Sultan M Hali
CHINA’S heroic battle with COVID-19 continues but dissenting international voices persist. According to the latest update from the Chinese National Health Commission, 1,846 patients have been cured and discharged from hospitals in China’s mainland, bringing the total number of cured cases to 24,734. New confirmed cases in China excluding Hubei Province stood at 45 on February 23, marking a decline for the 20th consecutive day. Rumours that COVID-19 may have originated from China’s biological warfare program and it is a bio-weapon leaked from a lab continues but the Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson has strongly refuted such outlandish suggestions. He stated that the Chinese people are fighting an all-out war against COVID-19 not just for its own sake, but also for global public health security. At this particular time, it is either with malicious intentions or absurd ignorance that certain individuals and media outlets are spreading such sensational hearsay.
The WHO has said repeatedly there is no evidence that COVID-19 was engineered in a laboratory or created by the manufacture of biological weapons. Besides the war on virus, China is also battling conspiracy theories. Many of the world’s leading medical experts also believe that such allegations as “laboratory leakage” or “biological weapons development” have no scientific basis whatsoever. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson pointed out that on 18 February, the Lancet, an authoritative international medical journal, published a joint statement signed by 27 of the world’s leading scientists in the field of public health in support of the Chinese research, health and medical professionals fighting the outbreak, which strongly condemns the conspiracy theories circulating online. The statement said scientists from multiple countries have analyzed genomes of the causative agent, and they overwhelmingly conclude that this coronavirus originated in wildlife, as have other emerging pathogens. Conspiracy theories do nothing but create fear, rumors and prejudice that jeopardize global collaboration in the fight against this virus. These scientists also call for respect for the professional advice of the WHO.
The world should take cognizance of the fact that in the face of an epidemic, science, rationality and cooperation is essential. China seeks the triumph of science over ignorance, dispel rumors with truth and replace prejudice with cooperation. It hopes that the international community, while fighting COVID-19 together, will continue to combat conspiracy theories and other “political viruses”. In these trying times, ROK’s new Consul-General to Wuhan Kang Seung-seok has already arrived to assume office. He arrived aboard a chartered plane carrying donated medical supplies from his country. As the fight against the epidemic in China enters a crucial stage, the ROK arrangement showcases the great importance it attaches to bilateral relations and its support for China. Since the outbreak of the epidemic, President Moon Jae-in and other ROK politicians have said that as close neighbours, Republic of Korea and China should help and support each other in times of difficulty. The ROK will spare no efforts in assisting and coordinating with China to counter this challenge. The ROK Embassy in China put up a banner saying, “we take China’s difficulty as ours”. Seoul’s landmark buildings are lit up with the words “Stay strong, Wuhan and China”. These are strong messages that the ROK stands together with China. The ROK government and people from all walks of life have made generous donations.
There is a saying in the ROK to the effect that “the earth becomes more solid once it dries after a heavy rain”. The epidemic will only bring the Chinese people closer. The Chinese Ambassador to Islamabad, His Excellency Yao Jing was asked by a local correspondent regarding The Wall Street Journal op-ed titled ‘Sick Man of Asia’, resurrecting a late 20th century racist tag for China. Yao Jing, in his usual suave diplomatic style retorted, that he did not believe in comments originating from “sick minds.” Pakistan has expressed solidarity with China in its moment of crisis. Prime Minister Imran Khan called Chinese President Xi Jinping and offered full support of Pakistan. According to a statement from the PM’s office, “Prime Minister conveyed his heartfelt condolences over the precious lives lost due to the outbreak of the virus. He praised the relentless efforts undertaken by China for containing and controlling coronavirus and underscored that the people and the government of Pakistan stood firmly behind China in its decisive efforts to fight and eliminate the virus.”
The Pakistani Prime Minister, while talking to the Chinese President, repeated his government’s offer to send a fully equipped field hospital along with a team of doctors to help China deal with the crisis. Pakistan has, meanwhile, provided emergency supplies, including masks, protective clothing and gloves to China during the onslaught of the COVID-19. President Xi thanked Pakistan for its support at the critical juncture. Chinese authorities have set up 11 makeshift hospitals and over 400 medical quarantine sites, with a total of 70,000 hospital beds in Wuhan, the city at the centre of the epidemic. The Pakistan Embassy in Beijing sent two of its diplomats to visit Wuhan and meet with the Pakistani students quarantined in the metropolis. Seven Pakistani students studying in China were affected by the virus out of which six have fully recovered. A total of 29 foreign nationals in China were infected with the virus. Meanwhile, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing stated that China appreciates the support and solidarity expressed by the people and government of Pakistan in combating the coronavirus outbreak.
—The writer is retired PAF Group Captain and a TV talk show host.
