Joining hands to fight COVID-19 pandemic is vivid interpretation of building community with shared future for mankind (Part IV)
By Jun Sheng
No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.
The sudden outbreak of the novel coronavirus has spread to more than 200 countries and regions with over 10 million confirmed cases worldwide, plunging the human world into the most severe public health crisis since WWII. But there is always a silver lining around the dark cloud. “The pandemic recognizes no borders. The countries of the world are a community with a shared future.” When Chinese President Xi Jinping held dialogues and phone talks with his foreign counterparts, “a community with a shared future” is a frequently used phrase which expresses the international community’s resolve to jointly fight the COVID-19 pandemic and their expectations to ride out the health crisis together.
Shared future — this simple conviction inherent in the genes of the Chinese nation is demonstrating its vision and value in the new era. The international community is realizing ever more keenly that the humankind is indeed a community of shared future, and it is indeed imperative for us to share weal and woe. Every time this kind of disaster affects the world, people once again realize that Xi's vision of a community with a shared future for mankind comes at the opportune time, said José Luis Centella, President of the Spanish Communist Party (PCE).
The recognition of this vision stems from the profound understanding of reality and future and from the experience of all countries joining hands to fight the pandemic. When China was at its height of preventing and controlling the novel coronavirus, the international community offered us invaluable support and help; when the pandemic has accelerated its spread across the world, China has in return offered humanitarian aid and assistance all over the world.
We still remember the Japanese girl dressed in a traditional Chinese cheongsam raising money for Wuhan on the street of Tokyo, where sometime later a Chinese girl was handing out masks to passers-by from a cardboard box with the Japanese words “Gratitude from Wuhan” on it.
We still remember how Pakistan sent all its inventory masks to China at the first opportunity without reservation. In return, when the pandemic broke out in Pakistan, China dispatched a medical expert team immediately to support its anti-pandemic efforts and donated vast amounts of medical and protective equipment.
We also remember the “hug a Chinese” campaign launched by the Italians to give the Chinese people warmth and strength. In return, lyrics from the opera Turandot were posted on the package of anti-virus supplies provided by China to Italy: “Vanish, o night! At dawn, I will win!”
The joint anti-pandemic efforts are not only embodied in cooperation among governments but also in the mutual help among enterprises, social groups, and individuals, which further consolidate the people-to-people ties around the world.
Building a community with a shared future for mankind is a concrete action taken by China. According to the white paper titled “Fighting COVID-19: China in Action” released on June 7, as of May 31, China had sent 29 medical expert teams to 27 countries, and offered assistance to 150 countries and 4 international organizations. It has instructed its medical teams stationed in 56 countries to support the local fight, and provide counseling and health information to local people and overseas Chinese. They have organized over 400 online and offline training sessions in this regard. Local governments, enterprises, non-governmental organizations and individuals in China have donated materials to more than 150 countries and regions, and international organizations through various channels.
Small drops of water converge to make rivers and oceans; individual experiences aggregate to make history. The transcontinental air routes, the batches of supplies speak volumes about the willingness and sincerity of the Chinese government and the Chinese people to jointly battle the coronavirus with the international community. The human kindness and sympathy unite people of all countries in a shared community, overcoming the barriers of mountains and rivers, languages and cultures.
The novel coronavirus is a common enemy of humankind, so is the “political virus”. At the moment, certain American politicians are trying all they can to stigmatize and politicize the pandemic, but their despicable tricks barely find any support. Fighting the pandemic through concerted efforts is an international consensus, and China’s vision and actions to promote solidarity and cooperation have been extensively endorsed and recognized. In the face of rampant slanders, rumors, and scapegoating, people of all countries should stay united and put up a strong “mental defensive line”.
The key to sound relations between states lies in the affinity between their peoples, which largely stems from mutual understanding. People-to-people exchanges make the most in-depth, enduring and fundamental communication between nations, and every individual can be an envoy of this meaningful cause. As the COVID-19 pandemic is ravaging the whole world, the international community must continue to fight it together in the same spirit, foster the virtuous cycle of “cooperation in solidarity - effective prevention and control - people-to-people friendship”, and contribute to creating a bright future for this generation and many generations to come.