Sharing Thick and Thin Calling for Unity and Cooperation

Guo Jiping, People's Daily

"We humans are battling COVID-19, a virus that has ravaged the world and has kept resurging. In this fight, we have witnessed the efforts of governments, dedication of medical workers, exploration of scientists, and perseverance of the public. People of different countries have come together. With courage, resolve and compassion which lit the dark hour, we have confronted the disaster head on. The virus will be defeated. Humanity will win this battle! "

In the general debate of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, President Xi Jinping profoundly expounded the four revelations that this pandemic brings to mankind:

-- We are living in an interconnected global village with a common stake.

-- Economic globalization is an indisputable reality and a historical trend.

-- Humankind should launch a green revolution and move faster to create a green way of development and life, preserve the environment and make Mother Earth a better place for all.

-- The global governance system calls for reform and improvement.

At the critical moment, China's voice and China's views once again arouse strong resonance in the international community.

The global pandemic is rampant at a time of unprecedented changes in the world unseen in a century. In this arduous contest, all countries are closely linked, and the future of mankind is shared by all people. No country can profit from the difficulties of other countries and neither can gain stability from the turbulence of other countries.

Presently, the realistic needs and the value of the times to jointly meet the challenges and build a beautiful home are more prominent. Unity and cooperation will surely dominate the core narrative of the global anti-pandemic struggle, become the common memory of every individual and country, and write an important chapter in promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind in the 21st century.

I.

In a large city of Wuhan along the big river in September, the campusesare full of books-chanting students. Nearly 1.4 million primary and middle school students and children started school on time, and over one million college students returned to school. Reuters, the Wall Street Journal and other foreign media reported that "this is a huge symbol of victory." Wuhan has become an epitome of major strategic achievements in China's anti-pandemic struggle today.

He who works together with one heart from top down will win, and he who works with unity will win. The 1.4 billion Chinese people unite as one, overcome the difficulties in trying time, and resolutely win the people's war, the general war and the war of resistance against pandemic outbreak and achieved the virus prevention and control. On this basis, the work of pandemic prevention and control, and economic and social development was promoted as a whole, and the economic development was stable and improved, and the production and living order was restored steadily. China's fight against the epidemic has fully demonstrated China's spirit, strength and responsibility. China's institutional advantages and governance efficiency have enabled the international community to have a deeper understanding and recognition of "China's governance".

China's battles against the pandemic fully demonstrate remarkable advantages of the leadership of the CPC and the socialist system with Chinese characteristics. Saving lives requires political courage and efficient actions. General Secretary Xi Jinping personally commanded the planning and enforcement, the Central Committee of the CPC centralized and unified leadership to carry out joint defense and joint control. The CPC organizations and CPC members and cadres at all levels give full play to their role of fighting fortress and vanguard. Three hundred and forty-six national medical teams quickly assembled, and more than 40,000 medical personnel rushed to Hubei Province all night. Huoshenshan hospital and Leishenshan hospital, both with over two thousand beds and specialized hospitals for the virus infected patients, completed in a short span of about 10 days, as well as 16 shelter hospitals were rebuilt on a large scale. The implementation of a series of unconventional measures is inseparable from the efficient institutional mobilizationability, overall coordination ability and performance ability of all sides, together with the response and efficiency, action and consciousness of the whole country.

A Singaporean writer wrote an article in Lianhe Zaobao after experiencing China's anti-pandemic experience, concluding "everything is in good order there". When Richard Horton, editor in chief of the Lancet, analyzes China's experience, his deepest feeling is the "ability from the political perspective". Martin Jacques, a senior researcher at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom, pointed out: "China's system is strategic, overall, forward-looking and has the ability to mobilize national resources, which is incomparable to other systems."

China's fight against the pandemic fully demonstrates the lofty ideal that people are centered and life is centered. "Place people's life safety and health first, and take the pandemic prevention and control as the most important task at the moment." Try our best to hospitalize all those infected cases and give them clinical care, organize check-ups for all and put all those in quarantine that should be, so as to curb the spread of the pandemic and save more lives as many as possible…, some scholars pointed out that China attaches extreme importance to the people's right to life and health, which has once again strengthened the world's understanding of the core values of human rights.

On the afternoon of September 26, Wuhan University held the opening ceremony for the 2020 undergraduate students in the Zhuo’er Statium. And 7,242 university freshmen are about to unleash their youthful dreams. (Edited by Shi Yijun and Chen Chang)

"National capacity is the key." Francis Fukuyama, an American scholar, points out that all that depends on "people's trust in the wisdom of their country and leaders." At critical moment, why can China make resolute decisions and respond to extraordinary events with extraordinary actions, and the whole society rapidly turn into a unified strength? In the final analysis, it is because China's national system and governance system always focus on the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of its people, and have a distinct people's character. Trust in the national leaders, confidence in the system, and love for the nation make the Chinese people share weal and woe in the face of crisis, hand in hand, and burst out the great power of overcoming difficulties despite of high mountains and deep rivers. Bruce Aylwald, a senior adviser to the WHO Director General who visited China to study the pandemic prevention and control situation, said that the key point of China's experience in defeating the epidemic was "the morale of the people." According to an article in the German Der Tagesspiegel, "the Chinese people have full confidence in the crisis management of the central government, so the measures taken by the Chinese government to restore normality are also becoming more and more effective."

