Ambassador Xu Hong’s Speech at the Webnar on Covid-19 Hosted by the Diplomat Magazine
驻荷兰大使徐宏在驻荷使节与媒体新冠疫情网络论坛上的讲话
May 21 2020
2020年5月21日
Dear Dr. De Lara, Your Excellencies, friends from the press,
尊敬的德拉拉博士、各位大使阁下、记者朋友们，
Good afternoon.
大家下午好。
Thanks to the Diplomat Magazine for hosting this event.
感谢《外交官杂志》举办此次活动。
This is not our first cooperation with Diplomat Magazine. Our last cooperation was a press briefing on Covid-19 held in Crowne Plaza on February 26, the day before the first confirmed case of Covid-19 was reported in the Netherlands. At that time, we already noticed that the virus has started to spread in some European countries. And I called for the fastest and most determined measures to control it. Almost three months has passed since then. During the three months, we have witnessed the epidemic curve in the Netherlands went up to a peak, and then was flattened and gradually sloped down. In this process, the medical workers have made tremendous efforts and sacrifices. Ordinary citizens have also actively cooperated with the government’s anti-epidemic efforts. The positive effects of the “intelligent lockdown” are being achieved, and the epidemic situation in the Netherlands is getting better and better now. But at the same time, the situation in some other countries in the world is still serious, and there is still a long way to go before the pandemic could be completely controlled.
上次也是与《外交官杂志》合作，我们于2月26日，即荷兰报告第一例新冠确诊病例的前一天，在皇冠酒店举行了专题吹风会。当时我们已经注意到病毒开始在欧洲一些国家蔓延，我呼吁一定要以最快速、最坚决的措施加以控制。一晃将近三个月过去了。在这三个月中，我们见证了荷兰疫情曲线从低到高，又到平稳和逐步下降。在这个过程中，广大医务工作者付出了巨大努力和牺牲，普通市民也积极配合政府的抗疫努力，“理性封城”措施正在产生积极效果，荷兰的抗疫形势正在好转。但同时，世界其他一些国家的抗疫形势依然非常严峻，离完全控制住疫情还有很长的路要走。
About China’s approach to controlling the pandemic, I have given a detailed introduction at the briefing last time. Recently I also responded to some questions of many people’s concern by publishing open letters and articles in newspapers. Here I will mainly introduce the latest updates in China:
关于中国控制疫情的做法，我上次吹风会上作了详细介绍，最近通过在报纸发表公开信和文章的方式也就大家关心的一些问题作了回应。下面我主要介绍一下中国境内疫情的最新情况：
Because of the most comprehensive, thorough and rigorous prevention and control measures in history, after more than three months of arduous fight, China has effectively controlled the pandemic in the mainland. Nearly 80,000 people have been cured and discharged, and the number of confirmed cases remained is 87. Lockdown and control measures across the country, including Wuhan, have basically been lifted. Pandemic containment has become a regular task instead of an emergent one. Normal work and life are being restored. However, due to imported cases and an unknown number of asymptomatic infections, there are still a few new cases every day, and the possibility of an outbreak in some areas cannot be ruled out. Therefore, the Chinese government takes a very vigilant attitude and strictly prevents this from happening. Recently, in order to find out the number of asymptomatic infections in Wuhan, China decided to conduct comprehensive nucleic acid test on more than 10 million people in the city.
由于采取了史上最全面、最彻底和最严格的防控措施，经过三个多月艰苦卓绝的奋战，中国已经基本控制了内地的疫情，近8万人治愈出院，现有确诊病例87例，包括武汉在内的全国各地封控措施基本解除，疫情防控从紧急状态转为常态化，正常的工作和生活正在恢复。但由于存在输入性病例以及不明数量的无症状感染者，每天仍有少数几个新病例出现，疫情在局部地区再度暴发的可能性不能排除。因此，中国政府采取非常警惕的态度，严防此种情况的发生。最近，为了摸清武汉市无症状感染者的数量，决定对全城1000多万人进行核酸检测。
The complete control of the pandemic depends on the vaccines. Chinese scientists have been working hard to this end and are working closely with foreign scientists. At present, China has made good progress in vaccine research and development. Five vaccines have entered clinical trials. If everything goes well, these vaccines will complete phase II clinical trials in July this year. “COVID-19 vaccine development and deployment in China, when available, will be made a global public good,” said president Xi. This will be China’s contribution to ensuring vaccine accessibility and affordability in developing countries.
