China to provide strong support to global fight against COVID-19
Beijing is willing to co-operate with SA in fight against Covid-19
AFTER two months of heroic and hard struggle by the all the Chinese people under the strong leadership of the CPC Central committee with comrade Xi Jinping at the core, China’s combat against the Covid-19 outbreak is ushering in the dawn of decisive victory.
On Tuesday, the number of existing confirmed novel coronavirus pneumonia cases throughout the country drastically dropped to 5 219, while 73 301 cured cases were reported nationwide.
With the outbreak being brought under effective control in China, the economic operation and people’s daily lives are gradually coming back to normal.
The operating rate of industrial enterprises above designated size in major industrial provinces in China has exceeded 90%. With the further improvement of the epidemic situation, all provinces and cities across the country are taking more precise measures to accelerate the resumption of production.
China, as the “global factor”, is on the way to becoming full of vigour and vitality again.
Unfortunately, Covid-19 continues to spread worldwide. Europe has now become the new epicentre of the outbreak. In Africa, more than 40 countries reported more than a thousand confirmed cases. Guinea, Liberia and other countries that had been hit by the Ebola epidemic were among them.
On this continent where the health care system is relatively weak, the situation of pandemic prevention and control is severe.
As of yesterday, 709 confirmed cases have been reported in South
Africa, the highest number of reported cases among the African countries.
On Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa took the unprecedented step in announcing a nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
For the first time in South Africa’s 25 years of democracy, the government took such stringent restrictions in responding to the public health crisis. It has won wide acclaim from all walks of life and demonstrated the country’s firm determination to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic.
Looking back at the course of China’s arduous fight against the outbreak, African countries and people, South African government and people included, rendered China tremendous material and moral support in many ways.
The executive council of the AU became the first important regional organisation to support China’s anti-epidemic efforts.
The South African political parties, government, business community, universities and people from all walks of life have highly appreciated China’s
extraordinary measures to combat the epidemic, expressed the willingness to join hands with China to fight the epidemic.
President Ramaphosa conveyed condolences and expressed support to President Xi Jinping, the Chinese government and people.
The South African business community and schools donated masks and other medical materials to China.
Dr Brett Singh, a South African doctor working in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province of China, was at the forefront of the fight against Covid-19.
All these support and help are so precious to the Chinese government and people, and will always be remembered.
Now, at this critical time when the pandemic is raging on the African continent, China will definitely reciprocate South Africa and other friendly African countries’ kindness without any hesitation.
China has offered medical supplies to friendly African countries and the African Union including testing reagents and medical protective supplies. The Chinese side also held a video conference to exchange relevant experience with the African side, China’s medical teams have carried out training programmes on pandemic prevention and control for local health staff in many African countries.
Many Chinese enterprises, non-governmental organisations and overseas Chinese also contributed generously to the African countries’ anti-pandemic operations.
Among them, it is worth mentioning that on Sunday, Ma Yun Foundation and Alibaba Foundation donated 5.4 million masks, 1.08 million kits, 40 000 suits and 60 000 masks to African countries to fight the pandemic.
On Friday, Chinese enterprises and communities in South Africa donated R3 million and testing kits to the South African government to firmly support South Africa’s fight against Covid-19.
The outgoing Chinese ambassador to South Africa HE Lin Songtian stressed at the donation ceremony that this is a global battle between man and nature, no country is immune or can fight alone.
Indeed, in the face of an unprecedented outbreak of crisis, closer and stronger co-operation among countries is the only way out.
The only right choice is to stay committed to building a community with a shared future for mankind, preventing and controlling Covid-19 in a scientific manner, and joining hands to fight the pandemic.
As a good friend, good partner and good brother of South Africa, the Chinese government and people will work hand in hand with the South African government and people, and continue to provide assistance to South Africa to the best of our capacity, and share our anti-epidemic experience, so as to resolutely support South Africa in defeating the pandemic.
With the final victory of China’s anti-epidemic struggle and further recovery of industrial production in sight, China will provide greater and stronger support for the global battle against the pandemic.
Lin is the Chinese consul-general in Cape Town.