Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, April 6 special feature: The era of global anti-epidemic

Xinhua News Agency reporter Chen Zhi Liu Lina Balvin

The number of diagnoses exceeded 1 million! The death toll exceeded 60,000! A rare epidemic of new coronary pneumonia is raging all over the world.

This is a moment of life and death; this is a moment of severe challenge; this is a moment of calling for action; this is a moment of urgent need for joint efforts.

The global anti-epidemic is an unavoidable test for all countries, and it also raises the question of the times that the world must face directly.

How to do everything possible to achieve "life first"

Viruses are slightly deadly; epidemic situations are menacing. In response to this pandemic that attacks all humans, there are currently no specific drugs or mature vaccines. How to minimize the loss of lives is the most important test question that countries are facing.

Only one life. When an epidemic strikes, it is of utmost importance to treat people and save people, and to contain proliferation is a top priority. This is not only the foundation of human rights protection, but also the due meaning of modern civilization.

When President Xi Jinping attended the special summit on G20 pneumonia epidemic on March 26, he emphasized that in the face of the sudden new pneumonia epidemic, the Chinese government and the Chinese people are not afraid of hardships and dangers, and always put their lives and health in the first place. One.

We will do our best to research and develop vaccines, quickly supplement medical resources, strengthen public emergency capabilities, improve administrative operation efficiency, and introduce strong government restraint measures ... As long as we can save as many lives as possible, all options are introduced, because this is to fight against death and defend life.

National mobilization, joint defense and joint control, openness and transparency, fighting a people's war against the epidemic, saving lives, overall war, and blocking war. China's experience is of global concern; China's plan is for global reference.

How to try to avoid "economic avalanche"

Weak production and sluggish consumption; trade has shrunk and the market has plummeted. This sudden public health crisis has suddenly cooled the global economic activity-from trade to investment, from production to consumption, from the real economy to financial market shocks and chain risk, aviation, tourism, hotels, catering and other industries It fell into the "cold winter".

How to achieve both in controlling the epidemic and stabilizing the economy is a major test for all countries and the world.

Having experience in dealing with the 2008 financial crisis, the global economic and financial anti-risk mechanisms and capabilities have been strengthened, and major central banks have offered the most powerful monetary policies. At the recent special summit of the G20 leaders, countries Pledged 5 trillion US dollars in fiscal stimulus.

Nevertheless, in the face of this unprecedented crisis, the International Monetary Fund is very worried about the prospects of the world economy. "This may be a greater depression than in 1929!" Economists are worried.

Work together to increase the hedging of macro policies to prevent a recession. Implement a strong and effective fiscal and monetary policy to keep the currency exchange rates of various countries basically stable. Strengthen the coordination of financial supervision and maintain the stability of the global financial market ... China ’s initiative is becoming a response plan.

Continue to implement an active fiscal policy and a prudent monetary policy, unswervingly expand reform and opening up, relax market access, continue to optimize the business environment, actively expand imports, and expand foreign investment ... China ’s actions are injecting important momentum; The economy adds warm colors.

How to make good use of the "national strength" in the fight against epidemics

The epidemic is fierce, and prevention and control require strong force; different countries have different capabilities. Facing a diverse society with invisible and invisible virus risks and different interests, how to balance the pros and cons and make good use of the "national force" to play a "compulsory role" is also a question faced by all countries.

"Group immunization" and "Buddhist anti-epidemic", some European and American countries' policy choices in the early stage of the outbreak caused many discussions. Facts show that if a country is quicker and better to play the role of various systems that are closely related to coercive force and credibility, such as administrative security, medical research, information disclosure, and the entire chain responds quickly, the effect of epidemic prevention and control is relatively better; otherwise, the epidemic occurs Accelerating the spread, the number of infections and deaths has risen sharply, and there may even be a difficult situation for medical runs.

How to better respond to the demands of the people in compulsory prevention and control, and seek the same force of the state and society is a test of the governance system and capabilities of various countries and the quality of citizens.

After the outbreak of the new crown epidemic in China, the Chinese government took the most comprehensive, strict and thorough prevention and control measures, effectively curbed the spread of the epidemic in a short period of time, and achieved major stage results, and fought for global prevention and control. Valuable "time window".

How to effectively carry out "global anti-epidemic"

The virus has no borders and the epidemic does not distinguish between races. The international community can only win by cohesion. Whether we can respond to the epidemic with global thinking and truly work together to fight the epidemic is also a major test question facing all countries.

"This is a confrontation between humans and viruses, not a confrontation between countries." The international people of insight called for facing the crisis and must cross the old thinking trap of neighboring beggars.

"The new crown virus is the biggest test we have faced together since the establishment of the United Nations." "This human crisis requires global coordination and concerted, decisive, inclusive and innovative policy actions." UN Secretary General Guterres said recently.

