Accountability and crisis management in China during Covid-19

Abstract

During COVID-19 pandemic, China’s experience revealed a paradox of authoritarian crisis management. On one hand, the Chinese government's early handling of the outbreak was criticized by information suppression and bureaucratic delays, local officials in Wuhan initially covered up the emerging virus, contributing to a critical loss of response time. On the other hand, once the central government recognized the severity of the situation, it centralized the state apparatus to implement drastic restrictive measures, including severe sanctions for officials who withheld information and failed in their duties, and strict requirements for local governments to control the local outbreak. Thus, ultimately, the spread of the virus was curbed by April 2020. The lack of transparency, the delayed initial response, and also, the efficient measures and strict requirements adopted in subsequent stages emphasize the core role of accountability in crisis management. The dissertation is guided by the general research question: how accountability is carried out in non-democratic contexts, and second, how accountability interacts with crises, especially in the response and post-crisis stages, and is shaped by the underlying political administrative structures. Through a multi-method approach encompassing a literature review, semi-structured interview, and a cross-regime comparison, the research has shown that even in an authoritarian system without elections, accountability does operate in various forms. The findings demonstrate that China’s governance during COVID-19 relied not only on strict hierarchical controls but also on professional expertise, illustrating a more comprehensive set of accountability mechanisms in China than often assumed. Furthermore, juxtaposing China’s approach with European practices demonstrates the importance of institutional independence and public transparency, highlighting both the strengths and shortcomings of China’s centralized model.

Date of Award	8 Oct 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
Supervisor	Ixchel Perez Duran (Director)