United we will defeat the coronavirus (A Tribune of the Chinese Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo)

A week ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) decided to classify the epidemic caused by the new coronavirus COVID-19 as a pandemic. This is an important decision in the face of the rapid spread of the virus around the world. 

Despite prevention and control measures, the number of infections continues to increase and more and more countries are affected. More than 190,000 people are infected, including 7,000 dead, in 159 countries and regions of the world, according to figures recorded on March 18. 

On the African continent, Covid-19 has infected more than 450 people in 30 countries. While most of the cases have come from outside and the people infected have been put in isolation, local transmission has appeared in some countries.

In addition to the human casualties, the Covid-19 has caused major shocks to the global economy, with falling stock markets, falling commodity prices and slowing international trade. Almost all international institutions have downgraded their forecast for growth in the world economy for this year.

The history of human civilization is that of the fight against disease. The virus knows no borders. In a world where all countries are linked and interdependent, we now share the same destiny. In the face of the Covid-19 that threatens all of humanity, the only solution is to join forces and act together, because nothing is more dangerous than division and every man for himself. To succeed in this fight, three watchwords are essential.

Confidence, which is the most precious and powerful weapon we have. No difficulty should drive us back. According to Mr.Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of WHO, all countries can still change the course of this pandemic. What has happened in China has shown this. The efforts made by the Chinese government are yielding increasingly encouraging results. The number of new confirmed cases continues to decrease. 

Apart from Hubei province, there is hardly any local infection. Almost all of the new cases came from abroad. Nearly 70,000 patients have recovered. Even in Hubei, only one new case was identified on March 17. The 16 makeshift hospitals, built as an emergency to contain the epidemic, are now all closed.

Solidarity, to form a line of collective defense. We must fully exploit the coordination mechanisms between the health, quarantine, transport and border control authorities of different countries; ensure effective communication and share information and experiences internationally on time; strengthening international cooperation in the search for drugs and vaccines; not forgetting to provide support to countries that need it.

Cooperation, to improve global health governance. Covid-19 revealed the weak links in global health governance and the urgency to strengthen it. The central role of the United Nations and WHO must be supported in responding to public health emergencies and perfecting the mechanisms of global health governance. Public health must occupy a higher place on the international agenda. 

China calls for more international initiatives and projects in this area to launch a "Silk Road to Health".

Engaged in the fight against the Covid-19 for more than two months, China has done everything to stem the spread of the epidemic on its territory and around the world. With the most comprehensive, strict and unqualified prevention and control measures, such as quarantining the city of Wuhan, it did everything it could to save time, in order to allow the rest of the planet better prepare for the epidemic.

At the same time, China remains ready to provide assistance to countries that need it. More than 15,000,000 masks are being shipped to the Republic of Korea, Japan, Iran, Italy and other countries. Chinese companies that manufacture sanitary equipment are running at full speed to meet international demand. Chinese specialists and volunteers work in Iran, Iraq and Italy, side by side with local medical personnel. 

To support the global response against Covid-19 and in particular the improvement of the health system of developing countries, China has just offered a donation of 20 million US dollars to WHO, without forgetting the sharing of experiences and scientific cooperation on drugs, vaccines and diagnostics. The first clinical trial of the Covid-19 vaccine has just been authorized and will be implemented shortly.

The fight against the Covid-19 once again testifies to the close ties and fraternal friendship between China and Africa. Since the start of the epidemic, African friends have provided support in various forms to China. African nationals in China are participating in the fight against the epidemic in their own way and making an important contribution to it. 

As African countries enter the battle against Covid-19, China will not be absent. After having offered a batch of reagents to the African Union and its diagnostic and treatment plan to the health authorities of African countries, the Chinese government organized a video conference on March 18 to share experiences on the prevention and control of the epidemic. Officials and experts from around twenty African countries attended. Emergency medical equipment is being prepared and will be sent to Africa soon.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a strategic partner of China in Africa. I take this opportunity to congratulate our Congolese friends for the success in the response to Ebola. The fight against Covid-19 allows us to further strengthen our health cooperation. We will continue exchanges between our health services, improve the concertation of prevention and control policies, and together promote, through our concrete actions, international cooperation against Covid-19. 

The Chinese government is ready to provide, to the extent of its capabilities, support to the Congolese government in strengthening its health system, for the well-being of the Congolese people.

Zhu Jing, Ambassador of China to the DRC