彻底控制疫情有赖于疫苗的出现，中国科学家一直在为此而努力，并与外国科学家开展密切合作。目前，中国在疫苗研发方面已经取得了可喜进展，已有五款疫苗进入临床试验，如果一切顺利，这些疫苗将在今年7月陆续完成二期临床试验。中国新冠疫苗研发完成并投入使用后，将作为全球公共产品，为实现疫苗在发展中国家的可及性和可担负性作出中国贡献。
China’s containment of the pandemic will not be successful without the support and cooperation of the international community, which gives us warmth and strength. The Chinese people will always remember it. Since coronavirus spread in other countries, China has continued to provide the international community with the support and assistance within its capacity. On February 29, China sent its first medical team abroad. Until mid-April, China has sent 14 medical expert teams to 12 countries, provided medical supplies to more than 150 countries and international organizations, and shared the containment experience, diagnosis and treatment plans with 180 countries and 10 international and regional organizations, held nearly 100 video conferences in total, and donated 50 million US Dollars to the World Health Organization. Faced with the global shortage of medical supplies, China, as the world’s largest producer of medical protective suits and masks, races time to meet the needs of other countries. We made every effort to increase medical supplies to the international market. At the end of February, the daily production capacity and output of Chinese masks both exceeded 100 million. Since the 1st of March, China has exported more than 50 billion masks, more than 200 million pieces of protective suits, nearly 200 million test kits, and more than 70,000 ventilators. At the same time, the Chinese government attaches great importance to the quality and safety of exported medical supplies, continuously introduces stricter regulatory measures, and takes all measures to crack down on the violations of laws and regulations.
中国之所以能够成功应对疫情，离不开国际社会的支持和合作，这些都给予我们温暖和力量，中国人民永远铭记在心，而自疫情在其他国家蔓延以来，中国持续向国际社会提供力所能及的支持和帮助。2月29日，中国向国外派出首支医疗队，截至4月中旬，中国已向12国派出14批医疗专家组，向150多个国家和国际组织提供医疗物资，同全球180个国家、10多个国际和地区组织分享疫情防控和诊疗方案，累计举行近百场视频会议，累计向世界卫生组织捐款5000万美元。面对全球医疗物资短缺，中国作为当今世界最大的医用防护服和口罩生产国，急各国之所急，加大力度向国际市场供应防疫物资等产品。2月底，中国口罩日产能产量双双破亿。3月1日以来，中国共出口口罩500多亿只，防护服2亿多件，检测试剂盒近2亿人份；呼吸机7万余台。同时，中国政府高度重视出口医疗物资的产品质量安全，不断出台更加严格的监管措施，采取一切措施严厉打击违法违规行为。
At the opening ceremony of the World Health Assembly this Monday, from the high-level perspective of building a global community of health for all, President Xi Jinping profoundly elaborated China’s anti-epidemic propositions, including calling on countries to support the leadership of WHO, forging international synergy and bolstering support for developing countries, especially African countries, stepping up international macroeconomic policy coordination, keeping the global industrial and supply chains stable and unclogged, and restoring growth to the world economy. President Xi also announced a series of major commitments, including “China will provide 2 billion US dollars over 2 years to help with COVID-19 responses and with economic and social development in affected countries especially developing countries. China will work with the United Nations to set up a global humanitarian response depot and hub in China, ensure the operation of anti-epidemic supply chains and foster green corridors for fast track transportation and customs clearance”, etc. These initiatives and measures have important practical and far-reaching significance for boosting confidence and international anti-epidemic cooperation.
在本周一召开的世界卫生大会上，习近平主席从构建人类卫生健康共同体的高度，深刻阐述中国抗疫主张，包括呼吁各国支持世卫组织领导作用；凝聚国际合力；加大对发展中国家特别是非洲国家的支持；加强国际宏观经济政策协调，维护全球产业链供应链稳定畅通，尽力恢复世界经济等。习主席还宣布了一系列重大承诺，包括中国将在两年内提供20亿美元国际援助，用于支持受疫情影响的国家特别是发展中国家抗疫斗争以及经济社会恢复发展。中国将同联合国合作，在华设立全球人道主义应急仓库和枢纽，努力确保抗疫物资供应链，并建立运输和清关绿色通道等。这些倡议和举措对提振全球抗疫信心，推进国际抗疫合作，擘画未来全球治理体系，具有十分重要的现实和深远意义。
The current global pandemic situation is complex and grim. To overcome the most serious global public health emergency facing humanity since the end of World War II, solidarity and cooperation are the most powerful weapons. China looks forward to working with other countries hand in hand through the sure way of cooperation in fighting against the pandemic in order to win the battle at an early date, and to build a global community of health for all.
当前全球抗疫形势十分复杂严峻，要战胜这场二战结束以来人类面临的最严重的全球公共卫生危机，团结合作是最有力的武器。中国期待同各国携手在合作抗疫的人间正道前行，早日战胜这场疫情，共建人类卫生健康共同体。