Effective pandemic response has become an increasingly important focus for research in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. While there are a number of variables that may be considered as influencing effective response, this paper focuses on the potential impact of an “authoritarian advantage” in achieving an effective response in the period prior to pharmaceutical interventions being available with China as a case study. In essence, this paper explores whether China enjoys an authoritarian advantage, and if so, how it functions. This study compares China’s SARS-CoV-1 (2003) response with its SARS-CoV-2 (2019) response by exploring the impact of the authoritarian advantage on the state’s ability to effectively engage three key explanatory variables — centralized decision-making powers, public support and media engagement.