Recently, upon the 71st Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Barbados, Yan Xiusheng published a signed article entitled "Combating COVID-19 Hand in Hand, Building a Bright Future for Mankind " in the mainstream media of Barbados, The Advocate Newspaper, Nations and Barbados Today. Following is the full context of Ambassador Yan's article:
Combating COVID-19 Hand in Hand
Building a Bright Future for Mankind
--Warmly Celebrating the 71st Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China
October 1, 2020 marks the 71st anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
This year is an extraordinary year in human history. At the beginning of this year, a serious infectious disease silently attacked our world. As one of the first countries hit by the first wave of COVID-19, China responded with the principle of people first and life first. Under the strong leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, and through the hard work and sacrifice of Chinese people, as well as the support from friendly foreign countries and people, China took about one month to initially contain the spread of the epidemic, two months to keep the daily new domestic cases within single digits, and three months to achieve a decisive victory in the battle to defend Hubei Province and its capital city Wuhan, the hardest-hit city in China. And then, China has effectively contained sporadic outbreaks in the next few months. And now China has made major strategic achievements in response to COVID-19. Based on these achievements, China coordinated epidemic-control work with the economic and social development tasks, intensified macroeconomic policy responses, and worked hard to restore production and living order of its people. Up to now, the Chinese economy has recovered steadily, with the resumption of work and production improving month by month. The economic growth in the second quarter was significantly better than expected, and the GDP growth rate has changed from negative to positive, increasing by 3.2%. China has become the first major economy to return to growth.
Currently, the COVID-19 pandemic is still spreading globally. We fully understand that when mankind has entered a new era of interconnectedness, our interests are intertwined and our future are closely linked to each other. No country can be left alone to deal with COVID-19 and other global challenges. China needs a good world, and the development of the world cannot do without China. Upholding the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, China has always been committed to making contributions for global epidemic prevention and control as well as the economic and social recovery.
On one hand, China actively participates in international anti-epidemic cooperation to help countries around the world overcome the epidemic as soon as possible. China has been doing its best to provide assistance to the international community although in the face of tremendous pressure on its own epidemic situation domestically. China twice donated funds to the World Health Organization totaling 50 million U.S. dollars, sent 34 medical expert teams to 32 countries, provided 283 batches of anti-epidemic assistance to 150 countries and 4 international organizations, and exported anti-epidemic PPEs to more than 200 countries and regions. Taking surgical masks alone for example, China totally exported 151.5 billion masks from March 15 to September 6 this year. In addition, China also provided a huge number of protective gowns, goggles, ventilators, testing kits, etc., which strongly support global epidemic prevention and control. Currently, several Chinese COVID-19 vaccines have entered phase III clinical trials. At the opening ceremony of the 73rd World Health Assembly video conference, H.E. President Xi Jinping stated that after China's COVID-19 vaccine is completed and put into use, it will serve as a global public product as China's contribution to the accessibility and affordability of vaccines in developing countries. China sincerely hopes that through its practical actions, we can save more lives around the world and jointly build a global community of health for all.
On the other hand, China is working hard to restore economic and social development and provide impetus for the recovery and prosperity of the world economy. 2020 is the year when China will complete the work of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and its 13th Five-Year Plan, as well as the year of decisive victory for the elimination of poverty. Facing the unprecedented risks and challenges brought by the COVID-19, China, with regular epidemic prevention and control measures, will promote a new development pattern that takes the domestic market as the mainstay while letting internal and external markets boost each other. China will continue with supply-side structural reform while further boost domestic demand. The aim is to achieve the annual economic and social development goals, especially to ensure that all rural poor people are lifted out of poverty under current standards and energy consumption per unit of GDP and the discharge of major pollutants continue to decline, which will be China's new contribution to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and global responses to climate change. H.E. President Xi Jinping recently declared at the General Debate of the 75th Session of The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) that China will scale up its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions by adopting more vigorous policies and measures. China will aim to have CO2 emissions peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. Meanwhile, China will further comprehensively improve its opening-up level, provide broader market opportunities for other countries, which will act as a sustained and stable growth momentum for the recovery and prosperity of the world economy.
Since the diplomatic relation was established in 1977, China and Barbados have become good friends and partners. The two countries have continuously made new progress in political mutual trust, pragmatic cooperation and people-to-people connectivity. Our partnership has demonstrated a good example in international relations of mutual respect and equality between different sized countries. The solidarity and cooperation to combat the current epidemic brought us even closer. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19, H.E. President Xi Jinping and the Hon. Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley wrote to each other, showing their solidarity to fight together against the virus. China has donated medical supplies to Barbados, organized online seminar between top Chinese front line medical experts and their counterparts in Barbados to share knowledge and experience in epidemic prevention and control. We are delighted to see that the epidemic situation in Barbados has been effectively controlled and the recovery of economic and social life is on the way. China is willing to continue to provide assistance within its capacity to Barbados and be a reliable partner in the development process of Barbados.
As H.E. President Xi Jinping stated at the General Debate of the 75th Session of UNGA, the history of development of human society is a history of our struggles against all challenges and difficulties and our victories over them. The reason why human society has continued for thousands of years is because we, human beings never yield, waver or balk in the face of any difficulty or risk; is because we keep fighting for a bright future against all odds. In this regard, China is willing to work with Barbados to conform to the global historical trend, consolidate the friendly relations between our two countries, join hands and work side by side to overcome the epidemic and other challenges, meet a better tomorrow together, and build a community with a shared future for China and Barbados.