II

The long historical river is either quiet with deep current, or rough with high waves. The sudden outbreak of novel coronavirus epidemic is like a torrent vortex. With the resolve to fight and win, the Chinese people and the Chinese nation have forged the great anti-pandemic spirit of putting life first, working together in national unity, sacrificing ones own life for others, respecting science, and sharing the weal and woe, and firmly holding the initiative of historical development in our own hands.

The words "Hope" and "Unity"… flashed in the air at 4478 meters above sea level, and the national flags of China, Switzerland, Italy and other countries reflected on the Matterhorn peak in Switzerland. Like "lighting up the mountain" projection activity, many landmark buildings around the world light up for the hope and convey people's wishes and confidence to fight the pandemic hand in hand.

To beat the pandemic hand in hand is inseparable from the multilateral response. To overcome the pandemic, we must strengthen the"global response"based on coordination and multilateralism. A Declaration of Ministerial Coordination Groupon COVID-19 was first adopted by the 74th UN General Assembly. An International Cooperative Appeal for Getting Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia Accelerator is launched by WHO and Global Partnership to promote the development, production and fair distribution of the COVID-19 pandemic related vaccines, diagnostic tools and therapeutic tools. The international health community calls strongly for solidarity for cooperation and common actions.

Joining hands in the battle against the pandemic and ensuring no one to fall behind. Developing countries and the least developed countries are facing particularly severe challenges as the COVID-19 pandemic strikes. The United Nations has allocated 75 million US dollars as the emergency funds, the G20 countriesannounced their debts service suspension initiative for the world's poorest countries, the IMF provided grants for the poorest and most vulnerable members, the World Bank helped developing countries to strengthen health systems, and the COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis Recovery Fund established by Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank has reached 13 billion dollars. In the specific period, the humanitarian spirit conveys heartfelt warmth and strong appeal.

Joining hands to beat the pandemic, China actively undertakes international obligations. Promoting the anti-pandemic cooperation, and firmly safeguarding the peoples’ safety and health of the people of China and various countries have shown the broad mind, a broad vision, and due responsibilities. President Xi Jinping has had more than 60 calls with more than 50 foreign leaders and heads of international organizations, held high-level video meetings with national and international organizations of several continents, briefing the anti-epidemic efforts and developments, sharing the experience of pandemictreatment and control, and promoting global joint prevention and control. From the high-level Meeting of G20 world leaders to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic to the 73rd World Health Assembly video conference, and still to the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity Against COVID-19 via video link in Beijing; from the annual meeting of the fifth Council of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank to the 2020China International Fair for Trade in Services and global service trade summit and the high-level meeting to commemorates the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, at all these key moments, President Xi Jinping puts forward a series of important measures, advocates the joint construction of a human health community, demonstrated the firm resolve of China and other countries to unite in the fight against the epidemic and overcome the difficulties in trying time, which played an important leading role in strengthening international anti-pandemic cooperation and macro-policy coordination.

On14 September 2020, President Xi Jinping has a Video meeting with EU leaders. The meeting comes amid intensive diplomatic engagement between China and the EU countries amidthe COVID-19 pandemic and global economic recession due to the impact of the pandemic outbreak.

One international video exchange after another has been held to share the experience of anti-pandemic efforts; one team of medical experts after another has gone to the front line of international anti-pandemic; one batch of medical protection materials after another has been transported to all parts of the world; one production line after another has been expanded to supply medical materials and equipments in urgent need in the world… Under the magnificent pressure of its own pandemic prevention and control, China has done its best to provide assistance to the international community, saving thousands of lives around the world. China's action has won wide praise. UN Secretary General Guterres said that it is crucial for China to give support to multilateralism and expects China to play an important leadership role in international affairs

Wherever the mountains and rivers are, they share the same sun and the moon during the day. Seven years ago, President Xi Jinping first proposed to build a community of a shared future for human kind, showing the profound grasp of China's leaders on the general trend of world development. "Global crises such as the pandemic outbreak of infectious diseases have made mankind aware of the necessity of cooperation and shared benefits and building a community of a shared future for mankind", said Martin Albrow, the initiator of the concept of globalization and academician of the British Academy of Social Sciences, and was deeply touched. Robert Lawrence Kuhn, President of the Kuhn Foundation, USA, believes that all countries should recognize the common destiny of mankind, so that we can jointly create a bright future.

Under the situation of unprecedented changes unseen in a century, the pandemic outbreak has also triggered the thinking of the international strategic community in the post-outbreak era. Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger pointed out that the pandemic outbreak is changing the world, and various countries must face the historic challenge, i.e. managing the crisis while building the future. Whether to move to cooperation or provoke confrontation? Whether to promote solidarity or step into isolation? Whether to maintain multilateralism or to move towards unilateralism? The future of the world depends on people's choices today.

