Liao Liqiang: China and Afghanistan join hands to fight the epidemic to build a community of health and safety destiny.

Author: Liao Liqiang (Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Arab Republic of Egypt)

After painstaking efforts and great sacrifices, China has achieved important results in the prevention and control of the new coronary pneumonia epidemic in China, and the order of economic and social life has been restored at an accelerated pace. However, the epidemic is still spreading around the world, including the Arab world, and the situation is worrying.

An Arab proverb says, "A friend who appears in times of difficulty is a true friend". At the critical moment of China's fight against the epidemic, Arab countries, proceeding from the traditional friendship and strategic partnership between China and Arab countries, have expressed their fraternal and firm support to the Chinese government and people. On March 23, President Xi Jinping had a telephone conversation with Egyptian President Sisi. President Xi Jinping pointed out that after the outbreak of the epidemic, Egypt has expressed its support for China's fight against the epidemic, reflecting the profound friendship between China and Egypt and the high level of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. Sisi said that Egypt has always firmly believed that China can successfully overcome the epidemic and will become stronger. In addition to the President of Egypt, the King of Saudi Arabia, the Emir of Qatar, and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi of the United Arab Emirates also spoke to President Xi Jinping. The heads of state of Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, the United Arab Emirates, Mauritania, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Iraq sent letters to President Xi Jinping. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Qatar and other countries have provided China with various

Material assistance. On February 27, the 53rd meeting of the Council of Arab Ministers of Health was held at the headquarters of the Arab League in Cairo. The Chinese Ambassador to Egypt and the representative of the Arab League were specially invited to introduce China's positive progress in the fight against the epidemic. The meeting adopted a resolution and issued a statement, highly appreciating China's efforts in preventing the spread of the new coronary pneumonia epidemic and believing that China has the ability to fully control the epidemic and promote international cooperation in the global fight against the epidemic. In addition, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and other countries have also expressed their support for China's fight against the new coronary pneumonia epidemic by lighting up local cultural heritage and landmarks, and it is encouraging that friends from a number of Arab countries have spontaneously filmed small videos shouting "Come on, China.

"The Book of Songs" has a famous sentence: "Thow me with a peach and repay me with Qiong Yao". China has provided multifaceted support to Arab countries as the neo-coronary pneumonia epidemic rages in the Arab world. The first is

Medical supplies support. China has provided several batches of urgently needed medical supplies to Iraq, Egypt and other Arab countries, including N95 masks, testing reagents, and protective clothing. The second is the exchange of experience in prevention and treatment. On March 26, China held a video conference with health experts on the new coronary pneumonia epidemic with countries in West Asia and North Africa. About 200 health officials and experts from 16 Arab countries, including Egypt, Algeria, Palestine, Lebanon, Kuwait and Qatar, as well as the Gulf Cooperation Council, attended the meeting online to exchange experience in prevention and control. The third is to share medical research results. China provides the latest diagnosis and treatment options for COVID-19 to Arab countries. The fourth is to send a team of volunteer experts. The Red Cross Society of China sent a team of medical experts to the front lines of the epidemic in Iraq to assist the Iraqi Government in the prevention and treatment of the new coronary pneumonia epidemic, as well as in the detection, treatment and follow-up of the new coronary pneumonia epidemic, and actively considered sending medical teams to other countries with serious epidemics to provide support.

Health cooperation has always been an important area of China-Arab friendship and cooperation. In August 2019, the second China-Arab States Health Cooperation Forum was successfully held in Beijing, and through the Beijing Initiative on China-Arab States Health Cooperation 2019, it is clear that all parties will strengthen the docking of health strategies and policies. to build a Sino-Arab community with a shared future in the field of health. The neo-coronary pneumonia epidemic has once again brought profound enlightenment to the international community: in the era of globalization, the destinies of all countries are linked and interdependent, and building a community of human destiny is the only correct direction for the development and progress of human society. In this unprecedented fight against the epidemic, China has worked side by side with Arab countries and the international community, upheld the concept of a community of human destiny, actively carried out international and regional cooperation in the fight against the epidemic, deeply participated in global public health governance, and joined hands to address non-traditional security challenges. In the face of the epidemic, China will never shrink back, let alone stand alone, and will always demonstrate its responsibility as a responsible major country to build a solid and strong line of defense for the global fight against the epidemic.

In order to jointly win the fight against the new coronary pneumonia epidemic, China will also work to promote anti-epidemic cooperation with Arab countries in the following four aspects: first, to strengthen docking, coordinate prevention and control strategies, and share epidemic information, prevention and control experience and research results in a timely manner; second, to give full play to the existing mechanism of the China-Arab Health Cooperation Forum to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the field of health; third, to be scientific and rational to overcome panic, in accordance with the International Health Regulations and the professional guidance of the World Health Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization, joint prevention and control are carried out to resist lies and rumors; the fourth is to turn crises into opportunities, cultivate new growth points for cooperation, and continue to deepen the fields of trade, investment, and finance. Strategic cooperation.

As President Xi Jinping pointed out at the special summit of the Group of Twenty leaders on March 26, "At present, what the international community needs most is to strengthen confidence, work together, unite in response, comprehensively strengthen international cooperation, and unite a strong force to overcome the epidemic. Join hands to win this human struggle against major infectious diseases." Although the situation is grim, confidence is precious; although the mission is arduous, hope lies ahead. We will certainly be able to defeat the new coronary pneumonia epidemic as soon as possible, not only to protect the health and safety of the Chinese and Arab people, but also to make an important contribution to the health of mankind!