Solidarity Means Strength: The Anti-Pandemic Experience of China
团结就是力量：中国抗疫的成功经验
Zhang Yiming, Chinese Ambassador to Namibia
驻纳米比亚大使张益明
June 17 2020
2020年6月17日
At the beginning of 2020, an outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic never seen before raged around the world, posing a severe threat to the safety and health of all human beings. As one of the first stricken countries, through months’ painstaking efforts and tremendous sacrifice, China has achieved an initial victory in containing the spread of the virus. On 7 June, Chinese government released a white paper named Fighting Covid-19 China in Action, introducing the experience of its fighting against the disease and clarifying its ideas on the global battle. Herewith I would like to share it with Namibian friends.
2020年伊始，一场前所未有的新冠肺炎疫情在世界范围内肆虐，人类的生命安全和健康遭受严重威胁。作为第一波受到疫情冲击的国家，中国付出了艰苦卓绝的努力，承受了巨大代价和牺牲，终于取得了疫情防控的初步胜利。6月7日，中国政府发布了《抗击新冠肺炎疫情的中国行动》白皮书，详细介绍了中国抗疫的经验做法，阐明全球抗疫的中国理念和中国主张。在此我愿向纳米比亚朋友分享。
People’s safety always come first and saving lives is the top priority. Chinese government has always put people’s lives and health as the first task. When the novel coronavirus struck, China decided that it would protect the lives and health of its people even at the cost of a severe economic downturn. The government took unprecedented lockdown measures to the epicenter Wuhan, capital city of Hubei province which has 11 million population. Meanwhile, rigorous measures were taken to prevent population flows, namely extending the Chinese New Year vacation, calling off the public gathering, and postponing the opening of businesses and schools.
人民第一、生命至上。中国政府始终将维护人民生命安全和身体健康放在第一位。疫情暴发后，中国政府以宁可一段时间内经济下滑甚至短期“停摆”，也要对人民生命安全和身体健康负责的巨大勇气，对疫情“震中”武汉市果断采取史无前例的封城措施。同时，在全国范围内严控人员流动，延长春节假期，停止人员聚集性活动，全国企业和学校延期开工开学。
From the outset, China’s goal in its medical response to COVID-19 has been to improve cure rate and reduce fatality rate. It saved the lives of severe cases at all costs and applied early intervention for patients with mild symptoms. From an infant only 30 hours old to a centenarian, the government has taken measures to ensure that every kind of vulnerable patients were hospitalized, treated, tested or quarantined as appropriate, and never missed a single infected one nor gave up even one patient. To date, in Hubei, more than 3,000 patients over the age of 80, including 7 centenarians, have been cured. Furthermore, in order that every needed person could receive timely treatment, the government quickly adjusted its policies for medical insurance and put a cushion in place for everyone infected.
中国把提高治愈率、降低病亡率作为首要任务，对重症患者不惜一切代价抢救，对轻症患者及早干预治疗，从出生仅30个小时的婴儿到100多岁的老人，不遗漏一个感染者，不放弃每一位病患，实现“应收尽收、应治尽治、应检尽检、应隔尽隔”。疫情发生以来，湖北省成功治愈了3000多位80岁以上、7位百岁以上患者。为确保患者不因费用问题影响就医，政府及时调整医保政策，对所有感染者的医疗费用予以兜底。
The Chinese government mobilized the whole country and galvanized the people into a nationwide response. Since the outbreak, President Xi Jinping assumed full command over the control efforts from the very beginning and put in place a prevention and control system with the central authorities exercising overall command and the whole of society involved. Through rolling out the unprecedented and extensive scale public emergency response measures, China launched a people’s war on the virus. The Chinese New Year holiday arrived amid the epidemic. Following the government orders to contain the virus, the general public shouldered their responsibilities, canceled visits, stayed at home, wore masks and executed social distancing. They made self-discipline and great sacrifices to win the battle against the epidemic.
