Balance on the wire: “War” against the Coronavirus

（Presentation at the online Global Forum on Cities and Coronavirus, March 26, 2020）

I.Coronavirus:an unexpected and unprecedented disaster

The Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) has become another symbolic event of the 21 century comparable to, if not more than, the 9.11 terrorist attack in 2001 and the global financial crisis in 2008. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced that “we are facing a global health crisis unlike any in the 75-year history of the United Nations — one that is spreading human suffering, infecting the global economy and upending people’s lives”. The US columnistThomas Friedman even predicted that COVID-19 might become a new historical divide: before Coronavirus (B.C. ) and after Coronavirus (A.C.).

They are not exaggerating. This pandemic seems like a “pause” button on the whole world in turn: first China, then Asian, European and American countries. Most cities have largely lost their vigor and energy during this unexpected and unprecedented disaster.

II.Impacts of the Coronavirus in China

A.On work and education

Due to the social distancing, self-isolation and sometimes “blocking”requirements in China, SOHO (small office, home office) has become more popular in the cities than ever before. Once a label for freelancers such as writers, artists and musicians, tele-working havenow been encouraged or even mandated by many employers including large companies and institutions. Companies make online interviews and recruitments. Universities set online courses and thesis defenses. Even trails and arbitrations are being held online to avoid close contact.

Due to the mounting demands, the related technology, platforms and solutions have blasted. For example, such apps for online meeting as Tencent Meeting and Ding Talk have become well known and widely used almost overnight.

B.On daily life and recreation

For fear of infection, people now avoid public transports such as bus and metro as much as possible. Many people who had given up driving during the rush hours decided to drive again. Most people now eat at home by choice or without choice. Most restaurants have been closed. Those which remain open or have re-opened carry out strict dining rules, e.g., customers must sit alone or at least not face to face. Electronic commerce and express delivery, which were already very popular in China before the pandemic, have been even more relied on. To a large extent, it is the e-commerce platforms and delivery guys that have maintained the basic order of life in many Chinese cities including Beijing. Fresh food (vegetables, meat, etc.) delivery even becomes a new business opportunity since so many more people now cook at home. Social life is nearly frozen. Bars and pubs are completely closed. They are some byproducts. A good one is that people now spend much more time at home with their families. A bad one is that parents now have a heavier burden of looking after kids, since grandparents and babysitters are generally unavailable due to the “block” of cities and/or communities. What makes the situation even worse is that there are now more two-kid families due to the abolition of the one-child policy in 2015.

C.On lifestyle and mindset

Many people now think that a healthy life is more important than a colorful life. But how long they can hold to this belief might need to be seen. But one thing for sure is that there are now a widespread sense of uncertainty and anxiety: when and how to get out of the current state? In some sense and to some extent, the social distancing mandated by the government is somehow evolving from a requirement to a habit. A telling example is, whether and when should I wear a mask? From a scientific point of view, you only need to wear a mask when you are in a closed and crowded environment such as supermarkets, shops and stations. It’s usually not necessary to wear a mask when you ride a bicycle in the street or take a walk in the park. But the vast majority of Chinese people now wear a mask almost anywhere except at home. And an important reason for that is the possible reaction of others: what would other people think of me if I don’t wear a mask? Dangerous? Irresponsible? Uncivil? This is an interesting yet noteworthy phenomenon.

III.A hard balance to make

It is a hard balance to make between disease and risk control, on the one hand, andeconomic and social development, on the other hand. Similar balance has to be made between Individual freedom and community safety. In a word, there’s always a weighing and balancing of different and potentially conflicting rights and concerns during the “war” against the COVID-19. The “blocking” of a neighborhood, a community or even an entire city for more urgent and significant concerns is but one example.

There’s no simple “right” or “wrong” for the choices made and measures taken in different countries and different cities. At the end of the day, they are decisions based on the given conditions and availableresources. But it’s definitely advisable to ask ourselves this question: how far should/could we go in taking emergency measures during this “war”? And how to phase out?

IV. Some preliminary thoughts

A.“Sufficient safety” instead of “absolute safety”

We might need to set as our goal “sufficient safety” instead of “absolute safety” when make the relevant policy decisions. As economics tells us, marginal costs tend to increase, and marginal benefits tend to decrease. Thusemergency measures must adjust according to the pandemic situation. We must bear in mind that there’s simply no such thing as “absolute safety”. We can’t afford to “freeze” the cities for too long just to be 100 percent sure. We have to make a balance.

B.Towards “smart cities”

This pandemic might provide an opportunity for accelerating the development of “smart cities”. We might need to further encourage the development of such no-touch or light-touch business models as e-commerce and express delivery.We might need to further encourage the development of distance working and education, as well as the supporting platforms and technologies.And we can also accelerate the construction of the “new infrastructure” including 5G, AI, industrial internet, internet of things, and big date centers, so as to have a system of infrastructure adaptive to the development of smart economy and smart society, and enable us to better react to various possible disasters and emergencies in the future, including any new or recurring pandemic.

C.“Community of a Shared Future for Mankind” revisited

The COVID-19 offers us a unique perspective of looking at the vision of building a community of a shared future for mankindfirst brought forward in 2013 by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Put simply, a community of a shared future for mankind is a community of shared interests, shared values, and shared responsibilities. One thing that has been highlighted in the current “war”against the COVID-19 is thatno one is an island, no city is an island, and no country is an island. In fact, the very reason why we need to build a community of a shared future for mankind is because we are facing shared problems and shared risks, and need to work together to find shared solutions. Thus during this unprecedented pandemic, finger-pointing and recrimination is useless and meaningless. We must join hand in fighting against this common enemy of mankind.

本文系廖凡研究员在首届“城市与新冠肺炎全球论坛”视频会议（2020年3月26日）上的发言稿。

作者：廖凡，中国社会科学院国际法研究所科研外事处处长、研究员。