Crisis governance, Chinese style: distinctive features of China’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic

Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) epidemic in Wuhan, China has remained under the international spotlight. Despite hostile sentiments toward the country that are still prevalent in many parts of the world, it is clear that China has managed to contain this unprecedented public health crisis reasonably swiftly since the lockdown of Wuhan. What accounts for this "success"? What are the experience and lessons that can be learnt by the international community and policy practitioners? This study seeks to reveal China's highly distinctive style of crisis governance behind its pandemic containment outcome since February 2020. We analyze how the Chinese government was able to mobilize the entire state machinery and all possible resources in this battle. Focus is given to the distinctive features at institutional, strategic, and operational levels, illustrating the country's style of crisis governance while also drawing necessary caveats.