Securing a victory over COVID-19 through joint efforts

People’s Daily

Major infectious disease is the enemy of all. Currently, the COVID-19 outbreak is spreading worldwide, posing enormous threat to lives and health and bringing formidable challenge to global public health security. No country could deal with the crisis alone and the international community needs solidarity and cooperation more than before.

While attending the Extraordinary G20 Leaders' Summit via video link in Beijing on March 26, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a speech titled "Working Together to Defeat the COVID-19 Outbreak".

Guided by the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind and based on China’s experience in containing COVID-19, the President put forward a series of important proposals for strengthening global cooperation and stabilizing the world economy. The speech injected confidence in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and received warm response from the international community.

The Chinese government and Chinese people remained undaunted in the face of the sudden outbreak, and the government always put people’s lives and health first. The country has acted according to the overall principle to stay united to take science-based and targeted measures and fight the epidemic with confidence. It has mobilized the whole nation, set up joint control and treatment mechanisms and acted with openness and transparency, launching a people's war against the outbreak.

The country has put up a strenuous struggle and made tremendous sacrifices. Now the situation in China is moving steadily toward a positive direction, and people’s life and work are quickly returning to normal.

The international society believes that China’s forceful measures on controlling COVID-19 have achieved remarkable results, offered useful experience to other countries, and injected hope and power to the globe for a final victory over the pandemic.

Viruses respect no borders, and the pandemic is a public enemy. When the disease is exacerbating globally, the international society needs to firm up confidence, stay united and cope with the situation through cooperation, so as to win the war against the major infectious disease.

In his speech, Xi introduced Chinese experience, put forward Chinese proposals, raised Chinese initiatives, and made Chinese contributions, which are significant in coordinating global action against COVID-19. The speech projected China’s image as a responsible major country, and injected important energy into conducting global cooperation to contain COVID-19 and boosting market confidence.

Under the concerted efforts of all countries concerned, the G20 special meeting achieved positive results and sent an encouraging signal to the world.

At a time when the exacerbating pandemic severely impacts the growth of world economy and trade, China's pragmatic proposals and initiatives are of great significance.

To battle the COVID-19 pneumonia, the international community should step up actions and take resolute efforts to curb the spread of the pandemic. In particular, countries need to jointly help developing countries with fragile public health systems enhance preparedness and response.

All countries must work together to build a strongest global network of control and treatment, support international organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), in playing their active roles, develop science-based and proper control and treatment and minimize cross-border spread.

We must also enhance international macro-economic policy coordination, implement effective fiscal and monetary policies, better coordinate financial regulation, reduce tariffs, remove barriers, facilitate the unfettered flow of trade, maintain the stability of the global industrial chain and supply chain, and guarantee the basic living of the people.

At the most difficult moment in China’s fight against the outbreak, the country received assistance and help from a lot of members of the global community. Such friendship will always be remembered and cherished by the Chinese people.

China will be more than ready to share its good practices, conduct joint research and development of drugs and vaccines, and provide assistance where it can to countries hit by the growing outbreak, Xi said.

The country will also increase its supply of active pharmaceutical ingredients, daily necessities, and anti-epidemic and other supplies to the international market. It has set up an online COVID-19 knowledge center that is open to all countries.

China will continue to pursue a proactive fiscal policy and prudent monetary policy. It will continue to advance reform and opening-up, widen market access, improve the business environment, and expand imports and outbound investment to contribute to a stable world economy.

Guided by the spirit of President Xi’s important speech, China will support the G20 multilateral mechanism platform to better consolidate the consensus of the international community, and take practical measures to actively contribute to curbing the spread of the virus at an early date and restoring world economic growth.

The COVID-19 pneumonia once again proves that human beings are a community with a shared future. It is believed that through solidarity and mutual assistance, the international society will prevail over the outbreak and the mankind will embrace a brighter future.