Worshipers wear face masks amid concerns over COVID-19 during Friday prayers at Al Akbar Mosque in Surabaya, East Java, on 27 March 2020. (Suryanto Putramudji/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

This week, Hudson's The Realignment podcast caught up with Hudson experts across the world to explore the global ramifications of COVID-19. Take 40 minutes this weekend to listen to The Realignment and gain new perspectives on the impact of the coronavirus in different corners of the world, from the European Union's identity crisis to the connection between China's Belt and Road projects and the outbreak in Iran.

Also make sure to read Peter Rough's new article in Foreign Policy on how China is exploiting the coronavirus to weaken democracies, Arthur Herman on what we can learn from World War II, Rebeccah Heinrichs' webcast interview with Former Under Secretary of Defense Michèle Flournoy, and see our full round-up of analysis on Hudson's coronavirus homepage.

Coronavirus in Every Corner of the World

Major takeaways on the geopolitical effects of the coronavirus across the world, from the latest episode of The Realignment podcast.

1. In Iran, the outbreak was exacerbated by China's continued flights into the region, notes Hudson Senior Fellow Michael Doran:

In Qom there are hundreds of Chinese seminarians, Chinese Shiites who are studying there. Another possibility [for the early outbreak] is that Chinese workers at construction sites around Qom brought in the virus.

This connection to China is another aspect of this crisis for the Iranians. In their effort to restructure their economy and handle American sanctions, they have increased their economic ties to China. And they didn’t want to shut that down. The flights between Iran and China have continued throughout, which has become a big source of frustration between the Iranian populace and China, with the Iranians upset the flights haven’t been shut down.

2. Iran's outbreak has weakened its influence across the Middle East, notes Doran:

Iran's crisis of legitimacy is not just domestic. In Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria, there are movements on the ground, where people are seeing the connection between their nations and Iran as a tremendous liability. The export of coronavirus from Iran to those countries is only going to increase that feeling. American sanctions are also doing a lot to strengthen that feeling.

3. In Europe, the coronavirus has triggered a broader test of survival for the EU, notes Hudson Senior Fellow Peter Rough:

What's coming next is a political crisis. Europe is dealing with frail politics. People across Europe believe in their own nation states. The only reason why people are willing to cede power to Brussels and to Europe is in return for prosperity. So the European Union isn’t really built for crisis, its built for prosperity, and we already see the Italians frustrated by the EU. They think Germany is unwilling to share the financial liabilities and burdens that Italy is facing thus far.

4. The pandemic is changing attitudes about China across the Asia-Pacific, notes Hudson Senior John Lee from Australia:

There has been a huge economic impact in China, you’ve seen about a 3% falling GDP for the most recent quarter. Prior to the pandemic, China was widely seen as a bit of a bully, but it still provided economic opportunity. The conversation in the Asia-Pacific is changing quite significantly. Yes, China will still be a very significant economy, but beyond being able to build bridges, roads and ports really quickly, the question is, are these supply chains and institutions fit for purpose?

5. There is "palpable anger" across the Asia-Pacific on China's initial handling of the Wuhan outbreak, notes Lee:

By mid-December, China knew exactly what what they were doing in terms of the virus itself. They didn’t quarantine people in Wuhan until mid-January, and for some time the Chinese government allowed Chinese people to travel inside and outside China, so millions of people traveled and spread it around the world.

Now there’s an anger and an understanding that China's failures of governance that actually caused this. That’s had economic consequences which have driven the conversation. And now you’re seeing a propaganda war being initiated by the Chinese to show how well they did and how badly the US and other western democracies are doing.

Quotes have been edited for length and clarity

Go Deeper: Hudson on the Coronavirus

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