At the height of the Cold War, Ronald Reagan argued that rivalries between nations would vanish if the world was invaded by aliens. The former US president was too optimistic. Today, the US and China are facing a common threat in the form of coronavirus. Far from uniting these two rivals, the pandemic seems to be intensifying their competition.

You can see why China might sniff an opportunity in this crisis. Coronavirus has targeted America’s weaknesses, while making many of its strengths temporarily irrelevant. The world’s most powerful military machine is not much use against a virus. But a lack of universal healthcare coverage is suddenly a threat not just to the poor but to the whole of US society.

Financial Times