It has long advocated international multilateralism. Its recent decision to join the WHO’s vaccine implementation plan is the latest example of its willingness to cooperate for the good of mankind.

The world hopes to see reduced friction between the United States and China in the post-pandemic era. If the next U.S. administration can invest seriously in international cooperation, new paths for joining hands and lifting humanity will emerge.

U.S. President Donald Trump proved himself utterly incompetent in the face of the pandemic, grievously harming his country, his allies and the world. Following China’s light would have averted untold suffering.

New estimates on actual COVID-19 cases in 2020 highlight the stark differences between the Trump administration’s unilateral stance, and China’s multilateral approach to overcoming the pandemic challenge.

Just as China led the world in economic recovery in the aftermath of the global financial crisis of 2008, it is playing a similar role today. Its post-COVID rebound is gathering momentum amid a developed world that remains on shaky ground. Unfortunately, this is a bitter pill for many to swallow – especially in the United States, where demonization of China has reached epic proportions.

The U.S. is suffering the world’s worst COVID-19 outbreak among countries of its relative wealth, and many citizens - including presidential candidates Trump and Biden - are pointing fingers at China. The climate of xenophobia and discrimination has put the Asian American demographic at risk physically, and economically.

There is no single future until it happens, and any effort to envision geopolitics in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic must include a range of possible futures. I suggest five plausible futures in 2030, but obviously others can be imagined.

Painful lessons have been learned worldwide, and they should not be squandered. It’s time to rebuild a global health system that will work in the crises yet to come.

Even as the global pandemic continues to unfold, geopolitical maneuvering remains in play. The outbreak has exposed how struggles for power, respect, and control play out even in matters of public health as powerful nations aim to maximize their gains alongside a working treatment.