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“World Leader”: Commentary by Minister of Foreign Affairs

In the past, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) promoted the concept of “Community of Mankind’s Shared Future,” also translated as “Community of Mankind’s Destiny” (人类命运共同体). As the coronavirus spread through the world, Wan Yi, China’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, published a commentary on People’s Daily, linking the efforts to stop the epidemic to building the “Community of Mankind’s Shared Future,” and portrayed China as the leader of that effort.

The following are highlights from Wan’s Commentary:

Part I

Actively conduct epidemic control diplomacy and seek international support…

Comprehensively promote international cooperation to serve the domestic epidemic control need…

Strive to apply diplomacy to serve the Chinese people and safeguard Chinese citizens’ rights…

Proactively carry out a publicity campaign in foreign countries and tell the China story well: We fully used the press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and new media to speak on international stage… (We) held several epidemic control information sharing conferences with foreign embassies in China. Our diplomatic envoys and agencies overseas took over 400 interviews with main-stream television and radio stations, published 300 signed articles, held 500 briefings and speeches, and published 20,000 postings on overseas main social media.

Part II

China has played a major role in stopping the global spread of the epidemic…

China has obtained trust in handling the global challenge. China has paid high attention to cooperation with the international health communities, provided epidemic information promptly, shared the virus’ genome, collaborated with the World Health Organization (WHO) and neighboring or related countries, and invited international experts to work with us.

China has set up a standard for global public health governance. In the prevention and control of the epidemic, China’s power, efficiency, and speed have received praise and the advantage of the China’s system has been fully demonstrated.

Part III

Actively conduct international and regional cooperation: We will expand bi-lateral and multi-lateral cooperation on epidemic control; promptly share epidemic information, control measures, and research results; and improve the joint development efforts on treatment medicine and a vaccine. We will also provide aid in our capacity to countries and regions that the virus has spread to, to play the role of a responsible great power.

Be deeply involved in global public health governance: This epidemic reveals the weakness of the global public health governance. We will support the United Nations and WHO to play the core role in handling public health emergencies and improve global public health governance. We will push for major international projects in the health area to actively build the “silk road on health.”

Join forces (with others) to respond to unconventional security challenge: China will actively develop its shared, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable new security view; improve the dialog and communication in the unconventional security area; improve mutual understanding and trust; promote international cooperation; and continuously expand the connotation and practice of the “Community of Mankind’s Shared Future.”

Related posting on Chinascope:

Excerpt in Chinese:

新冠肺炎疫情是对中国人民生命安全和身体健康的一个重大威胁,也是对全球公共卫生安全的一次重大挑战。在这场仍在进行的重大斗争中,外交战线坚决贯彻习近平总书记重要指示精神和党中央决策部署,增强“四个意识”、坚定“四个自信”、做到“两个维护”,积极投身疫情防控的人民战争、总体战、阻击战,全力为国内疫情防控和经济社会发展营造良好外部环境,为全球携手抗击疫情构筑坚实有力防线。

积极开展抗疫外交,全力争取国际支持。

全面推进国际合作,服务国内抗疫需要。

努力践行外交为民,维护同胞正当权益。

主动开展对外宣介,讲好中国抗疫故事。我们通过出席慕尼黑安全会议等多边平台,充分运用外交部例行记者会、新媒体等多种形式在国际舆论场及时发声,全面宣介我国抗击疫情所作的巨大努力,…多次召开外国驻华使馆(团)疫情防控通报会,展现中国政府重视外国在华公民生命安全和身体健康的负责任态度。我国各驻外使节和机构密集展开公共外交行动,接受主流电视及电台采访400余次,发表署名文章300余篇,举办吹风会、演讲500余次,在境内外重要社交媒体发文2万余条,帮助国际社会更好了解中国人民抗疫斗争,坚定对中国经济继续向好发展的信心。

中国为阻止疫情全球扩散展现了担当。

中国为携手应对全球挑战赢得了信任。中方从一开始就高度重视国际卫生合作,本着公开透明原则,及时向各方通报疫情信息,分享病毒基因序列,与世界卫生组织、周边和有关国家密切合作,邀请国际专家并肩工作。

中国为完善全球公共卫生治理树立了标杆。疫情是对中国治理体系和能力的大考,也是对全球治理体系和能力的检验。在疫情防控中,中国力量、中国效率、中国速度受到赞誉,中国治理的制度优势得到充分彰显。在党中央统一指挥、统一协调、统一调度下,我们第一时间成立联防联控工作机制,全国31个省区市启动重大突发公共卫生事件一级响应,全国各地数万名医护人员和大量医疗与生活物资迅速有序驰援湖北,生动展现了中国特色社会主义制度“集中力量办大事”的优势。

我们将秉持人类命运共同体理念,积极开展抗疫国际和地区合作。我们将扩大抗疫双多边合作,继续同世卫组织保持良好沟通,探索开展跨国联防联控,加强卫生、检疫、交通、出入境等部门协调,及时分享疫情信息、防控措施和研究成果,加强抗病毒药物及疫苗联合研发。我们也将在全面有力防控本国疫情的同时,向其他出现疫情扩散的国家和地区提供力所能及的援助,发挥负责任大国作用。

我们将秉持人类命运共同体理念,深入参与全球公共卫生治理。公共卫生危机是人类面临的共同挑战。此次疫情暴露出全球公共卫生治理的短板,凸显了加强这一领域治理体系建设的紧迫性。中国将与国际社会团结应对全球公共卫生挑战。支持联合国及世卫组织在应对突发公共卫生事件、健全完善全球公共卫生治理机制中发挥核心作用。提升公共卫生问题在国际议程中的位置,推进健康领域重大国际合作项目,积极打造“健康丝绸之路”。

我们将秉持人类命运共同体理念,携手应对非传统安全挑战。我们身处一个传统安全与非传统安全问题相互交织的时代,包括重大传染性疾病在内的各种非传统安全问题对人类社会构成日益严峻的挑战。中国将积极践行共同、综合、合作、可持续的新安全观,致力于加强在非传统安全领域的对话与沟通,增进各方理解与互信,促进应对非传统安全威胁的国际合作进程,不断丰富构建人类命运共同体的内涵与实践。

Source: People’s Daily, March 3, 2020
http://world.people.com.cn/n1/2020/0303/c1002-31613843.html