Abstract
Since the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was launched back in 2013, there have been ostensible adjustments in the Chinese government's approach. In particular, the Covid19 pandemic has provided an opportunity for Beijing to subtly shape new rhetoric surrounding the Health Silk Road (HSR) and Digital Silk Road (DSR). Some are concerned that China may gradually lead in global governance as it has swiftly controlled the pandemic while the West, such as the United States is struggling to tackle the health crisis. This chapter argues that it is far-fetched to claim that the underperformance of the West implies an easier recognition of China by international society. China's public diplomacy effect has also been seriously undermined by its wolf-warrior diplomacy in the disputed South China Sea and its denial missteps at the inception of the virus. The great power rivalry, retreat of liberalism and Covid 19 pandemic strengthens the notion of sovereignty state and changes the notion of connectivity to self-reliance and isolation. Therefore, the prospect of elevating the BRI to the global scale seems bleak at least for now. Nonetheless, China's great ambition in pushing for the BRI will not be dampened, particularly when a post-pandemic world may need more infrastructure investments to resume economic growth.
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