举国抗疫、全民动员。疫情发生后，习近平主席亲自指挥、亲自部署，建立了中央统一指挥协调、全国联防联控的防控体系，在全国范围内实施史无前例的大规模公共卫生应对举措，打响抗击疫情人民战争。疫情暴发正值中国农历春节假期，广大民众扛起责任，取消聚会，减少外出，自觉佩戴口罩，保持社交距离，为取得抗疫胜利约束自我乃至牺牲自我。
When a disaster strikes at one location, help comes from quarters. More than 40,000 medical workers came to the immediate aid of Hubei and the city of Wuhan. Around 40,000 construction workers with several thousand sets of machinery equipment completed the 1,000-bed Huoshenshan Hospital in just 10 days, and built 16 temporary treatment centers famously known as Fangcang shelter hospitals in only 2 weeks, which showcased the world a remarkable China Speed. The 1.4 billion Chinese people have plunged themselves into the battle against the epidemic, united as one, representing a formidable force. Actually, they were the most critical factor for China’s victory on the anti-epidemic fight.
一方有难，八方支援，全国4万多名医护人员逆行奔赴湖北省和武汉市，4万名建设者和几千台机械设备，仅用10天就建成有1000张病床的火神山医院，两个星期建成16座方舱医院，创造了令人惊叹的中国速度。在这场抗击疫情的人民战争中，14亿中国人守望相助、和衷共济，汇聚了团结抗疫的最强大合力，成为中国战胜疫情的最重要依靠。
Adopting scientific approach and releasing information in an open and transparent manner. Facing the unknown virus, China stuck to the scientific approach and gathered the top scientific research resources around the nation to pinpoint key R&D areas. It also adopted a multi-level, category-specific, dynamic and targeted control manner and new technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence in epidemic control. China has successively formulated and amended 7 versions of diagnosis and treatment protocol and shared them with other countries immediately. Upholding the principle of open and transparency, China provided the world community with information on COVID-19 in a thoroughly professional and efficient way on a regular basis, thus effectively disseminating knowledge about the disease and responding to public concern. China also has strengthened supervision over the quality and pricing of epidemic-control supplies and made every effort to ensure market order and social stability. It has adopted timely policies to ensure the basic livelihood of people in difficulties caused by COVID-19. As soon as the virus was generally curbed in early March, the Chinese government adopted a host of policies encouraging orderly resumption of economic activities. In the meantime, Chinese enterprises overcame difficulties to produce most-needed medical materials for the international community in their full capacity, which help maintain the world industrial and supply chains as well as smooth the channels for supply of goods, making an important contribution to the global anti-epidemic efforts and the stability of world economy.
科学防控、公开透明。面对未知的病毒，中国坚持以科学为先导，组织全国优势力量实施科研应急攻关，运用大数据、人工智能等新技术开展防控，实施分类动态精准防控，先后制修订7版新冠肺炎诊疗方案并与世界各国分享。中国坚持公开透明的原则，建立了最严格且专业高效的信息发布制度，第一时间发布权威信息，速度、密度和力度前所未有，有效开展了应急科普，回应了公众关切。中国强化防疫物资质量和价格监管，维护市场秩序和社会稳定。及时出台受疫情影响困难群众兜底保障政策，有效保障基本生活。3月初，中国疫情防控取得阶段性成果，中国政府因应疫情发展，密集出台多项政策，推动有序复工复产。同时，中国企业还克服困难开足马力生产国际社会急需的防疫物资，着力维持全球产业链、供应链和物资运输的畅通，为支持世界抗疫和稳定世界经济做出了重要贡献。
The worldwide spread of COVID-19 shows that all countries are living in a Global Village in this age of globalization, sharing weals and woes together. Based on its own experience, and in a bid to protect the safety and well-fares of all humans, China would like to put forward three proposals for the global fight against the pandemic.
蔓延全球的新冠肺炎疫情表明，在当今全球化时代，世界各国已共处一个“地球村”，一荣俱荣，一损俱损。中国基于自身抗疫经验，从维护全人类生命安全和共同福祉出发，对于全球抗疫提出三点倡议。
Firstly, advocating international solidarity and cooperation. The coronavirus, as the common enemy to us all, respects no nationality or race. We must understand it has nothing to do with ideology and to stamp it out relies on science and joint efforts of the whole international community. In light of this, China provided twice cash support totaling US$50 million to the World Health Organization (WHO), sent 29 medical expert teams to 27 countries, and offered assistance to more than 150 countries, regions and international organizations to its best ability. It is doing so out of the kindness of its people, the empathy they have with people of other countries suffering from the pandemic, and its sense of responsibility as a major country. It is anything but what certain western politicians smeared as exporting model nor pursuing selfish geopolitical interests.
