China, Africa building a global community of health for all
Beijing’s vision is effective in addressing the challenges of the coronavirus
COVID-19 has been around for more than a year, but the situation is still complicated and severe. The international community is looking forward to more co-operation against the virus. When President Xi Jinping was invited to attend the Global Health Summit via video link, he put forward a fivepoint proposal to support international co-operation against Covid-19, namely:
To put people and their lives first. To follow science-based policies and ensure a co-ordinated and systemic response.
To stick together and promote solidarity and co-operation.
To uphold fairness and equity when striving to close the immunisation gap.
And to address both the symptoms and root causes when improving the governance system.
President Xi Jinping also announced China's five major measures for global solidarity against Covid-19:
China will provide an additional $3 billion (R41bn) in international aid over the next three years to support the Covid-19 response and economic and social recovery in other developing countries.
Having already supplied 300 million doses of vaccines to the world, China will provide still more vaccines to the best of its ability.
China supports its vaccine companies in transferring technologies to other developing countries and carrying out joint production with them.
Having announced support for waiving intellectual property rights on Covid-19 vaccines, China also supports the World Trade Organization and other international institutions in making an early decision on waiving intellectual property rights on new Covid-19 vaccines.
China proposes setting up an international forum on vaccine co-operation for vaccine-developing and producing countries, companies and other stakeholders to explore ways of promoting fair and equitable distribution of vaccines around the world.
As China shares with the world its experience in fighting Covid-19, shoulders the responsibilities of a major country and practices real multilateralism, these are our latest major moves for building a community with a shared future for mankind.
China's experience is useful for the global fight against Covid-19. The Chinese president fully shared China's experience in fighting the virus at the summit. He stressed the need to put people's lives and health first, truly respect the value and dignity of every human life, advocate the spirit of science, adopt a science-based approach, deliver a systemic response to co-ordinate pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions, balance targeted routine Covid-19 protocols and emergency measures, ensure both epidemic control and socio-economic development. These experiences and recommendations have proved effective by China's response and are in line with the needs of various countries fighting the virus.
China's vision is effective in addressing the global challenges of the virus. To address the new challenges posed by the rebound and spread of the virus, the president once again pointed out that it is important for us to understand that we are in the same boat and we will rise and fall together; that we must champion the vision of building a global community of health for all; that we have to tide over this trying time through solidarity and co-operation, and firmly reject any attempt to politicise, label or stigmatise the virus. Political manipulation would not serve Covid-19 response on the domestic front. It would only disrupt international co-operation against the virus and bring greater harm to people around the world. International co-operation against Covid-19 has proved that to build a global community of health reflects the universal aspirations of all peoples. It is in line with the trend of history and is the right way for mankind to address common challenges and build a better world.
China's plan promotes sound global health governance. This global pandemic that caught all by surprise is a “big test” that highlights the shortfalls and loopholes in the global health governance system. It is urgent to strengthen capacity building in global public health governance.
President Xi Jinping pointed out that a public health emergency like Covid-19 will not be the last one and its response always calls for global action, global response and global cooperation. It is important that parties uphold multilateralism, strengthen and leverage the role of the UN and the WHO and improve the global disease prevention and control system to better prevent and respond to future pandemics.
It is important to uphold the spirit of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, fully heed the views of developing countries, and better reflect their legitimate concerns. It is also important to enhance the capacity of monitoring, early-warning and emergency response, the capacity of treatment of major pandemics, of contingency reserve and logistics, of fighting disinformation, and of providing support to developing countries.
China's honouring of promises benefits the international community. China has fully delivered the US$2bn of aid pledged by Jinping during the 73rd World Health Assembly.
China is fully implementing the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative and has so far put off debt repayment exceeding $1.3bn, the highest deferral amount among G20 members. China has honoured its commitment of making vaccines a public good by providing free vaccines to more than 80 developing countries in urgent need and exporting vaccines to 43 countries. We have supplied more vaccines to the world than any other country on earth.
China and Africa fighting Covid19 together sets a great example for world co-operation. Since Covid-19 started, Jinping has been working with President Cyril Ramaphosa and other African leaders to address the pandemic. This is a true testament to the special bond between China and Africa which reach out to each other during trying times. China has sent medical groups to 15 African countries and trained more than 20 000 African health workers. Chinese hospitals have been paired up with 43 hospitals in 38 African countries.
The construction of the African CDC headquarters was started ahead of schedule. We have supplied, and still continuing, much-needed Covid19 vaccines to more than 30 African countries in need. We also provided many batches of emergency response supplies to Africa.
Two of China's Covid-19 vaccines, from both Sinopharm and Sinovac have been validated by WHO for emergency use. Sinopharm is actively working on supplying their vaccines to Covax. Sinovac is also in the final stages of review and registration by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority. We hope that the Chinese vaccine will be put to use in South Africa as soon as possible to benefit the South African people.
There is a Chinese saying: True gold fears no fire. Likewise, true friendship can stand the test of great difficulties. China and Africa enjoy time-honoured friendship. Emerging from the test of Covid-19, we have strengthened the bound of brotherhood between us more valuable than gold. China will firmly join hands with African countries to fight the pandemic, jointly promote post-Covid economic recovery and steady growth and work together with all to build a global community of health for all.