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.

As the United States repeatedly weighs in to block reasonable reforms and interfere with long-standing, consensus-based processes, China is on another track. It knows that reforms are needed and is working constructively to realize them.

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.

Questions have arisen with the pandemic about who is responsible for what. The answer is simple and clear: National governments are the primary providers of assistance to their citizens.

US-China relations are widely touted as the most important bilateral interaction in the world today. While this is true, it doesn’t mean that smaller nations and other regional powers aren’t making their own plays within the dynamic.

COVID-19 has shone a light on the acute vulnerabilities of a deeply interconnected world. No country, regardless of its size, wealth, or technological sophistication, can tackle this crisis alone.

The post-pandemic era has given rise to new thinking around the world. There is ample reason to believe that the post-pandemic era will bring neither a new cold war of confrontation nor a dark age of international friction.

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.

Many analysts argue that the liberal international order ended with the rise of China and the election of US President Donald Trump. But if Joe Biden defeats Trump in November’s election, should he try to revive it? Probably not, but he must replace it.