Hong Kong Bauhinia Magazine:
We have noticed that China has recently held a series of bilateral or multilateral conferences to share its experience in fighting the COVID-19 outbreak. President Xi Jinping put forward four proposals to win the battle against the pandemic at the Extraordinary G20 Leaders' Summit. How will the National Health Commission translate these proposals into action? Thanks!
Ma Xiaowei:
The COVID-19 pandemic is largest disaster so far faced by humanity in the 21st century. There is an urgent need for countries around the world to strengthen cooperation and unity and work together to build the most thorough network for joint prevention and control. China's fight against the pandemic has won wide support from the international community. Many countries, regions and international organizations have shown support by sending messages of sympathy and donating medical materials.
China has passed the most difficult and challenging period in epidemic prevention and control. We therefore have sympathy for other affected countries and regions. Under the arrangement of the CPC Central Committee，we have sent medical teams to many countries including Italy, Serbia, Cambodia, Pakistan, Venezuela and Laos. These teams are providing guidance and consultation on the epidemic fight. We have also sent medical materials and equipment to many countries and regions including nucleic testing kits, antiviral drugs, traditional Chinese medicines, ventilators and patient monitors, as well as protective items such as medical protective suits and face masks. We have established online "Knowledge Centers," held briefings with the WHO, and organized over 40 videoconferences with more than 100 countries and regions to enable targeted and in-depth communications.
China has also donated US$20 million to the WHO to support it in carrying out the fight the COVID-19 pandemic, and to help developing countries improve their public health emergency responses. These measures let the world see a united and resilient China which is ready to shoulder responsibilities and benefit the world. We have therefore gained a deeper understanding of the practical meaning of President Xi's grand vision of "building a community with a shared future" which transcends time and space.
On March 26, President Xi delivered an important speech at the Extraordinary G20 Leaders' Summit. Sticking to the idea of "a community with a shared future", Xi put forth a series of important proposals on strengthening international cooperation, which injected a huge amount of confidence and strength into the world. The National Health Commission will earnestly implement President Xi's four-point proposals and the spirit of the summit. We will continue to strengthen international cooperation and steadfastly support the leading role of the WHO. We will support the G20 to boost information sharing as well as policy and action coordination. We will actively prepare ourselves for a G20 health ministers' meeting and strengthen cooperation on drugs, vaccines and epidemic control. We will consolidate the network for joint prevention and control under the regional and multilateral frameworks such as the China-Japan-South Korea cooperation mechanism, the China-ASEAN cooperation mechanism and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. We will guide the medical teams sent to over 50 countries to carry out epidemic prevention and control. We will, under the arrangement of the CPC Central Committee, provide support and help within our capacity to the countries hardest hit by the outbreak. China can also learn from the epidemic prevention and control measures taken by other countries. We will share our strategies, methods, technologies, standards, and cases in fighting the COVID-19 without reservation, and hope other countries and regions can also share their experiences in an effort to contain the pandemic as early as possible and jointly safeguard global security.
