The State Council Information Office of China held a press conference on March 26, where
officials from the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Ministry of Science and
Technology (MOST) and National Health Commission (NHC) shared the development on
international cooperation in fighting COVID-19 and answered questions from journalists.
According to the press conference, China has offered multilingual prevention and therapeutic
plans and held a video conference to share COVID-19 control experiences with the international
community. Besides, it also timely shared scientific data, technical results and prevention
strategies, shared Chinese experiences and technologies, and rendered assistance and technical
support for other affected countries and regions.
So far, the country has offered assistance in 4 batches to 89 countries and 4 international
organizations to combat the novel coronavirus, and a fifth batch is currently under planning.
The virus knows no borders or ethnicity, and it can only be defeated by the concerted efforts of all
mankind. And that’s why the G20 Extraordinary Virtual Leaders' Summit on COVID-19 attracted
global attention.
Vice Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui introduced at the conference that the summit was the first
major multilateral diplomatic activity joined by Chinese President Xi Jinping since the COVID-19
outbreak. China has achieved prominent results in epidemic prevention and control, and is actively
helping other countries in this regard, receiving high reputation from the international society, he
said.
After the outbreak of COVID-19, China shared the completed genome sequence of the novel
coronavirus with the WHO at the first opportunity, laying an important foundation for global
scientists to conduct medicine, vaccine and therapeutic researches.
Vice Minister of Science and Technology Xu Nanping said global scientists coped with the
pandemic together, conducted joint researches, and shared the results. According to him, Chinese
scientists, having done substantial researches on medicine development and clinical treatment,
have preliminarily formulated a relatively complete technical plan. China will further share the
results, conduct international cooperation, and actively launch and join international clinical
researches, he added.
Many countries gave China valuable support when the country was at a critical moment of
combating the virus. Now, when COVID-19 is basically controlled at home, China is willing to
reinforce the pandemic control for these countries by dispatching medical experts and other forms,
upholding the vision of building a community with a shared future, and conveying the confidence
to defeat the virus, said Zeng Yixin, deputy director of the NHC.
Zeng said China will take the initiative to share its experiences in treating the disease, and actively
share with the international society the latest therapeutic and prevention plans in accordance with
the demands in different countries.
In-depth technical exchanges have been conducted by the NHC. It held a video conference to
share China's experience with representatives from 77 countries and 7 international organizations
who attended, which was viewed by over 100,000 people online, Zeng said. Besides, the NHC
also established an online knowledge center of epidemic prevention and clinical treatment, as well
as an international expert database, conducting nearly 30 technical exchange conferences with
over 100 countries and regions. It timely responded to the demand of foreign countries and
realized precise docking between Chinese and foreign prevention and treatment plans, Zeng
added.
So far, China has offered assistance to 89 countries and 4 international organizations. Deng
Boqing, deputy head of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) noted
that to actively offer foreign assistance within its capability is an inevitable requirement for China
to uphold the right approach to justice and interests and practice the vision of building a
community with a shared future for mankind. It is also a responsibility of a major country, and a
duty bound for a country that had received assistance from its partners during hardships, he added.
He said the foreign assistance will also control and lower the risk of imported infections for China.
When COVID-19 is exacerbating and spreading around the globe, the urgent need for the
international society is to launch effective joint prevention and control, said the deputy head of the
CIDCA, adding that only solidarity can help human beings overcome difficulties, and only joint
efforts can help them defeat the virus.
