XitochairSinoAfricasummitonCOVID19
From: Shenzhen Daily
Updated: 2020-06-17 09:06
President Xi Jinping will preside over an extraordinary China-Africa summit on solidarity against COVID-19 in Beijing today, and deliver a keynote speech, foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced yesterday.
The summit is jointly proposed by China; South Africa, the rotating chair of the African Union (AU); and Senegal, co-chair of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. It will be held via video link.
Leaders of African countries, including members of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government and rotating chairs of major African subregional organizations; and the chairperson of the AU Commission will attend the summit upon invitation.
The secretary-general of the United Nations and the director-general of the World Health Organization will attend the meeting as special guests.
Against the backdrop of the deadly coronavirus pandemic, Chinese authorities have been actively sharing their experiences with their African counterparts. According to official records, medical experts from China have conducted nearly 30 virtual conferences with dozens of African countries as of mid-May. In addition, medical support — including personnel — has also been sent to at least five parts of the continent.
In the fight against the pandemic, China and Africa need solidarity and mutual understanding more than ever, said Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi last month in a phone call with Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedu Andargachew.
The close connection between China and African countries has made some countries “jealous,” said an Algerian diplomat in a recent interview with CGTN.
“China has helped us a lot. The Central Government, provincial governments, local authorities, Chinese enterprises and even individuals have helped Algeria a lot. The materials and medical equipment provided by China are very valuable,” said Ahcene Boukhelfa, Algeria’s ambassador to China.
Ruan Zongze, executive vice president at the China Institute of International Studies, said both China and Africa believe no country can beat off the deadly disease alone in this highly connected world. “We need to help those in need to overcome their difficulties and speed up efforts to build a global community of health for all,” he said.
China-Africa anti-pandemic cooperation is a reflection of China’s firm stance on promoting international cooperation against the global crisis. China delivered batches of medical supplies and sent medical experts to African countries, and Chinese medical teams in Africa have been actively helping local people guard against COVID-19.
China held nearly 400 training programs for tens of thousands of African medical workers, and has also been taking care of Africans in China, treating them like family members. Among more than 3,000 African students in Wuhan and in Hubei Province, only one person got infected and was soon cured, while others have all been safe and sound.
An old Chinese saying goes that when brothers are of the same mind, they have the power to cut through metal. China and Africa, as good brothers sharing weal and woe together, have fought shoulder to shoulder on many international fronts and made their friendship a model for international relations and South-South cooperation.
From supporting each other’s fight for national independence and liberation to seeking common development hand in hand, China and Africa have garnered fruitful results in enhancing their national economies, improving people’s livelihood and boosting the voice of developing countries in the global arena.
It is believed that the upcoming extraordinary summit will provide China and Africa a new chance to enhance mutual trust and solidarity, advance multilateral cooperation, mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and achieve better development for all.