China als Zentrum und Peripherie der Pandemiegeschichte

Abstract

There is little doubt that the current pandemic originated in central China and was initially spread by travelers from the region to other parts of China and to other countries. After some delay, the Chinese government responded with draconian measures, putting more than half a billion of its citizen under temporary lockdown. These measures were successful in containing the disease. The article considers four different historical examples to contextualize China’s response to the virus: epidemiological history, traditions of sinophobia, “hygienic nationalism” and the efficacy of anti-corona strategies. It ends with an argument about the lessons an East Asian “special path” holds for the West.