ChinesePresidentXiJinpingdeliversaspeechattheopeningofthe73rdWorldHealthAssemblyviavideolinkinBeijing,capitalofChina,May18,2020.(Xinhua/LiXueren)FightingCOVID-19ThroughSolidarityandCooperationBuildingaGlobalCommunityofHealthforAllStatementbyH.E.XiJinpingPresidentofthePeople’sRepublicofChinaAtVirtualEventofOpeningofthe73rdWorldHealthAssemblyBeijing,18May2020PresidentoftheWorldHealthAssembly,DirectorGeneraloftheWorldHealthOrganization,DearDelegates,Tobeginwith,IwishtosaythatitisofsignificantimportanceforthisWorldHealthAssemblytobeheldatsuchacriticalmomentasthehumanracebattlesthisnovelcoronavirus.WhatwearefacingisthemostseriousglobalpublichealthemergencysincetheendofWorldWarII.Catchingtheworldbysurprise,COVID-19hashitover210countriesandregions,affectedmorethansevenbillionpeoplearoundtheworldandclaimedover300,000preciouslives.Imournforeverylifelostandexpresscondolencestothebereavedfamilies.Thehistoryofhumancivilizationisoneoffightingdiseasesandtidingoverdisasters.Thevirusdoesnotrespectborders.Norisraceornationalityrelevantinthefaceofthedisease.ConfrontedbytheravagesofCOVID-19,theinternationalcommunityhasnotflinched.Thepeopleofallcountrieshavetackledthevirusheadon.Aroundtheworld,peoplehavelookedoutforeachotherandpulledtogetherasone.Withloveandcompassion,wehaveforgedextraordinarysynergyinthefightagainstCOVID-19.InChina,aftermakingpainstakingeffortsandenormoussacrifice,wehaveturnedthetideonthevirusandprotectedthelifeandhealthofourpeople.Allalong,wehaveactedwithopenness,transparencyandresponsibility.WehaveprovidedinformationtoWHOandrelevantcountriesinamosttimelyfashion.Wehavereleasedthegenomesequenceattheearliestpossibletime.Wehavesharedcontrolandtreatmentexperiencewiththeworldwithoutreservation.Wehavedoneeverythinginourpowertosupportandassistcountriesinneed.Mr.President,Evenaswemeet,thevirusisstillraging,andmoremustbedonetobringitundercontrol.Tothisend,Iwanttomakethefollowingproposals:First,wemustdoeverythingwecanforCOVID-19controlandtreatment.Thisisamosturgenttask.Wemustalwaysputthepeoplefirst,fornothingintheworldismorepreciousthanpeople’slives.Weneedtodeploymedicalexpertiseandcriticalsuppliestoplaceswheretheyareneededthemost.Weneedtotakestrongstepsinsuchkeyareasasprevention,quarantine,detection,treatmentandtracing.Weneedtomoveasfastaswecantocurbtheglobalspreadofthevirusanddoourbesttostemcross-bordertransmission.Weneedtostepupinformationsharing,exchangeexperienceandbestpractice,andpursueinternationalcooperationontestingmethods,clinicaltreatment,andvaccineandmedicineresearchanddevelopment.Wealsoneedtocontinuesupportingglobalresearchbyscientistsonthesourceandtransmissionroutesofthevirus.Second,theWorldHealthOrganizationshouldleadtheglobalresponse.UndertheleadershipofDr.Tedros,WHOhasmadeamajorcontributioninleadingandadvancingtheglobalresponsetoCOVID-19.Itsgoodworkisapplaudedbytheinternationalcommunity.Atthiscrucialjuncture,tosupportWHOistosupportinternationalcooperationandthebattleforsavinglivesaswell.ChinacallsontheinternationalcommunitytoincreasepoliticalandfinancialsupportforWHOsoastomobilizeresourcesworldwidetodefeatthevirus.Third,wemustprovidegreatersupportforAfrica.Developingcountries,Africancountriesinparticular,haveweakerpublichealthsystems.HelpingthembuildcapacitymustbeourtoppriorityinCOVID-19response.Theworldneedstoprovidemorematerial,technologicalandpersonnelsupportforAfricancountries.Chinahassentatremendousamountofmedicalsuppliesandassistancetoover50AfricancountriesandtheAfricanUnion.FiveChinesemedicalexpertteamshavealsobeensenttotheAfricancontinent.Intotal,inthepastsevendecades,over200millionpeopleinAfricahavereceivedcareandtreatmentfromChinesemedicalteams.Atpresent,46residentChinesemedicalteamsareinAfricahelpingwithCOVID-19containmenteffortslocally.Fourth,wemuststrengthenglobalgovernanceintheareaofpublichealth.Wehumanbeingswilleventuallyprevailoverthecoronavirus.Yetthismaynotbethelasttimeamajorhealthemergencycomesknockingatourdoor.InviewoftheweaknessesanddeficienciesexposedbyCOVID-19,weneedtoimprovethegovernancesystemforpublichealthsecurity.Weneedtorespondmorequicklytopublichealthemergenciesandestablishglobalandregionalreservecentersofanti-epidemicsupplies.ChinasupportstheideaofacomprehensivereviewoftheglobalresponsetoCOVID-19afteritisbroughtundercontroltosumupexperienceandaddressdeficiencies.Thisworkshouldbebasedonscienceandprofessionalism,ledbyWHOandconductedinanobjectiveandimpartialmanner.Fifth,wemustrestoreeconomicandsocialdevelopment.Whileworkingonanongoingbasistocontainthevirus,countrieswhereconditionspermitmayreopenbusinessesandschoolsinanorderlyfashioninobservanceofWHO’sprofessionalrecommendations.Inthemeantime,internationalmacroeconomicpolicycoordinationshouldbesteppedupandtheglobalindustrialandsupplychainsbekeptstableanduncloggedifwearetorestoregrowthtotheworldeconomy.Sixth,wemuststrengtheninternationalcooperation.Mankindisacommunitywithasharedfuture.Solidarityandcooperationisourmostpowerfulweaponfordefeatingthevirus.ThisisthekeylessontheworldhaslearnedfromfightingHIV/AIDS,Ebola,avianinfluenza,influenzaA(H1N1)andothermajorepidemics.Andsolidarityandcooperationisasurewaythroughwhichwe,thepeopleoftheworld,candefeatthisnovelcoronavirus.Mr.President,Chinastandsforthevisionofbuildingacommunitywithasharedfutureformankind.Chinatakesitasitsresponsibilitytoensurenotjustthelifeandhealthofitsowncitizens,butalsoglobalpublichealth.ForthesakeofboostinginternationalcooperationagainstCOVID-19,Iwouldliketoannouncethefollowing:—ChinawillprovideUS$2billionovertwoyearstohelpwithCOVID-19responseandwitheconomicandsocialdevelopmentinaffectedcountries,especiallydevelopingcountries.—ChinawillworkwiththeUNtosetupaglobalhumanitarianresponsedepotandhubinChina,ensuretheoperationofanti-epidemicsupplychainsandfoster“greencorridors”forfast-tracktransportationandcustomsclearance.—Chinawillestablishacooperationmechanismforitshospitalstopairupwith30AfricanhospitalsandacceleratethebuildingoftheAfricaCDCheadquarterstohelpthecontinentrampupitsdiseasepreparednessandcontrolcapacity.—COVID-19vaccinedevelopmentanddeploymentinChina,whenavailable,willbemadeaglobalpublicgood.ThiswillbeChina’scontributiontoensuringvaccineaccessibilityandaffordabilityindevelopingcountries.—ChinawillworkwithotherG20memberstoimplementtheDebtServiceSuspensionInitiativeforthepoorestcountries.Chinaisalsoreadytoworkwiththeinternationalcommunitytobolstersupportforthehardest-hitcountriesunderthegreateststrainofdebtservice,sothattheycouldtideoverthecurrentdifficulties.Toconclude,Icallonallofustocometogetherandworkasone.Let’smakeconcertedeffortstoprotectthelifeandhealthofpeopleinallcountries.Let’sworktogethertosafeguardplanetEarth,ourcommonhome.Let’sworktogethertobuildaglobalcommunityofhealthforall!Ithankyou.