PurposeCoronavirus (COVID-19) brought massive economic damage throughout the globe. Economic as well as social set-ups have enormously collapsed. The present paper underlines some economic complications of China during COVID-19. The study also sheds light on initiatives taken by the government of China to fight against such a damaging pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed secondary research or desk research that involves existing data. The data were collected from reliable sources, described below. The data were summarized and organized to increase the overall efficacy and reliability of the research.FindingsThe study finds that China has confronted many downturns in export and import, GDP decline, blockage of markets and production evaluation. To recover from these unfavorable and adverse circumstances, China has recovered its economy by introducing digital transformation, effective legislations, A V-shaped recovery and A U-shaped recovery in manufacturing and services.Practical implicationsChina's steps and initiatives to invigorate economic developments during a pandemic would be beneficial for other economies facing the severe challenges of economic development, especially after COVID-19.Originality/valueThe present study is one of the rare studies of the domain that offers the guidelines to the policymakers and economists of developing countries to develop their policies regarding the digital economy to face the traditional market's challenges.

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This study investigated the role of internet sources in depicting China's cultural soft image in Pakistan. Using mixed-method approach, it examined six Chinese culturally-oriented web sources and employed the conceptualization of Hartig (2016). Chinese cultural diplomacy in Pakistan was found engaging a wide range of actors, allowing for local actors to play active role, using modern media, and promoting cultural content interactively. The results suggest positive contribution of China Xinhua Urdu, Youlin Magazine, China Radio International Urdu and Pakistan China Institute internet sources. The Culture & Arts page of Chinese Embassy in Pakistan and Nihao-Salam websites were found dormant. The results found females, older and more educated individuals to be more likely to perceive positively-oriented experiences about Chinese culture than their counterparts. The study highlights that more enriched means and improved content on the internet sources should be brought to attract more male, younger, ordinary, and less educated internet users.

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