Key takeaways

• The pandemic has reinforced already emerging trends in international relations. Key to prevent further deterioration of great power relations will be consensus on the basic value and functioning of the main pillars in our multilateral system.

• China’s ‘dual track’ approach is reshaping the international structure enormously. It can undermine the positively connoted role of multilateral forums as they appear increasingly ‘toothless’. Antagonism between the two great powers erodes their capacities as important platforms for global governance decision-making.

• The dichotomy between the use of coercive means (power politics) and positive engagement in the Chinese foreign policy is growing. The two sides of the coin cannot be viewed separately and China is seen increasingly as an ambiguous international actor.