Power and the pandemic

How contrasting Covid-19 responses in the United Kingdom, China and Vietnam reveal alternatives to neoliberal biopolitics

Bibliographic Data

ID8135388
AuthorsDominic Hewson (0000-0001-7336-9157, University of Ulster, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume19
Issue2
Pages1-20
Publication date2026-01-31
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Political Power (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2158-379X • E-ISSN: 2158-3803
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/2158379x.2026.2621412
OpenAlexW7127054017
LanguageEN
References cited18

This paper documents and examines the efforts of the UK government to manage COVID-19. Arguing that these efforts were influenced by commitments to neoliberal biopolitics and governmental strategies of control, it draws from a range of sources to contrast the UK response with alternative aspirations and applications of power in Vietnam and China. Findings highlight the social and political nature of the pandemic, illustrating how different values and strategies generated distinct policies and experiences. This contrast reveals the development and efficacy of new forms of control, alongside alternatives to neoliberal biopolitics that seek to protect and produce life in new ways

Biopower · China · Government (linguistics · Neoliberalism (international relations · Politics · Power (physics · Biomedical Ethics and Regulation · Foucault, Power, and Ethics · Medical, Sociocultural, and Biopolitical Studies

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