Beggar-thy-neighbor practices don’t help with global epidemic control
By
Zhong Sheng
After
the outbreak of the novel coronavirus epidemic, the World Health Organization
(WHO) has repeatedly advised against travel or trade restrictions and called on
all countries to implement decisions that are evidence-based and convincing.
However,
there are still certain countries that didn’t follow the WHO’s authoritative
advice and took excessive restrictions. Such beggar-thy-neighbor and selfish
practices didn’t help with epidemic prevention and control, but created fear
and panic, disturbed normal international personnel exchange and cooperation,
and exerted negative impact on the order of the international aviation market
and the development of the global economy, causing rising anxieties among the
public.
In
front of the epidemic, any impulsive, irrational or unwise behavior could bring
about secondary challenges. When the WHO declared the outbreak of the novel
coronavirus in China a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC)
according to the International Health Regulations (IHR), it did not recommend
any broader restrictions on travel or trade.
Thanks
to China’s decisive and effective prevention and control measures, the number
of confirmed cases reported overseas only accounts for less than 1 percent of
the total number worldwide.
The
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) noted that adopting measures
that go beyond the recommendations of the WHO and the ICAO without a proper
risk assessment may result in unnecessary negative effects.
“Responses
that are anchored in fear, misinformation, racism and xenophobia will not save
us from outbreaks like COVID-19.” That’s from a joint statement made by 16
health law scholars from the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Switzerland, Chile and
Italy in a commentary published on The Lancet.
They
called on countries to start by rolling back illegal travel restrictions that
have already been implemented and by supporting WHO and each other in
implementing the IHR.
Such
voice show respect for the international laws and are conducive to safeguarding
global common interests.
Scientific
research and practices indicated that taking extreme restrictions such as halting
flights cannot really reduce the risk of virus spread.
Canceling
flights, cruises and locking down borders when it’s not advised by
international agencies will be not only an act of economic self-harm but also a
wasted opportunity to learn from the mistakes of the past, said an article
published by American media.
In
the era of globalization, the world needs to conform to the trend of the times
and jointly shoulder responsibilities and cope with challenges. Since the
outbreak of the epidemic, national leaders of Thailand, Cambodia, Pakistan, and
Canada have made it clear that they won’t ban entry of Chinese nationals.
French
President Emmanuel Macron said that France respects the professional guidelines
proposed by the WHO in responding to the COVID-19 epidemic, and its response to
the outbreak is generally objective, adding that the French Consulate General
in Wuhan is still operating.
Canadian
Health Minister Patty Hajdu believes that it lacks basis and is unreasonable to
ban entry of Chinese nationals. Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health
Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said imposing a travel ban on Chinese citizens
won't help the government's fight against coronavirus.
Cambodian
Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen visited Beijing amid the raging epidemic,
showing support from the Cambodian government and the Cambodian people. Kang
Seung Seok, the new consul general of the Republic of Korea (ROK) in Wuhan,
arrived in the city amid the epidemic on Feb. 20.
These
facts prove that the strong and resilient relations between China and these
countries are unbreakable and cannot be destroyed by certain countries.
In
the era of globalization, the interests and destinies of countries are
intertwined. To respond to the epidemic is by no means to stop all socio-economic
activities. The right choice is to try to ensure normal economic activities on
the premise of strengthening health and safety protection.
However,
excessive or even extreme restrictive measures adopted by some countries, such
as cancelling flights, will only lead to more negative impacts of the epidemic,
causing lose-lose results and casting a shadow on world economic growth.
According
to U.S. media reports, Washington’s comprehensive restrictions will severely
hurt U.S. companies that rely on Chinese products or target Chinese customers. Goldman
Sachs recently released a report anticipating a 0.4 percentage point slowdown
of U.S. annualized growth in the first quarter due to the coronavirus outbreak,
as the U.S. restrictions will reduce the number of Chinese tourists by 28
percent and their spending by $5.8 billion.
When
speaking with U.S. President Donald Trump over phone, Chinese President Xi
Jinping noted that it takes joint efforts from all countries to bring the
epidemics under control. He also said China hopes that the U.S. will assess the
epidemic in a calm manner, and adopt and adjust its response.
In
response to public health emergencies, panic, chaos, and excessive restrictions
are not suggested. In the era of globalization, adopting beggar-thy-neighbor
and selfish practices is not able to keep oneself unharmed. The right practice
is to strengthen international cooperation and work together to cope with
challenges in a scientific, rational and responsible manner.
Those
who treat their neighbors as threats and plunder a burning house will hurt not
only the interests of the world, but also those of their own.
(Zhong
Sheng is a pen name often used by People’s
Daily to express its views on foreign policy.)
Beggar-thy-neighbor practices don’t help with global epidemic control
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