The COVID-19 Virus is China’s 9/11

The COVID-19 Virus is China’s 9/11. 

This is written to my fellow Americans.  Most of us remember where we were when 9/11 happened. How we first heard about the attacks, who we were with at the time, the total suspension of everything except what was going on in NY and Pennsylvania and DC, and the way it brought the Americans together. 

The virus is China’s 9/11. Not literally – there is a different mechanism that created this crisis, not a terrorist attack but a viral attack. But the effect on society is very similar – people feel the same.

The single biggest effect of this virus on modern China is that it brought people together in an unprecedented and organic way.   It’s not the result of a government campaign to foster national pride.  It came about naturally, people have sacrificed in ways big and small, they have lost income, family members have died, they have lost business, their personal freedom of movement was sacrificed,  their children’s education and lives have been upended, and more.  The whole country has pulled together during this crisis.  The feeling, the emotion that this crisis created in society is one of unity. Of strength and sacrifice for a cause bigger than the individual. It has created an overwhelming wave of pride and solidarity, of what some call nationalism.

A commercial photographer in Xiamen, and HR specialist in Guangzhou or a lawyer in Changsha – they all feel it. Across regions, generations, and viewpoints people are brought together.

During this time of intense national pride, there has also been a deep intolerance of any outside criticism.  

The Chinese are proud, proud that they sacrificed their individual freedoms in voluntary quarantine, proud that each community came together in a calm way, proud that their leaders responded to this threat. Let me say that I'm proud as well. Genuinely in awe of all my friends and colleagues – of their resolve and sacrifice to slow the spread of the virus. 

At the same time they feel attacked, by armchair quarterbacks questioning the local / national government’s response, by online jokes and meme’s, by people harassing ethnic Chinese around the world. 

Everyone outside of China needs to understand that any criticism of China's response to the virus, any questioning of their motives for self quarantine, posts about conspiracies in China or people who are targeted Chinese overseas - all of those are seen as vicious attacks. In the end they serve to increase the sense of national unity.

Were mistakes made? Yes. In China….and also in Italy, and in Iran and in California and Washington states (and I am sure more to come). 

But in the midst of a crisis when people are making unprecedented personal sacrifice to protect and care for their family, their community, their country, and the world- it’s not the time to criticize.

The humane response is unwavering support.

In speaking to a group of lawyers last week in the US I told them that this virus epidemic was China’s own 9/11. I explained the above. When I asked the room if during the 9/11 crisis someone in France or India had questioned the US’s response to the attack, had said that we were wrong because how could we not know the planes were flying into the building, what would American’s reaction have been? Immediately someone said “we would have bombed them.’  A quick harsh response certainly – but he statement was a knee jerk gut reaction. 

That same feeling, that same intense emotion and solidarity is in China right now. 

That's where China is right now. 

So to everyone outside of China. respect is the only reasonable response to the sacrifices the Chinese have made to combat the spread of this virus.

And for those Americans reading this saying that you can't compare 9/11 to this virus. You're feeling defensive, feeling belittled to have the devastation of 9/11 used in comparison. Yes, that feeling you're getting now, the sense of solidarity with your countrymen for how much the US suffered during that time period. I want you to understand that's the feeling the Chinese have. Whatever differences between the Black Swan event that lead to this reaction, it’s the reaction I'm talking about. 

 And rather than question their right to feel that way, I want you to think about the fathers and mothers worried about their children's disrupted schooling and inability to go outside. I want you to think about the sons and daughters worried that their parents may come down with this illness and not be able to survive it. I want you to think about the people, the humans, the individuals who make up the hundreds of millions of people who stayed home for weeks at a time to benefit others as much or more than themselves. Find your humanity, and use it.

I have helped clients write announcements to their employees, their customers, their suppliers. Its a very very delicate subject - its important to get it right! If you have questions, please contact me. The Chinese will have a long memory for those that criticized and did not support them during this time of crisis.

On a personal note:  To the people on LI who called me out for not piling on to the criticism of China’s leadership or government for handling the virus in the early days – I don’t care. It was inhumane, unkind, and worse to lob criticism of any kind during onset of the crisis. 

There has been a clear divide. Those that are engaged in modern China, that live(d) there, that speak Chinese, that acknowledge the complexity of modern China and can separate the people from their government. And on the other side of the divide those that want to enforce their own views about religion or political governance or whatever soap box they want to get on and don’t care who they hurt along the way. 

People have seen which side you are on. Last minute posts trying to recast yourself as someone who cares – don’t undo a month or more of hateful language directed towards the Chinese.