I would like to inform you of a set of figures: According to statistics released by the National Health and Health Commission of China this morning, there were 1,318 new cases cured and discharged from China at 04:00 on March 12, and as of 24:00 on March 12, within China A total of 64,111 discharged patients were cured.
Q: The Group of Twenty (G20) held the second coordinator meeting of the Riyadh Summit yesterday. After the meeting, the “G20 Coordinator Statement on Coronavirus” was issued what opinions do the Chinese have on this issue?
Answer: At present, the epidemic of the new Coronavirus is a “pandemic” in the world. As a major forum for international economic cooperation and an important global crisis response mechanism, the G20 has a special role in strengthening international cooperation and jointly fighting the epidemic. The G20 coordinator actively communicated and coordinated, seeking common ground while shelving differences, and again sent a strong signal of solidarity and cooperation to the outside world on the basis of the G20 Finance and the central bank’s statement. This will help strengthen market confidence and consolidate anti-epidemic synergy, which is of positive significance.
China actively participated in drafting the statement and contributed to promoting the statement. Here I would like to highlight a few points:
First, the epidemic has no national borders. Working together to fight the epidemic is the only correct option for the international community. In the face of the epidemic, no country can survive alone. Only by adhering to the spirit of multilateralism and the common destiny of mankind and helping each other can we overcome the difficulties together. We must oppose unilateralism, mutual accusations and stigma, and inject positive energy into global cooperation.
Second, we support the G20 to come forward again, play a leading role, and unite all parties to fight against the epidemic. Take all necessary fiscal, monetary, and structural policy tools in a timely manner, work from both demand and supply, strengthen macro policy coordination, and promote strong, balanced, sustainable, and inclusive growth of the world economy.
Third, we must firmly maintain an open world economy. The necessary measures taken by countries to respond to the epidemic will inevitably affect trade and investment, but we must try our best to ease international trade tensions, eliminate unilateral tariff measures, and jointly maintain the smoothness of the global industrial chain and supply chain. China is willing to continue to work with the international community through the G20 and other multilateral mechanism platforms to fight the epidemic. I believe we will be able to achieve final victory.
Q: Recently, there is a saying that the U.S. military may have brought Coronavirus to Wuhan. What’s your opinion?
A: We have noticed that there have been some discussions about the source of Coronavirus recently. Several senior US government officials and members of Congress have used this to make all kinds of false and irresponsible remarks and discredit China. We are firmly opposed to this.
In fact, the international community, including the United States, has different views on the source of the virus. China always believes that this is a scientific issue and requires scientific and professional opinions.
Q: We have seen reports that Beijing has announced donations of epidemic prevention materials to Seoul, Tokyo, Yokohama, and Tehran. Do you know when these supplies are in place?
A: Yesterday, the person in charge of the Beijing Foreign Affairs Office introduced the relevant information at the press conference on the prevention and control of the Coronavirus epidemic.
As far as I know, Beijing has been maintaining close communication with the friendly cities of Seoul, Tokyo, Yokohama, Tehran and other friendly cities on the fight against the new crown pneumonia epidemic. At present, these cities are facing huge challenges in the prevention and control of the epidemic, and some of them are facing tight supplies. In this regard, Beijing felt the same, and decided to donate epidemic prevention materials to the above four cities on the premise of ensuring the city’s prevention and control needs, so as to contribute to their fight against the epidemic. It is known to the Beijing Municipality that the anti-epidemic materials donated to Tehran have been passed through the Iranian embassy in China, and the materials donated to the other three cities have also been prepared and will be shipped in the near future.
Here I want to point out that the virus is the common enemy of mankind, and the epidemic has no national borders. Beijingโs donation of epidemic prevention materials to relevant foreign cities is a microcosm of China โs local governmentโs provision of anti-epidemic assistance. Recently, Shanghai, Shandong, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Jilin, Anhui, Jiangsu, Henan and other local governments have also provided epidemic prevention material support through their respective sister cities and other channels. China is willing to continue to fight its own epidemic situation, overcome its own difficulties, and provide help within its capabilities to countries in need.
Q: It is understood that China and South Korea today established a new joint pneumonia epidemic joint prevention and control cooperation mechanism and held the first video conference. What is China’s comment?
A: This morning, the China-South Korea joint prevention and control cooperation mechanism for the Coronavirus epidemic was formally established and the first video conference was held. China has released the news.
The Coronavirus epidemic is a serious challenge facing the international community. Since the outbreak of the epidemic, China and South Korea, as close neighbors, have shared support for each other and provided sincere help, which fully reflects the friendship of watching and helping each other. While doing a good job in preventing and controlling the epidemic in their own countries, the two countries have also strengthened exchanges and cooperation between counterparts and adopted a series of effective joint prevention and control measures. On this basis, in view of the changes in the situation of the epidemic situation in China and South Korea and the international situation, it is very timely and necessary for the two parties to establish a cooperation mechanism for joint prevention and control of the epidemic. This is not only a positive measure to implement the important consensus between the heads of state of the two countries, but also will provide a reference for countries around the world to work together to fight the epidemic.
The first meeting of the mechanism held this morning was efficient and pragmatic. The two sides actively evaluated the two countries early efforts to prevent and control the epidemic and exchanged ideas with their counterparts. They discussed the key directions and specific measures to strengthen cooperation in joint prevention and control in the next step, reducing unnecessary personnel movements, strictly controlling the” four types of personnel “leaving the country, and strengthening exit. A wide consensus was reached on entry quarantine, exchange of prevention and control guidelines and diagnosis and treatment technologies, and good care of foreign students and diasporas in the other country. We hope that the two sides can make good use of this mechanism and the counterpart channels of various departments, further strengthen communication and coordination, coordinate the development of joint prevention and control, jointly overcome the epidemic situation at an early date, improve the health and well-being of the two peoples, and maintain and promote bilateral exchanges and cooperation.
Q: Is it possible that the argument that the US military brought the virus to Wuhan is the position of the Chinese government?
A: I have just introduced China’s position.
The international community, including the United States, has different views on the source of the virus. China always believes that this is a scientific issue and requires scientific and professional opinions.
Q: According to reports, Venezuelan President Maduro said on the 12th that U.S. sanctions have severely affected the country โs domestic epidemic prevention work and demanded that the United States immediately lift unfair and illegal sanctions against Venezuela. On the same day, the US Treasury Department announced sanctions on TNK Trading International, a subsidiary of Rosneft, which engages in oil trade with Venezuela. What is China’s comment?
A: As we all know, the United States sanctions on Venezuela have seriously deteriorated Venezuela’s economy and people’s livelihood, resulting in problems such as difficulty in getting medical treatment for the Venezuelan people. At a critical moment when governments and peoples of all countries are jointly fighting the epidemic of the Coronavirus the United States is resolute in its will and continues to wield a stick of sanctions against the Commission, which is against the minimum humanitarian spirit.
The Chinese side has always called for the peaceful settlement of the Venezuela issue as soon as possible through dialogue and to create conditions for the normal development of Venezuela. We oppose interference in the internal affairs of other countries, unilateral sanctions and so-called “long-arm jurisdiction.” We call on the United States to work with the international community to stop interfering in Venezuela’s internal affairs and lift unilateral sanctions as soon as possible in order to benefit Venezuela’s peace, stability, and development.
