Global Anti-epidemic Outbreak Needs to Enhance Community Awareness

Ruan Zongze，

Executive Vice President and Research Fellow of China Institutes of International Studies

In today’s world, with the rapid development of globalization, the world is increasingly becoming a common ecosystem and a community of a shared future like wind and moon the same natural thing in universe,which is an indisputable fact. The sudden pandemic outbreak makes people feel strongly that no country can overcome it alone, only by enhancing the community awareness can we win the final victory in the global fight against the epidemic outbreak.

Cooperation is the Noah's Ark

Viruses, disrespect of national boundaries,race, color and political system, are the common enemy of mankind. Currently, the work of novel conoravirus tracing is still going on without conclusion. However, there are still some people who are keen on doing the opposite, advocating beggar thy neighbor or even decoupling,which is a selective, isolated and against the humanitarian spirit. In the face of the epidemic, what the international community needs is science,rationality, cooperation, common resistance to prejudice, and a clear-cut stand against the"political virus". WHO has repeatedly stated that the novel coronavirus is a global symptom, and the most urgent thing at present is how to contain the spread of the virus and avoid using the language of regional stigmatization.

No matter where this virus originates, China,like other countries with epidemic outbreak, is the victim and faces the severe challenge of stopping the spread of the epidemic outbreak.Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO health emergency program,said the disease could emerge anywhere on the planet. He called on all countries not to blame each other, but to do their best to combat the epidemic and save lives.

In general, international relations are dominated by "high politics", but public health security,which is a new security challenge, is the common enemy of the whole mankind. The COVID-19 outbreak is a "threat without passport", with no visa or in defiance of ideological differences. It is useless to rely on traditional "high politics" means to deal with the new security threat, and only global joint action can effectively prevent its proliferation.

With an open, transparent and responsible attitude,China shares information with WHO and the international community in a timely manner and participates in international cooperation on epidemic prevention and control through practical actions, which embodies the responsibility of a responsible major country. The Chinese Government has donated US$20 million to WHO to help developing countries improve their capacity to respond to the epidemic outbreak and strengthen the construction of public health systems. The world is increasingly becoming a community of shared interests, responsibility and life. The tide of globalization is irreversible, and we are all stakeholders. The SARS, financial crisis, Ebola, Middle East respiratory syndrome,H1N1 flu and other major risks have been witnessed by the international community, and this COVID-19 epidemic outbreak cannot be the last one either for sure.

It is only with the joint efforts of the international community that can we effectively cope with the global challenges such as the 2008 international financial crisis and the Ebola virus,this time it is not exceptional. In the face of this virus, which is highly infectious and known little to us, and on the fundamental issue of human health safety, looking on at other’s difficulties with indifference and taking on-looker attitude can not stop the spread of the epidemic, neither can protect ones own safety,while the words and deeds of distorting the facts and hitting somebody as he is down are no different from another virus that harms human beings. Unity and cooperation are the most powerful weapons in the fight against epidemic outbreaks that affect the peoples’ safety of various countries. Facing the turbulent global public health disaster, only unity and cooperation are the real Noah’s Ark.

China is closely linked with the world

In this anti-epidemic war, China has become the first front line of defense and made great sacrifices to stop the spread of the epidemic outbreak. China's experience is a valuable international public product, which is worthy reference for other countries. After the epidemic outbreak, China has gathered force in unity to take comprehensive, strict and thorough prevention and control measures. At present, the epidemic situation has been obviously reversed,and economic and social restoration has been accelerated. China is fully confident, capable and determined to win the prevention and control of the epidemic outbreak. In the course of this epidemic prevention and control,China's strength and speed are widely praised by the international community. The WHO experts say that China's contribution makes it unnecessary for the world to start from scratch.

China's efforts to combat the epidemic outbreak at different stages are inseparable from the active and strong support of the international community. At present, while continuing to do a good job in domestic prevention and control,China is actively carrying out international and regional cooperation in combating the epidemic outbreak. When China is confronted with difficulties, many countries offer a helping hand and the Chinese people bear in mind for ever,and will surely repay the kindness. China has provided testing reagents and kits as well as other anti-epidemic materials to relevant countries, and sent volunteer teams of medical experts to help fight the epidemic outbreaks, reflecting the sense of community to help each other and overcome difficulties together, and injecting new impetus into the friendly and cooperative relations.

It is also important to strengthen international cooperation from the perspective of a community of a shared future for mankind so as to effectively curb the spread of the epidemic outbreak and win the battle against it. If the epidemic situation in other countries does not get improved,China will also be affected, and the recent significant increase in imported cases is a warning.Therefore, China will in a timely manner continuously share prevention and control,treatment and other related experience with various countries, coordinate policies, coordinate resources, and work together in unity. China will continuously provide support to other countries,and calls on various sides in the international community to strengthen cooperation in epidemic prevention and jointly safeguard world public health safety.

As a global factory and market,China and the world are embedded in each other and inseparable, which is a community of a shared future worthy of its name. Only after the pandemic outbreak does the world learn to know how much it needs China and how much it relies on it. Now China is fighting the epidemic outbreak while resuming work and production,which makes the whole world relieved. With the deepening of global economic integration,China's domestic supply chain and industrial chain are deeply integrated with the global value chain. China's leadership and mobilization in response to the epidemic outbreak are impressive,which shows that China has a super fast reaction mechanism and repair ability to deal with emergencies. The epidemic outbreak is unlikely to change China's position in the global supply chain and industrial chain, and the relationship between China and the world will get closer.

There is no great historical disaster that is not compensated for by historical progress, Engels said. China will more actively provide the international public goods,make greater efforts to promote the global public health security, as well as with health financing arising at the historic moment, to encourage the investment in the health infrastructure, capacity building, and human resources, and build up the Belt and Road as the road to health further reflect the people-centered development of high quality.In a word, the epidemic outbreak makes people feel that community awareness is no longer far away.Building a community with a shared future for mankind is not an abstract concept or an utopian idea, but a guiding ideology and road map to effectively respond to global challenges