首先，倡导团结合作。新冠肺炎病毒是全人类共同的敌人，没有国界，不分种族。我们必须明白，新冠病毒无关意识形态，疫情防控需要尊重科学，战胜病毒离不开国际社会的团结与合作。正是基于这一认识，中国先后向世界卫生组织提供两批现汇援助，并在力所能及的范围内向27个国家派出29支医疗专家组，向150多个国家、地区和国际组织提供抗疫援助。中国向国际社会提供力所能及的援助，源于对其他国家人民遭受苦难的感同身受，源于中国人民的古道热肠，源于大国的责任担当，绝非个别西方政客所污蔑的“输出中国模式”，更不是为谋求所谓地缘政治利益。
Second, upholding science and rationality. Science and technology are the bazooka that the human beings can count on in the battle against disease. Such battle could not be without scientific advances and technological innovation. Confronted by COVID-19, a new and previously unknown virus, it is especially important to uphold the spirit of science and rationality. On one hand, under the guidance of WHO, all countries are supposed to take scientific, appropriate, and well-coordinated prevention and control actions, facilitate information exchanges and experience sharing, and launch international cooperation on test techniques, clinical treatment, new medicines and vaccines and so on. On the other hand, every member state should firmly stand against stigmatization and politicization of the virus, abandon prejudice and arrogance, and instead focus on defeating the virus and saving lives, so as to safeguard its people’s safety and health.
其次，秉持科学理性。科学技术是人类同疾病较量的锐利武器，人类战胜大灾大疫离不开科学发展和技术创新。面对新型的未知的病毒，坚持科学理性的精神尤为重要。一方面，各国应在世卫组织的指导下，采取科学合理、协同联动的防控举措，加强信息共享和经验交流，开展检测方法、临床救治、疫苗药物研发等方面的国际合作；另一方面，要坚决反对污名化和疫情政治化，摒弃傲慢与偏见，各国应集中精力攻坚克难、拯救生命，共同捍卫人民的生命安全与身体健康。
Thirdly, jointly building a Global Community of Health for All. When addressing the opening of the 73rd World Health Assembly, President Xi Jinping announced 5 major measures that China would take in supporting the global fight, including US$2 billion of international aid over two years, and the Covid-19 vaccine to be used as a global public product once it is developed and deployed in China. President Xi also called for a joint effort on the part of all countries to overcome the virus and build a global community of health for all. Human history is the one of grappling with diseases and disasters. The pandemic exposes weaknesses and deficiencies existing in the global governance system for public health security. Every country is obliged to draw lessons from this pandemic, reflect carefully, build an efficient and sustainable global public health system for the benefit of all humanity, fortify defenses for the lives and health of all, and participate in building a global community of health for all. This is in the interest of future generations and the wellbeing of all humanity.
第三，推动构建人类卫生健康共同体。习近平主席在第73届世界卫生大会视频会议开幕式上提出了包括提供国际援助、中国新冠疫苗研发完成将作为全球公共产品等5项举措支持全球抗疫，呼吁加强全球公共卫生治理，共同构建人类卫生健康共同体。人类文明史也是一部同疾病和灾难的斗争史，此次疫情暴露出全球公共卫生治理存在的诸多短板，每一个国家都有责任以疫情为鉴，总结反思，为人类发展计、为子孙后代谋，健全完善惠及全人类、高效可持续的全球公共卫生体系是筑牢保障全人类生命安全和健康的坚固防线，参与到人类卫生健康命运共同体的建设中来。
At present, the coronavirus is still on the rampage and causing devastation around the world. China will continue to embrace the idea of a global community of shared future, stand together with other countries in the spirit of solidarity, cooperation, science, rationality, responsibility and transparency, to win the fight in a bid to safeguard global public health, secure the wellbeing of humanity, and defend morality and conscience of the international community. We firmly believe that solidarity means strength, and the world surely will win this battle at last.
当前，新冠病毒仍在全球传播蔓延。中国将继续秉持人类命运共同体理念，本着团结合作的态度、科学理性的精神、透明负责的原则，与国际社会并肩战斗，打赢这场全球公共卫生安全之战、维护人类健康福祉之战、维护国际道义良知之战！我们相信，团结就是力量，胜利一定属于全人类！