration Official

For the past few days, a low-grade Twitter feud has been going on between China’s ambassador to the DRC, Zhu Jing, and J. Peter Pham, a former U.S. special envoy to the Sahel ...

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.

Subscribe