International society offers strong support for China to fight epidemic

By Gao Qiao, People’s Daily Overseas Edition

 

As China’s efforts to combat the novel coronavirus are receiving wide praise from the international society, foreign governments, organizations and enterprises are joining forces with the country to fight the epidemic, offering material and medical assistance to the front line.

 

By noon of Feb. 5, 21 foreign governments and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) had donated epidemic prevention and control materials to China, according to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 

On Feb. 5, a 7-member Russian delegation arrived in Beijing to offer assistance for China to fight the epidemic and develop vaccines. The delegation was followed by a batch of medical supplies donated by the Russian government that arrived in Wuhan, the epicenter last Sunday. The supplies contained a large number of protective materials, including 2 million pieces of masks.

 

The Pakistani government also tried its best to help China. It collected 300,000 pieces of masks, 800 protective suits, and 6,800 pairs of gloves from public hospitals across the country and immediately transported the supplies to China.

 

On Feb.10, Pakistani Senate unanimously passed a resolution to support China in fighting the novel coronavirus epidemic. Imran Khan, Prime Minister of Pakistan, said the country is willing to mobilize all supplies available to assist China.

 

A friend in need is a friend indeed, said Toshihiro Nikai, secretary-general of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, adding that Japan will spare no effort to provide all possible assistance for China and work with China to combat the epidemic.

 

Nikai said he believes that as long as Japan and China work together with the spirit of solidarity and cooperation, there will be nothing they can’t accomplish. “We will definitely achieve victory in the epidemic.”

 

The secretary-general introduced that Japan has raised 120,000 protective suits and will send them to medical institutions in China’s Hubei, Zhejiang, and Guangdong as soon as possible.

 

According to Yonhap News Agency, official news agency of South Korea, Seoul Metropolitan Government said it has sent 600 million won (about $507, 200) worth of materials to 12 Chinese cities Tuesday, including Beijing and Chongqing municipalities.

 

Since Feb.4, Canada has transported about 16 tons of masks, goggles, gloves and protective masks to China, said Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail.

 

Craig Allen, president of U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC) said joining hands to contain the novel coronavirus outbreak conforms to the common interests of China and the U.S.

 

A part of the member enterprises of the Council which represents 200 U.S. enterprises operating in China, have donated antiviral drugs, medical apparatus and instruments, money, and other forms of assistance to relevant institutions in China.

 

More supplies for epidemic prevention and control are being transported to China from around the world.

 

Statistics indicated that by Feb. 10, a total of more than 1.69 billion yuan (about $242.19 million) has been donated to China by 297 foreign-funded enterprises.

 

In the nationwide efforts to combat the epidemic, Chinese researchers responded quickly and made major breakthroughs, providing solid foundation for global scientists to study the new virus.

 

China has received wide recognition from scientists across the world for its transparent and efficient sharing of information, strict and comprehensive measures, as well as its scientific spirit of opening and cooperation.

 

“I am in awe of the thousands of health workers in China, especially in Hubei, who are caring for patients and gathering data on 2019-nCoV for scientific analysis, while under immense pressure,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), said on social media.

 

“The world is grateful for your efforts to discover how to best treat (patients) and prevent the spread of the virus,” the WHO chief said.

 

“We live in a world that is going through globalization. The timely and effective communication, professional and scientific exchanges, as well as the mutual assistance between China and countries around the world are encouraging and supporting the world to achieve the final victory over the battle against the virus,” said Cui Hongjian, director of the Department for European Studies at the China Institute of International Studies.