China Covid success due to totalitarian rule

Paul Kelly, in comparing the success of China to Western countries in controlling the spread of COVID-19 (“A year that changed the world order”, 19-20/12), omits what is probably the most important factor. China, as a totalitarian country, has almost total control over its people’s behaviour and access to information. Create prisons of whole cities and lock up endless millions of people overnight, no problem. Imprison the doctor, who then died, because he alerted the world to this virus, no problem. The Western world also has no access to the actual death rates in China.

Kelly writes about the industrial and economic power of China. This “success” is predicated on the infiltration of research institutions and the internet and theft by China of intellectual property and creative endeavours of the free Western world.

A cruel tyrannical leader who has installed himself as leader for life in China is not looking a lot different in personality and behaviour to past tyrants in Russia and Germany. The similarities are greater than the differences.

Bullies need to be confronted with strength, not fear. We need our capacity for creativity and co-operation in the Western world to manage this threat, economic and military, but first we need to acknowledge the reality that confronts us.

Rachel Falk, St Leonards, NSW

Paul Kelly draws a dark picture of the events of 2020. China has seized every opportunity to advance its grab for global hegemony while America, under the disastrous Trump presidency, has relapsed into brawling factions and a withdrawal from international engagement.

That said, China’s bribe and bully tactics have led to an increasing global antipathy toward the Celestial Empire and the tightening of alliances in the liberal-democratic world. China will not change its tactics because its vision of Xi’s China Dream is an anachronistic model of a world that died in the 18th century. China neither understands the modern world nor mutually respectful relationships. Eventually, when the Biden administration takes charge and the alliances are restored and strengthened, the economic and military strength of the free world will force the dragon to kowtow to a rules-based world order and Xi’s hold on the mandate of heaven will disappear.

Jim Wilson, Beaumont, SA

Reading Paul Kelly, you could almost conclude the US is finished as the world’s super power and the future belongs to China. Yet the US is by far the world’s biggest economy, with a GDP of $19.5 trillion compared with China’s $12.2 trillion and it ranks 23rd in per capita GDP ($55,000), ahead of France, Germany, Canada, the UK and Japan and well ahead of China ranked 128th with $8000.

Its health system was found asleep at the wheel when COVID arrived, yet the US is still considered the land of opportunity. Look no further than the millions south of the border clamouring to get in. In China there would be millions trying to get out.

How successful Joe Biden, under influence from the woke in his party, is in reinvigorating the economy and addressing inequality, two things Donald Trump was making progress on, will be fascinating to see.

Ron Hobba, Camberwell, Vic