Q&A: FM on diplomacy, global situation

Question: How has China contributed to and supported the global COVID-19 response?

Wang Yi: The coronavirus is a common enemy of humanity. To defeat it is the shared responsibility of the international community. Facing this global health crisis, China has called for global cooperation since the start and worked with other countries to fight the pandemic, giving meaning to the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind.

China's contributions and support to the global response are best seen in the following six respects:

We raced against time and were the first country to report cases to the world. More and more research suggests that the pandemic was likely to have been caused by separate outbreaks in multiple places in the world. When hit by an unknown coronavirus, China took immediate actions to carry out epidemiological investigation, identify the pathogen and publicize key information including the genome sequencing of the virus. All this sounded alarm bells across the world.

We took the most rigorous control measures to fight the virus. Putting people and life first, we effectively controlled the virus within the shortest possible time, and steadily resumed economic and social activities in our country. We made an early contribution to building a strong global line of defense against the virus.

We conducted the largest-scale online exchanges on epidemic response with the support of science and technology. We organized over 100 video meetings with experts from other countries, opened an online knowledge center to share China's experiences with all countries, and published eight updated versions of diagnosis and therapeutic solutions and seven updated versions of prevention and control protocols. We shared our experience with other countries without any reservation.

We provided urgently needed assistance by launching the largest global emergency humanitarian campaign since the founding of New China. We provided assistance to over 150 countries and 10 international organizations, sent 36 medical teams to 34 countries in need and provided funding to WHO and other relevant UN agencies. We stood with other countries and peoples to help them prevail over the virus.

We did our best as the largest manufacturer of medical supplies. We provided countries around the world with over 220 billion masks, 2.25 billion protective suits and over 1 billion testing kits. "Made in China" products became a key source of supply for the global fight against the pandemic.

We were the first to pledge to make vaccines a global public good, bearing in mind the greater good of humanity. To help other developing countries access affordable vaccines, we engaged in active collaboration on the R&D of drugs and vaccines, which brings hope to heavily-hit developing countries.

As the pandemic is far from over, we must never slacken our joint response. China will continue to advance global cooperation on epidemic response, strengthen joint prevention and control, and assist countries and regions in need. We will never slacken such efforts until humanity secures a final victory against COVID-19.

Question: What role has the Foreign Ministry played during the nation's battle against COVID-19 and how has the Ministry put its people-centered philosophy into action?

Wang Yi: The principle of for the people and by the people has been a source of strength for the Communist Party of China. It is also the defining feature of China's diplomacy. This human touch of China's diplomacy has been further demonstrated during the test of COVID-19. Throughout the year 2020, we have pooled every resource available and lost no time in delivering people-centered diplomacy. We have defied risks and danger to put up a firm line of defense for our fellow Chinese in every corner of the world.

We have stood at the forefront of preventing imported cases, doing everything we could to lock in the hard-won gains in controlling the coronavirus at home. We have stood at the forefront of serving domestic development, giving diplomatic support to the national endeavor of finishing building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and securing victory against extreme poverty. We have stood at the forefront of advocating international cooperation against COVID-19, making our contribution to forging a global synergy in this battle. We have stood at the forefront of fighting misinformation, rebutting attempts of politicization and stigmatization. We were determined to make sure that the objective narrative and collective memory of the battle against the pandemic would not be distorted by lies.

COVID-19 may have suspended flights, yet it has not hindered the solicitude of the motherland for the well-being of its sons and daughters abroad. COVID-19 has brought challenges to our consular work, yet the safety of overseas Chinese has remained our priority no matter what. Consular services have continued uninterrupted, so has our consular work in general.

In the early stage of the pandemic, we mobilized all resources possible to meet the pressing needs of Wuhan and the whole country, sourcing, buying and receiving all kinds of medical supplies from around the world to address the urgent demand at home.

When COVID-19 struck other parts of the world, we kept the safety and well-being of overseas Chinese citizens very much on our mind. We urged more attention from the governments of host countries to the hardships of Chinese nationals, and offered prompt support to those infected, including targeted telemedicine services. We overcame various difficulties to deliver more than 1.2 million health kits to overseas Chinese students, sent emergency medical supplies to overseas Chinese in 100-plus countries, and arranged over 350 special flights to bring home stranded Chinese nationals. Our consular protection hotline 12308 has operated 24/7 to provide dedicated services and assistance to overseas citizens, bringing the care and solicitude of the Party and the country to every one of them. Our diplomats abroad said this to their fellow countrymen and women in affected countries, "The embassy will always be here with you. We will get through this together".

With COVID-19 still ravaging the world, the risk of case import continues to rise and consular protection remains a formidable task. We in the diplomatic service will firmly implement the decisions of the CPC Central Committee and make solid efforts to prevent imported cases and protect and assist overseas Chinese citizens. We will press ahead against all difficulties to live up to the trust and fulfill the mission placed upon us.