The coronavirus pandemic that broke out in 2019 has finally calmed down in China, after the bungling occasioned by the iron hand of lockdown. But beginning in March 2020, the disaster spread abroad, and at present there is no end in sight.

In this work, Qin Hui offers a bracing examination of the impact of coronavirus pandemic on political institutions in both China and the West. Deliberating on the contradiction between “human rights” and “human survival,” he contends that China has achieved success in imposing coercive lockdowns to control the virus, but it will be a challenge to prevent the normalization of emergency measures from worsening human right conditions. The West, in contrast, must learn how democracies can efficiently enter a state of emergency and put an end to these measures at the proper time.

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“Qin Hui is one of the most original thinkers and commentators active in China today. In this wide-ranging and meticulously researched book he argues that the COVID-19 pandemic reveals decisive weaknesses in both the Chinese and European/American political systems. While not everyone will agree with Qin’s conclusions, the rigor of his arguments, the broad historical and geographical range of his examples, and his commitment to defending human dignity around the world make for a compelling read and challenge all forms of pandemic complacency.”

— Sebastian Veg, School of Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS), Paris