China: Champion of coronavirus fight
In the history of the last 200 years, the world has witnessed major epidemics which have upended millions of human lives. The coronavirus has been added to the list and acting in a manner similar to previous viruses. WHO named it COVID-19 by combining CO- from Corona, VI- from virus and 19, as it emerged in the year 2019. On March 11, COVID-19 was characterized as a pandemic by WHO.
It has become a paramount concern for the world in the present context as the pandemic jeopardizes the health, economy and world governance system. The pandemic has affected more than 200 nations and resulted in over 3.3 million cases to date. According to the Worldometers, the death toll has reached 234,408 as of May 1. At the early stage of the pandemic, China was facing a tough health crisis while other countries were not much aware. After three weeks of rigorous efforts, China declared an outbreak of the coronavirus on Jan 20. The spread has accelerated with such an unbelievable velocity that it has become a somber concern to global health at present.
The outbreak of COVID-19 on one hand has created a gruesome tragedy in the arena of global health and on the other hand enabled us to explore the capacity of countries to respond to the situation. We have also observed the blame game between the US and China. The US labeled the virus "Wuhan virus" and "China virus". Beyond this wrangling, the Chinese leadership has shown a strong determination not only to thwart COVID-19 but also to set an example and provide confidence to rest of the world on how to respond to the situation.
In the peak time of pandemic, China has exhibited a full response in ensuring its supply chains. The government put 10 million people under quarantine. The construction in just 10 days of sophisticated hospitals with 2,600 beds is something beyond the imagination of most countries. The nation launched a countrywide awareness campaign and urged people to follow instructions strictly delivered by the government. Putting such a huge population under such measures reflects a well-managed system led by the authority of the country. Manpower from different sectors such as military, entrepreneurs, social mobilizers and individuals themselves made contributions during the epidemic. Moreover, people were patient and optimistic, which has resulted in much support to the government in controlling the health predicament. The epicenter, soon after the outbreak, got a prompt supply of 450 medics from military wings to support local doctors. The authority immediately dispatched more than 40,000 medical staff from different parts of China on the following day.
They have dramatically increased the production of personal protective equipment (PPE) and N-95 masks. It has been reported by customs of China that in the last month China has exported 3.86 billion masks, 37.54 million sets of protective gear and 16,000 ventilators. It has also supplied 2.41 million infrared thermometers and 2.84 million test kits to infected countries. China has shared its winning experience with more than 100 countries through dozens of video conferences and has also supplied medical experts and medicine to virus-infected cities in the world.
The pandemic has become the top priority in every political meeting headed by President Xi in the course of fighting against COVID-19. Under the leadership of Premier Li Keqiang, they formed an epidemic response committee which then started to monitor the infected areas. Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan has been to Hubei province to observe all the response mechanisms closely and seriously. CPC Party chiefs of Wuhan and Hubei were replaced in February for not playing an effective role in curbing an epidemic. They built a strong mechanism to evacuate overseas students and businessmen who were willing to go back their countries. Virtual classes have been running for students and researchers through the internet. Timely policies has been adopted in different sectors, especially where mass gatherings took place. Schools, key events of country's calendar and annual legislative sessions were postponed, while tourist spots were closed and long-distance bus transportation halted. They have envisioned the immediate need of coordinated action to fight against this epidemic, and China has been able share its experience with the rest of the world. Wuhan lifted its ban on April 8, ending a 76-day lockdown. The economy has started to recover and also supply necessary medical goods and other support to the rest of the world.
China is very close to a victory against pandemic, and we should not hesitate to say that the health crisis is almost over in China. This is like a miracle, which China accomplished cautiously where most of the world struggled against the coronavirus. It was indeed the result of strong determination from leadership and collective efforts from different sectors. China has not only succeeded to convey a message to the world of victory over the pandemic, but has also proved itself a true champion in this fight.
The author is a PhD scholar in international relations at Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei province, China. The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not represent the views of China Daily and China Daily website.
