Even though the COVID-19 pandemic originated in China, the country currently seems to have the virus largely contained. The United States, on the other hand, continues to be hobbled by the disease. At the moment, America has over 2 million cases and over 120,000 deaths, more than any other country.  As a result, Beijing is now displaying a fair amount of triumphalism. Has the coronavirus pandemic actually strengthened China, at least vis-à-vis the United States? We discuss with Richard McGregor, senior fellow at the Lowy Institute in Australia and former Financial Times bureau chief in Beijing and Shanghai.