China's response has set example for world

When a nation faces unprecedented challenges, people dig into their hidden reserves of courage to demonstrate to the world their ability to fight against all odds.

China's response to the novel coronavirus outbreak has been swift, with health professionals waging a constant fight on the front line.

With the growing rise in global infections, the death toll has climbed to more than 8,600. With COVID-19 spreading to every continent except Antarctica, countries are learning from the Chinese experience in containing it.

China has seen a steady decrease in the number of confirmed cases, and many people have been discharged from hospitals.

China's fight against COVID-19 is a model for other countries to follow in their fight against the disease.

Stringent measures taken by the Chinese government put tremendous pressure on the residents of Hubei and neighboring provinces, but time has proved that the Chinese model of combating the coronavirus was the only way forward.

The friendship between Pakistan and China during these tough times reflects the "all-weather friendship' during the current crisis as well. Pakistan can draw a lot of lessons from the Chinese experience.

At the outset, China imposed a comprehensive ban on all social and economic activities, despite being aware this would cause severe economic damage.

The people of China have stood by their government in its fight against probably the most daunting challenge in the history of modern China. Chinese doctors have been working around the clock to fight COVID-19.

The ambitious plan of placing residents of Wuhan and nearby cities in Hubei province under lockdown, which has put at least 60 million people under quarantine since Jan 13, has proved to be a decisive factor in curtailing the spread of the disease.

President Xi Jinping has made personal efforts to combat the epidemic, visiting front-line medical workers and making calls to all global leaders. Xi has proved himself as a "leader of a great nation" who cares for people.

Chinese authorities built two dedicated hospitals－the 1,600-bed Leishenshan Hospital and the 1,000-bed Huoshenshan Hospital－in record time in Wuhan.

Healthcare workers from all over the country went to Hubei to treat COVID-19 patients, and all efforts were made to trace contacts of con-firmed cases throughout the country.

China's efficient use of modern technology has helped the country gain the upper hand in its virus fight. The use of drones to conduct thermal imaging and robots for disinfecting has helped doctors to effectively diagnose and treat patients.

China's tech giants have developed technologies for contactless delivery to minimize the risk of cross-infections. Robots were installed at hospitals to assist medical staff.

China also launched a close contact app to inform people if they have crossed paths with a virus carrier.

Meanwhile, even developed countries like South Korea, Japan and Italy are finding it difficult to tackle the challenges posed by the virus.

Italy has followed in the footsteps of China to contain the virus by first placing more than 16 million people under quarantine and then extending the lockdown to the entire nation.

China has set an example for the rest of the world by taking measures to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of people through determination and collective efforts.

Its efforts were praised in a report released by the World Health Organization's joint mission with China on Feb 28. It said, "China's bold approach to contain the rapid spread of this new respiratory pathogen has changed the course of a rapidly escalating and deadly epidemic."

Winston Churchill once said, "The era of procrastination, of delays, of baffling and soothing expedients, is coming to its close and in its place, we are entering a period of consequences."

The untiring efforts of the Chinese government are a paradigm for the rest of the world to emulate in the fight against this pandemic.

The author is director of the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies, a think tank based in Islamabad. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.