China News Agency, Tianjin, January 15th: Why do words and deeds such as Western racism hinder the global fight against the epidemic?
——Interview with Hao Yaming, Distinguished Professor of Guizhou University for Nationalities
Author Zhang Shaoxuan Sun Lingling
The global fight against the new crown epidemic has gone through three years. Looking back at the time when human life is gradually getting on the right track but the global epidemic situation is still complicated, when countries around the world are working together to deal with this global public health crisis, Western racism, Words and deeds such as nationalism still appear from time to time.
Hao Yaming, a former professor at the Zhou Enlai School of Government and Management at Nankai University and currently a distinguished professor at Guizhou University for Nationalities, said in an exclusive interview with China News Agency "Dongxiwen" recently that we must be highly vigilant against the deep negative impact of these factors.
The interview transcript is summarized as follows:
China News Agency reporter: In response to the new crown epidemic, how have some racist remarks and actions in the West affected the global fight against the epidemic?
Hao Yaming:
First of all, distorting the facts is not conducive to the scientific response to the epidemic in all countries in the world.
As early as the beginning of the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, some strange theories in the West exposed their inertial thinking of "racial superiority theory"-labeling the virus and the epidemic as a race, falsely calling it "the disease of the yellow race" and "the new crown virus only attacks Asians." immune system".
Some scholars pointed out that the inaction of some Western countries in the early stage of the epidemic was to a certain extent the product of "Western exceptionalism". These racist arguments not only interfered with the scientific community's serious understanding of the new coronavirus, but also caused many countries to fail to respond Scientific and timely prevention and control of the new crown virus.
Second, undermining mutual trust is not conducive to the unity of countries in the world in responding to the epidemic.
Out of the needs of international competition and domestic politics, some Western countries willfully politicize the source of the epidemic, the response to the epidemic, and the responsibility for the epidemic, which has greatly damaged the international atmosphere in which all mankind join hands to deal with the new crown virus.
A small number of Western officials and media have made inappropriate remarks for political purposes, undermining global cooperation, delaying efforts to mobilize global resources to deal with the virus, and ultimately causing countries around the world to pay a heavy price in health and lives.
Third, beggar-thy-neighbor is not conducive to the joint efforts of all countries in the world to deal with the epidemic.
In the early days of the epidemic, Western countries launched a fierce battle for anti-epidemic supplies, which frequently triggered diplomatic incidents.
For example, Switzerland’s anti-epidemic supplies have been repeatedly intercepted by neighboring countries; Germany, Italy, and France continue to cause disputes over the interception of transit medical supplies; the United States prevents suppliers from purchasing signed medical supplies by paying high prices or forcibly detaining them The buyers under the agreement shipped goods; European and American countries hoarded a large amount of vaccines so that they expired, and the vast number of developing countries once fell into a serious shortage of vaccines.
On November 8, 2021 local time, passengers arrived at the international flight arrival area of San Francisco International Airport, California, USA.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Liu Guanguan
China News Agency reporter: In the face of public health problems that may arise in the future, how to recognize and understand the phenomenon of nationalism?
Hao Yaming:
There are roughly two meanings expressed by nationalism. One is to endow a certain nation with a supreme status, and the other is to promote the interests of the nation as the ultimate goal.
It should be noted that the "nation" in the concept of nationalism corresponds to the English "nation", which means a political community composed of all citizens.
The unit of action of nationalism is the nation-state, not the national community as a cultural group in the traditional Chinese sense.
From this perspective, the essence of nationalism is the state of mind, theories and political actions concerned with the state status and interests of the nation.
Unlike racism, which is labeled evil, there is some controversy over the nature of nationalism.
Although more and more people from academic circles to the general public tend to evaluate nationalism negatively, many scholars still insist that nationalism is a neutral concept.
Broadly speaking, in today's world, the nation-state is the most solid support for people in the face of various crises, and it is the most reliable political roof and living space for a nation.
In the global public health emergency of the new crown epidemic, based on the principle of ensuring the life and health of its citizens as the top priority, various nation-states have gathered strength, pooled resources, and encouraged confidence to fight the virus, which has demonstrated the positive side of nationalism in a certain sense. significance.
On December 17, 2021 local time, at the Port of Dover, England, vehicles traveling to and from Britain and France waited in line at the entrance.
