A Bright Spot in China-US Relations – The Diplomat

The China-U.S. structural conflicts intensify the 2 powers’ competitors and constrain their cooperation. Some students even declare that the connection is falling right into a historic freeze or perhaps a chilly conflict. Because the world’s largest growing nation and largest developed nation, whether or not China and the U.S. can deal with their relationship might have an effect on the long run politics and financial system of the globe.

Though strategic competitors may nonetheless be a key phrase in future China-U.S. relations, there may be nonetheless a lot room for cooperation between the 2 nations, which ought to discover the probabilities of repairing the relations by rebuilding ties and strengthening cooperation on many vital points. The truth is, the 2 sides have been speaking actively in a number of areas, equivalent to international local weather change, commerce and finance, and philanthropy. However a number of cooperation areas have been stalled, because the local weather change talks are suspended and the commerce friction intensifies.

The 2 nations, nonetheless, have seen strengthened and deepened philanthropy cooperation ever for the reason that outbreak of COVID-19. Throughout the pandemic, many sister cities within the U.S. and China prolonged assist to 1 one other. Ron Nirenberg, the mayor of San Antonio, Texas, mentioned, “Members of our area people got here collectively to help our sister metropolis Wuxi by elevating funds to buy wanted provides. Now, our sister metropolis has circled and supplied help to our group, pledging a cargo of greater than 30,000 masks.”

Not solely civilians but in addition many firms contributed their efforts in combating the pandemic, particularly some high-tech firms leveraging huge information, synthetic intelligence, and different cutting-edge applied sciences to assist fight the unfold of the virus. For instance, Tencent launched a “Collectively We Can” international platform for healthcare data, an all-English medical data service that gives a well being inquiry service, psychological assist, and real-time pandemic report.

As COVID-19 places international governance to a terrific take a look at, philanthropy in China has stepped into a brand new interval of growth. In keeping with the Annual Report on China’s Philanthropy Improvement (2022), by the tip of 2021, the entire variety of social organizations in China was 900,900, up 0.73 p.c in contrast with the identical interval of 2020, together with 371,000 social teams, 521,000 social service establishments, and eight,885 foundations.

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China’s philanthropy additionally presents new traits. The primary is the diversification of communication channels. Within the “Web Plus” period, the channels and scopes to advertise philanthropy tasks are not strictly restricted, and self-media, brief movies, live-streaming platforms and instant-messaging instruments improve promotional pace. In these methods, conventional philanthropy organizations might do their job with decrease prices however wider protection. Douyin, the Chinese language model of TikTok, permits each philanthropy undertaking to be observed by utilizing particular data distribution expertise. Tencent’s 99 Giving Day engages tens of thousands and thousands of contributors in only a few days yearly via the mixing of WeChat communities, small packages, and video accounts.

The second rising characteristic of China’s philanthropy is the rising use of expertise for empowerment. Digital instruments, particularly blockchain expertise, have been enjoying a big position in driving the expansion of philanthropy. As early as 2020, Tencent has already utilized blockchain to monitoring charity tasks, making excellent use of blockchain’s decentralization, openness, and traceability benefits. This ensures donation transparency and improves fundraising effectivity. When individuals donate on WeChat, they might be rather more assured that their donations are literally being put to the acknowledged use.

As China-U.S. relations fray, each nations ought to rise above variations and improve cooperation on philanthropy. Within the post-COVID-19 period, there are nonetheless many prospects for cooperation in philanthropy between the 2 sides. Joan McEntee, former beneath secretary of the U.S. Division of Commerce, identified within the First Dialogue of the China-Europe-America Philanthropy Cooperation Initiative that, in face of the COVID-19 pandemic, cooperation on the problem of philanthropy gives the U.S., the EU, and China an vital alternative to strengthen their essential relationship. How can we seize that chance?

First, each side ought to proceed philanthropy cooperation in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus has taken thousands and thousands of lives over the globe and the Omicron variant will increase the problem of pandemic prevention. NGOs in each China and the U.S. ought to proceed delivering humanitarian help by supporting scientific analysis and transnational expertise cooperation.

Second, each counties ought to develop charitable people-to-people exchanges. With cultural exchanges at all times enjoying an energetic position in China-U.S. relations, each side ought to contemplate restarting or strengthening philanthropy change actions, such because the “Sino-American Charity Communication 3.0” undertaking previously.

Third, each ought to study from one another within the applied sciences that empower philanthropy. Cloud computing, synthetic intelligence, and blockchain which can be leveraged extensively in charity work must be promoted for collaboration amongst governments, social organizations, media, and the general public in constructing a “philanthropy for all” trigger.