China`s Health Diplomacy Activities during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Authors : Ulaş Birkan ÇAKILCI
Pages : 87-102
Doi:10.30586/pek.1288011
View : 122 | Download : 53
Publication Date : 2023-06-20
Article Type : Research Paper
Abstract :Problems that transcend national borders such as climate change, environmental problems, migration and epidemics are increasing. The solution of such problems necessitates cooperation and leads to a more intense relationship between health and foreign policy. The 21st century\`s Covid-19 virus, the event with the greatest global impact so far, has also created such an impact and made the health diplomacy activities of states very important. For this reason, health diplomacy activities and the effects of these activities, especially the aid provided by China during the Covid-19 process, have been analyzed and presented in a comparative manner. While health diplomacy activities are multifaceted, they also create an attraction. Therefore, the fields of soft power and public diplomacy are also touched upon, but it is aimed to provide a background starting from the basic power debates. During the Covid19 period, it was observed that many states paid more attention to the national fight against the virus and restricted aid. However, the Chinese state, acting with the mission of acting as a responsible country while conducting a national struggle, also focused on health diplomacy activities and used it as a communication tool. In this process, it became one of the states that provided the most aid and increased its soft power. In general terms, it was concluded that the medical foreign aid it provided outside the Covid-19 process was not temporary but aimed at improving the health infrastructure. In this sense, it has been observed that health diplomacy activities should be increased for permanent health infrastructure in order to protect public health universally and to solve global problems that transcend borders such as Covid-19.
Keywords : kamu diplomasisi, sağlık diplomasisi, çin, covid 19

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