"Unity! Unity! Unity!" World Health Organization Director General Tan Desai shouted many times.

Support the World Health Organization to play an important role, strengthen the sharing of prevention and control information and experience, accelerate cooperation in scientific research, and promote the improvement of global health governance. Uphold the concept of a community of human destiny and build a community of human health and wellness. Facing this question, China gives its own answer.

How to unite the society's "consensus"

Personal convenience and public interest; personal perspective and social consensus. When the impact of the epidemic comes, how to treat and deal with the relationship between individual freedom and group security? This problem has been highlighted in the practice of epidemic management in many countries.

Isolation at home and "closing the city and the country" have become "there is no way" to prevent the spread of the epidemic in many countries. It has also proved to be an effective way. On the other hand, these measures have restricted some personal freedoms and even caused public dissatisfaction in some places.

"The first condition of freedom is the restriction of freedom." Half a century ago, historian Will Durant had warned in "Lessons of History". People of insight generally recognize that when survival and security are threatened, freedom will inevitably be more constrained. Too much emphasis on personal freedom will undoubtedly affect epidemic prevention and control and endanger more lives.

"We can now firmly work together and accept the current constraints and support each other," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a national speech. "The current situation is severe and unpredictable, which makes it very urgent and important for everyone to observe discipline and how to observe and enforce the rules."

Stephen Walter, professor of international relations at Harvard University in the United States, believes that governments around the world need to take urgent measures to deal with this epidemic crisis, and China ’s response is very effective.

How to make the information flow "remove the false and save the truth"

Mobile Internet, network without boundaries. In this rare epidemic that affects the world, how to effectively manage network information so that the epidemic prevention and control and social management are not interfered by various rumors and false information has also become a complex test question directly faced by countries.

Since the outbreak of the epidemic, there have been extraordinary disturbances in the information flow and public opinion field in various countries. The fight between the truth and rumors in the digital spacetime is sometimes more than the real swordsmanship, and it directly affects the public's mentality and social psychology.

The truth allows people to understand the truth and help fight the epidemic. Rumors, discrimination, and discredit will accelerate the global spread of "psychological viruses", or create conflicts, provoke disputes, and interfere with international cooperation in the fight against epidemics.

During the crisis, people are eager for professional and timely information from authoritative institutions, and transparency is of paramount importance. In the first time, China fully shared the epidemic information with the World Health Organization and international experts, which won time for other countries to fight the epidemic and was widely praised.

How to help globalization "disorder chaos"

Viruses come and reduce contact; the epidemic spreads and borders are strictly controlled. In recent years, there has been another "reason" for anti-globalization that has accompanied the emergence of isolationism and inward tendencies in some countries. Coupled with the objective of anti-epidemic needs, the exchange of goods and personnel between countries has decreased significantly, and globalization is facing the test of reversal.

Will the new crown epidemic reverse economic globalization? Will countries return to an island? At present, the answer is no. Many people in the economic community believe that despite the risks associated with globalization, the benefits of economic ties far outweigh the losses.

Mary Lovell, a senior researcher at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in the United States, said that given the new crown epidemic is becoming a global phenomenon, this will promote a more diverse globalization rather than a discounted globalization.

Richard Baldwin, an international economist at the Institute of Advanced International Relations in Geneva, Switzerland, said: "This crisis may eventually become a great 'teaching moment'. We will realize that multilateral cooperation is essential."

Singapore scholar Ma Kaishuo believes that the Chinese have not lost confidence in globalization and international trade, and China will play a greater role in globalization in the future.

How to reexamine "human security"

When it comes to the threats facing humanity, people often think of "natural disasters" such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, and hurricanes, or "human disasters" such as wars, nuclear pollution, and terrorist attacks. In the past half century, although there have been influenza, malaria, meningitis, Ebola, tuberculosis, AIDS, SARS, etc., mankind has not encountered such a widespread and serious virus threat as the New Crown Epidemic for a long time. It is urgent to review the major security risks facing humanity.

Experts have long pointed out that the greatest threat to human security in the 21st century is not nuclear weapons, but invisible microorganisms. Five years ago, Bill Gates issued a warning that he should be highly vigilant about new viruses that can quickly pass from person to person through the respiratory system.

The increasing number of viruses and the increasing harm have caused people from all walks of life to think deeply. Some scholars believe that there may be a connection between the new coronavirus and human destruction of the earth ’s ecology. The earth is an ecosystem, and everything is connected. No crisis can be more alert to humans than the current new crown epidemic: we need to modify which production and lifestyles to avoid and reduce the negative impact of the environment on humans.

The new crown epidemic poses great threats and challenges to human society. Countries around the world need to strengthen their confidence, work together, and respond in a united manner, strengthen international cooperation in an all-round way, and consolidate a strong joint force to overcome the epidemic, and join hands to win the arduous struggle of this epidemic of global war.