2020 was an historic year. It was dominated, of course, by the pandemic. And the extraordinary disparity between the Chinese and Western responses. While China largely succeeded in eliminating the virus, the West failed miserably. It was the greatest test of governance since the Second World War and China passed with flying colours. As a result, China was the only major economy to grow in 2020, with all the other major economies contracting. The disparity between the Western and Chinese performances will shape not only 2021 but the rest of the decade. The prospects for the West look bleak: indebtedness, introversion, instability and riven with conflict. Special People’s Daily 2020 video.