"China Responds Well"... China Aiming for Global Leadership Through COVID-19 Diplomacy

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Sunmi Park] China’s diplomatic activities under the banner of COVID-19 are expanding. Having already passed the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak and entered a stabilization phase, China is actively engaging in COVID-19 response diplomacy to garner international support for its epidemic prevention capabilities and is positioning itself as a savior that can help the world.

◆Xi Jinping sends messages of consolation to leaders of four European countries: France, Germany, Spain, and Serbia= According to China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency on the 22nd, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent messages of consolation the previous day to the leaders of four European countries?France, Germany, Spain, and Serbia?that are facing a crisis due to the spread of COVID-19, expressing China’s willingness to assist these countries.

In the message to French President Emmanuel Macron, Xi expressed gratitude to the French government and all sectors of society for supporting China’s efforts to fight the COVID-19 virus, stating, “The Chinese government and people firmly support France’s efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and hope to achieve victory in curbing the spread through mutual cooperation.” He added, “China wishes to promote international cooperation on COVID-19 prevention with France,” and further stated, “We support the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO) playing a key role in improving global public health governance and want to build a community of shared health for mankind.”

President Xi also told German Chancellor Angela Merkel, “If Germany needs it, China wants to do its utmost to assist in COVID-19 prevention,” proposing, “Let us share information and experiences on COVID-19 prevention to strengthen efforts, and cooperate in areas such as patient treatment and vaccine research to protect the health and welfare of the peoples of both countries and the world.”

In the message to King Felipe VI of Spain, Xi emphasized that “humanity is a community with a shared future,” stressing, “Only through unity and cooperation can we overcome this public health security challenge. If China and Spain work together with the international community, we will surely win the battle against COVID-19.” He also mentioned the importance China places on the development of relations with Spain, saying, “Fighting COVID-19 together will further strengthen the friendship and trust between our two countries.” Xi also sent a message of consolation to Serbian President Aleksandar Vu?i?, promising to provide protective supplies, medical equipment, and medical personnel support.

Earlier, President Xi had also sent messages of consolation to the leaders of South Korea, Italy, and Iran, countries severely affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, pledging active support.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

◆China earns praise for its epidemic prevention capabilities= Facing accusations from U.S. politicians who label COVID-19 as the “Chinese virus” and blame China for the global spread of the pandemic, China is also striving to gain support from friendly countries that recognize its epidemic prevention efforts as playing a significant role in helping the world.

On the 20th, the Chinese Communist Party’s official newspaper, People’s Daily, reported on a phone call between President Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, highlighting Russia’s praise for China’s COVID-19 response capabilities. Xi told President Putin, “After hard efforts, the epidemic prevention situation in China is moving in a positive direction. Production and daily life order are quickly recovering. China has the confidence and ability to win the battle against COVID-19.”

In response, President Putin said, “The Chinese government has taken outstanding measures to contain the epidemic, making an important contribution to protecting the health and safety of not only the Chinese people but also the world.” He added, “Russia highly appreciates and welcomes China’s efforts,” and emphasized, “China’s immediate support to countries affected by COVID-19 sets a good example for the international community. This behavior is a clear response to provocations by some countries and attempts to stigmatize China.”

During a summit with Pakistani President Arif Alvi, who visited China on the 16th and 17th, President Xi also received praise for China’s COVID-19 control capabilities and response methods. Chinese state media focused on President Alvi’s remarks, stating, “Under President Xi’s leadership, China’s battle against COVID-19 has achieved important results. China’s experience serves as a good example for other countries,” and “Pakistan consistently supports China on issues related to China’s core interests and will maintain close relations and strengthen cooperation with China.”

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

◆China reports 1 new domestic COVID-19 case; remaining 45 cases are imported= According to China’s COVID-19 case updates, the number of newly confirmed domestic COVID-19 cases has significantly decreased, while imported cases continue to be reported. Although China’s internal epidemic prevention is making progress, the continuous influx of cases from abroad is creating an opportunity for China to criticize the world’s COVID-19 response efforts.

On the 22nd, China’s National Health Commission announced that there were 46 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and 6 new deaths in mainland China the previous day. Of the new confirmed cases, 45 were imported cases from overseas, and only 1 case was reported within mainland China. This is the first domestic new case in four days since the 18th.

The imported cases were reported in Shanghai (14), Beijing (13), Guangdong Province (7), Fujian Province (4), Jiangsu Province (2), Hebei Province (1), Zhejiang Province (1), Jiangxi Province (1), Shandong Province (1), and Sichuan Province (1). The number of imported cases has been steadily increasing, with 34 on the 18th, 39 on the 19th, 41 on the 20th, and 45 on the 21st, totaling 314 cases so far.

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