China News Agency reporter: In the face of the new crown epidemic, how should the "degree" of moderate nationalism and extreme nationalism be grasped?
Hao Yaming:
It is necessary to systematically observe the binary division of moderate nationalism and extreme nationalism in the new crown epidemic, which lies in the grasp of the "degree" when a country handles the relationship between its own interests and the interests of other countries.
Moderate nationalism can be defined as "behaviors that do not subjectively and maliciously harm the interests of other countries in the process of safeguarding their own interests first."
In the special period of the global epidemic outbreak, the original intention of these policies that put national interests at the forefront is self-protection. The purpose is to prioritize the protection of the lives and health of citizens of the country through administrative measures within the nation-state.
The so-called extreme nationalism refers to behaviors that do not hesitate to damage the equal rights of citizens of other countries while safeguarding the lives and health of their own people, or behaviors that sacrifice the lives and health of people in other countries in order to prioritize the life and health of their own people.
In the face of the epidemic, extreme nationalism is most obvious in two aspects.
One is that a small number of countries have intercepted and robbed emergency anti-epidemic supplies from other countries by various means or pretexts.
The second is that a few politicians, media, and organizations maliciously blame China for the outbreak of the epidemic in their own countries. In addition to being characterized by racism, ideological confrontation, and political manipulation, it is also a concrete manifestation of the vicious expansion of nationalist sentiment in these countries.
China News Agency reporter: How to deal with the anti-globalization wave triggered by narrow nationalism and racism?
Hao Yaming:
On March 24, 2020, the chairmen of ten United Nations treaty bodies urged world leaders to ensure that governments must take active measures to prevent racism, xenophobia, and avoid laissez-faire when responding to the public health threat posed by the new crown epidemic. Doctrine sentiment is on the rise.
To this day, the sentiments of racism, nationalism, and xenophobia related to it have not dissipated, and some new sentiments are even further brewing.
This is dangerous in a context where globalization and deglobalization collide.
On the one hand, decades of globalization have made the world's major economies highly interconnected, and the speed and scope of the epidemic's spread is unprecedented, giving rise to panicked racism, nationalism, and xenophobia.
On the other hand, anti-globalization forces have risen in recent years, and the COVID-19 epidemic has accelerated this trend to a certain extent. Realistic factors such as international power transfer and adjustment of international order have also had a major impact.
To overcome narrowness and exclusion, the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind seems to be the only answer.
A community with a shared future for mankind emphasizes the integrity of all mankind, while racism, nationalism, and xenophobia emphasize the clear distinction between self and others.
On January 8, 2023, a group of Chinese workers working in Vietnam returned home via Dongxing Port.
Photo by Zhai Liqiang
China News Agency reporter: What is the significance of the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind advocated by China to global development in the post-epidemic era?
Hao Yaming:
The main idea of a community with a shared future for mankind is to negotiate and build together, and share mutual benefits. Only win-win cooperation can ensure a bright future for all mankind.
Based on this, Chinese leaders have successively proposed a series of concepts such as a community of shared future in cyberspace, a community of human health and health, a community of life on earth, a community of energy cooperation, and a community of life between man and nature.
The destiny of mankind is closely linked, and the well-being of all countries is interdependent.
The unknown virus finally proves that human beings are a community of destiny, and the struggle against viruses is a battle of life and death for all human beings.
If the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind is not recognized, countries around the world may pay a heavier price in life and health in this epidemic.
(Finish)
Respondent profile:
Hao Yaming, Doctor of Laws, successively served as lecturer, associate professor, and professor at Zhou Enlai School of Government and Management of Nankai University. He is now a distinguished professor, doctoral supervisor, chief expert of ethnology at Guizhou University for Nationalities, and dean of the Institute of the Chinese National Community.
Mainly engaged in scientific research and teaching in ethnosociology and ethnopolitics. His research fields cover the theory and practice of building a sense of community for the Chinese nation, nation-state and nationalism, and racial issues in the United States.
Chief expert of major projects of the National Social Science Fund, presided over more than ten scientific research projects including major projects, key projects and general projects of the National Social Science Fund.
He has continued to participate in the political consultation work of the central ministries and commissions for many years, and has undertaken a number of research topics, and the special research reports he wrote have been recognized by high-level officials.