Since the beginning of 2020, COVID-19 has spread all over the world. Based on their own national conditions, countries all around the world have taken different preventive and control measures to confront the challenges brought about by this rare pandemic to public health, the economy, society and international relations. In order to have a clear view about the ideas and mechanisms of different countries in response to the pandemic as well as the impact of such measures on the world structure, the Institute of Area Studies, Peking University (PKUIAS) and PKU’s Office of International Relations have been co-sponsoring an online Broadyard Workshop seminar series, titled “The Global Epidemic: Observations and Analysis by Diplomats.”

At the beginning of the global spread of COVID-19, Japan was regarded as having excellent epidemic prevention and control. However, with the increasing number of confirmed infections in Japan, the relatively moderate prevention and control measures of the Japanese government increasingly caused controversy. At the same time, the economic crisis caused by the epidemic became increasingly prominent. It is clear that the delayed Olympic Games caused great economic losses because a large number of small- and medium-sized enterprises in tourism and service industries were negatively affected due to the decrease in foreign tourists. Domestic demand and exports continued to be sluggish, with eight domestic car giants announcing a suspension of production. Japanese institutions and economists generally believe that the epidemic has damaged Japan’s economy seriously. The economic cycle that continued to expand ever since Shinzo Abe came to power again, in December 2012, has now come to an end, and it is a foregone conclusion that Japan’s economy will fall into recession.

Why were there ups and downs in the prevention and control of the epidemic in Japan? What measures should the Japanese government take to deal with it effectively in the future? What cooperative medical and public health projects should China and Japan strengthen? What role can these cooperative projects play in epidemic prevention and control in East Asia and even in Asia? Four experts and scholars were invited to the workshop to discuss the above issues from the aspects of politics, economy, society, history, culture and public health. The four experts and scholars were Cheng Yonghua, former Chinese Ambassador to Japan; Gui Yongtao, vice dean of School of International Studies, Peking University; Xie Zheng, deputy director of the Department of Global Health of the School of Public Health, Peking University; and Wang Xinsheng, professor of the Department of History of Peking University.