The evolving situation of Covid-19 has caused increasing concerns worldwide and the World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced the outbreak as a pandemic.
The virus does not respect borders or ideologies, does not distinguish between races or ethnicities, and has no regard for a country’s level of development.
As UN Secretary-general Antonio Guterres has pointed out, ‘‘a pandemic drives home the essential interconnectedness of our human family, and preventing further spread of Covid-19 is a shared responsibility for us all’’.
China’s progress in containing the outbreak so far has been encouraging to the world.
China’s coronavirus epidemic has passed its peak and new infections were in significant decline. In Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, new confirmed cases recorded a daily tally of fewer than 10 for seven consecutive days.
More than 70% of the more than 80,000 confirmed cases in China have been cured. All the 14 makeshift hospitals used for quarantine and curing coronavirus patients in Hubei Province have been closed. Meanwhile, work and production have also been resumed in an orderly manner throughout the country.
The battle in China was hard won and offered experience for the international community. Dr Bruce Aylward, head of WHO-China joint mission on Covid-19, has pointed out that China’s counterattack can be replicated and other countries don’t have to start from ground zero.
China’s progress could not have been achieved without the strong commitment of the Government and co-operation from the people of China. Under the strong leadership of President Xi Jinping, China has rolled out the most ambitious, agile, and aggressive disease containment effort in history, launching a ‘‘people’s war’’ against the outbreak.
The efficiency of China’s command and control system has unleashed tremendous capabilities in mobilising personnel and pooling resources. People in all parts of China, especially those in Hubei Province, have demonstrated solidarity and made a significant self-sacrifice. Despite the heavy cost, China’s success has proven containment of Covid-19 was possible with resolute and speedy actions.
As the country with the most experience with this disease, China has been actively engaging in international collaboration and lending a helping hand to other countries in need.
China has so far shared clinical protocols and best practice in combating Covid-19 with more than 100 countries, including New Zealand, and participated in online conferences with global medical experts.
Chinese medical teams have been dispatched to Italy, Iran and Iraq to back their fight against the outbreak. China has also donated $US20million to the WHO for assisting countries with vulnerable public health systems. It is a return for the support we have so far received from other countries and also an obligation as a responsible, large country.
The outbreak has revealed inadequacies in global public health governance and highlighted the urgent need to buttress the system. Meanwhile, countries should work together in developing vaccines for the pandemic and further co-ordinate containment measures.
New Zealand has taken the lead in medical science, especially in the study of contagious diseases. There is great potential in collaboration in this area between our two countries.
Public health crises, as well as terrorism and climate change, are common threats faced by mankind. In the era of globalisation, the world has become a community with a shared future.
One of the most important lessons learnt from the Covid-19 crisis is that more international co-operation, not less, is needed since no single country can deal with such global challenges alone.
Unilateralism, finger-pointing and stigmatisation must be rejected, and more positive energy should be directed towards international co-operation.
The international community needs to strengthen its unity and get fully prepared before the next global challenge comes.
■ Wang Zhijian is the Chinese Consul-general in Christchurch.
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Comments
Dear Mr Zhijian,
I fear, most of all that we, the people going through this today, will all be going through this again in another few years from now. What assurance do we have that measures are now in place to stop the illegal import of animals such as pangolin from South America and the human consumption of other deadly animal species.These illegal practices and the people doing them, have to be stopped permanently.Is your country taking this seriously? I hope so.
China unleashed this horrific virus on us all, then covered it up and brutalized the doctors who were trying to bring the truth of the situation to the world.
This situation is entirely the blame of the Chinese government - in its failure to close down wet markets and horrible wild animal trade as well.
If you think we're going to believe political spin now, you're sorely mistaken.
This is China's fault. They need to clean house, their policies and their attitudes.
As for globalism and open borders, well, I think the CCP just killed those off as well, right along with the tens of thousands of innocents who will suffer before this is done.
China should be ashamed.