The COVID-19 outbreak will decide the winner in the confrontation between the world’s two largest economies. Experts compare the US and China’s relationship with conflicts of superpowers at different times of human existence. Thus, in the Peloponnesian War fought between ancient Athens and Sparta, Athens warriors fell victim to typhoid fever on the way to victory. As a result, Athens, a clear leader in the battle, was defeated. Venice, for example, was the world’s most powerful and richest city during the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period which controlled territories from Italy to the Black Sea. However, the city ceded this title to England and the Dutch Republic which gained strength and became the largest geopolitical powers during that time as it failed to combat the plague. Nowadays, it is up to the coronavirus to choose which of the two countries will be the leading world power and will overcome the economic fallout caused by the pandemic. The Communist Party of China managed to cover up the information about the COVID-19 outbreak for a while. However, the country's authorities had to send in troops and put cities in a strict quarantine later. Meanwhile, being a democratic country, the US cannot do the same. Besides, it is impossible for Washington to hide what is going on, as well as restrict the rights of citizens for no reason. At this point, it is possible to see more about this confrontation is something more than meets the eye. Today, many countries view China's model of authoritarian capitalism as a viable alternative to the US free-market democracy.
