China Regains Confidence in Quarantine, Actively Taking on the Role of COVID-19 'Supporter'

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Park Sun-mi] China, gaining confidence in its control measures as the number of new COVID-19 cases dropped to 40, is preparing to actively support countries around the world struggling with the spread of COVID-19. In the early stages of the outbreak, China received various forms of support from countries worldwide, but as the spread of COVID-19 has somewhat stabilized, China is showing signs of shifting from a recipient to a contributor.

◆ China’s Confidence in COVID-19 'Control Card' Accompanied by Lockdowns = On the 9th, China’s state-run Global Times praised that the world is witnessing the advantages of the socialist system in China’s battle against COVID-19, including efficient decision-making, effective mobilization of resources, and integrated utilization. It also reported that the World Health Organization (WHO) and the medical journal The Lancet have recognized the effectiveness of the Chinese approach to infectious disease prevention and control.

The COVID-19 control methods adopted by countries worldwide are boosting China’s confidence that it has set a good example in epidemic prevention. China imposed a full lockdown on Wuhan, Hubei Province, where cases were concentrated, on January 23, the early stage of the outbreak, and soon other regions followed Wuhan’s lockdown measures with varying degrees of strictness. At the time, there was criticism outside China regarding the indiscriminate 'lockdowns,' but now it is acknowledged that China’s lockdown measures played the most decisive role in preventing the spread of COVID-19, with some even expressing regret that the lockdowns should have been implemented earlier.

China’s precedent is also influencing control directions in other countries. In Italy, where confirmed cases surpassed 7,000, an announcement was made to impose lockdown measures restricting the movement of 16 million people, equivalent to one-quarter of the total population, over the weekend. The lockdown areas include major cities such as Milan, Venice, Modena, Parma, Piacenza, Reggio Emilia, and Rimini, and the lockdown will continue until March 3.

◆ China Provides Medical Supplies and Medical Teams to Countries Worldwide = As the spread of COVID-19 begins to subside in China, the country has shifted to actively supporting other countries with medical supplies and medical teams.

According to CGTN, a subsidiary of China Central Television (CCTV), China dispatched a specialized team to Iraq last weekend to help contain the spread of COVID-19. The seven-member Chinese team, sent by the Red Cross Society of China and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, will stay in Iraq for a month to share China’s experience in epidemic prevention activities. This is the second time China has sent a specialized team to the Middle East to combat the spread of COVID-19. On February 29, China also dispatched a specialized team to Iran to fight the infectious disease.

Chinese companies are preparing to export masks and other epidemic prevention supplies to the United States, which has lifted tariffs on Chinese medical products.

The Global Times reported, "Although China’s current production capacity cannot fully meet global demand, Chinese companies are preparing documents to obtain U.S. quality approval to sell medical masks and protective clothing in the United States."

The newspaper also noted that China is accelerating domestic production of medical and epidemic prevention supplies to meet global demand and reminded readers of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce’s announcement that China does not ban mask exports.

Currently, China is the world’s largest mask producer, accounting for 50% of global production annually. The daily average mask production in China exceeds 100 million units. Mei Xinyu, a researcher at the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, said, "When Chinese factories resume operations, they can serve as a 'weapon depot' for the global fight against COVID-19." She added that some Chinese exporters with sales networks in the U.S. and Europe are increasingly recognizing the need to cooperate with local companies in those countries to produce epidemic prevention supplies such as masks.

A manufacturer in Shanghai producing epidemic prevention masks said, "Currently, most of the production is used domestically, but we are striving to export masks to countries outside China where the virus is spreading, including South Korea, Japan, Europe, and the United States."

◆ China Records Lowest Number of New Cases Since January Statistics Began = As the COVID-19 spread in China shows signs of calming, expectations are growing that China is nearing victory in its battle against the virus.

According to the announcement by China’s National Health Commission on the 9th, only 40 new confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported nationwide on the 8th. This is the lowest since nationwide statistics began in late January.

Of the 40 cases, 36 were from Wuhan, Hubei Province, the known epicenter of COVID-19. The remaining four were overseas imported cases reported in Gansu Province, meaning that excluding Hubei, there were effectively zero new confirmed cases within China on that day. The number of new deaths was 22, with 21 in Hubei Province and one in Guangdong Province. The number of new suspected cases was 60.

So far, a total of 80,735 people in China have been confirmed with COVID-19. Among them, 58,600 have recovered and been discharged, and 3,119 have died. Currently, 19,016 confirmed patients are receiving treatment in hospitals.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.