On 23 September 2020, President Xi Jinping has the 8th video meeting with UN Secretary-General Guterres to discuss the COVID-9 related matters as well as other critical issues of common concern.

III.

The anti-pandemic efforts are not only major tests of the governing ability of each country, but also a main test of the global governance system. "Can we work together to defeat a common and dangerous enemy? Or is it left to fear, doubt and irrationality and to disintegrating. WHO Director-General Tedros’s question hits hard at the ills of the time and is thought-provoking.

In the face of this major pandemic, China dose not only shoulder responsiblity for the safety and health of Chinese people, but also fulfils its duty for global public health. Having launched the emergency humanitarian action in the most concentrated period of time and with the widest range of assistance since the founding of the People's Republic of China, China has fully demonstrated the image of a major power that stresses trust, emphasizes friendship, upholds justice and maintains morality, which vividly interprets a major power's responsibility of seeking common prosperity for the world and promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.

As everything is done for the world, one feels fulfilled; as everything is given to the world, one feels enriched. China has a profound historical accumulation in putting forward and practicing the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind. From ancient times to the present, the Chinese nation has brought far-reaching influence on the development of human civilization, which is not relied on militarism and coercion, but on the deep and long-standing intrinsic value of Chinese civilization as well as the strong and ceaseless appeal and attraction of Chinese culture.Convincing with morality and educating in culture are deeply engraved on the spiritual background of the Chinese nation and flow in the inherited blood of keeping pace with the times. In the face of the pandemic outbreak, China has kept in mind the support and assistance from the international community, and returned their kindness. China remains calm and unaffected by all kinds of arrogance and prejudice, so the rich Chinese civilization has nurtured a major power's bearing of being able to cope with changes.

The mountains and rivers change and the calendaryears renew. As a form of civilization that embraces all rivers, the Chinese civilization has formed the values of pluralism, inclusiveness, harmonious and symbioticcoexistence. "Universal love not invasion, be kind and friendly to neighbors","as rationality prevails the whole world becomes one community,” the Chinese nation, with the broad mind of "building harmony with all nations", confidently and equally carries out exchanges with the people of other countries. Since the founding of new China, as a socialist country, it has never treated world affairs through narrow zero-sum game and hegemonic contention. From Chairman Mao Zedong who put forward "peaceful world with the same temperature across the globe", to President Xi Jinping who proposes to promote the construction of a community with a shared future for human kind, China's overall concern for the common future and well-being of mankind is run by this consistent principle.

As early as the 1970s, when discussing the grand proposition of human future, British historian Arnold Joseph Toynbee viewed China's influence on the future world from the characteristics of civilization. He believes that Chinese civilization is a kind of civilization with the value orientation for "pacifism" and "harmonious world", which is the farthest away from narrow nationalism, and will become the common spiritual wealth of mankind in the 21st century.

Engels has a famous saying that where history begins so should the ideological process. In the era of economic globalization, the connection of human life is unprecedented, and the common interests and common challenges are unprecedented. All countries must find an adaptable way of thinking. The concept of a community with a shared future for mankind is a contemporary expression of Chinese people's feelings for the world, helps to seek the greatest common divisor of the fundamental interests of all countries and nations, and points out the direction for the development and progress of the world. "The contribution of a country or a nation to the world and mankind lies not only in how much material it has created, but also in what ideas it has put forward."Prokopios Pavlopoulos, former president of Greece, highly appreciated the global significance of the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind.

In the face of this pandemic outbreak, there is no another planet for human beings to migrate, and it is difficult for a country to become an isolated island. Facts have fully proved that selfishness, scheming up, confusing right and wrong, and turning things upside down will not only cause harm to itself and its people, but also to peoples of various countries in the world. Only by breaking through the small circle and zero-sum game thinking, and establishing the concept of "big family" and win-win cooperation, can all countries dispel the haze and enjoy the sunshine together.

IV

The economy falls into negative growth, trade and investment shrank sharply…The impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak on the economy will not only bring with those short-term difficulties, but also far-reaching wariness: will the novel coronavirus outbreak be the last straw to crush economic globalization? People are worried that in the post-pandemic era, the de-globalization trend of thinking will intensify, and unilateralism and protectionism will occupy more "market" space. At this critical juncture, China takes the most comprehensive, rigorous and thorough measures to fight against the COVID-19 outbreak, and achieved strategic results in beating the virus outbreak, and has become the first economy to record growth since the pandemic outbreak. China's choices and actions will affect the future of the world.

With the well-planned promotion of anti-pandemic efforts and social and economic development, China has injected stable factors into the world economy. A group of data attracts attention by various sides, China's economy in the second quarter grew by 3.2% over the first quarter, a 10 percentage point increase over the first quarter. In August, the growth rate of multiple indicators was the first to turn positive in the year. From January to August, Chinese enterprises made a direct investment of US$11.8 billion in the non-financial sector among the Belt and Road countries, an increase of 31.5% over the same period last year…. In the economicblizzard wave under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, China-EU trains have increased against the trend and maintained a strong growth momentum, which not only stabilizes the economic and trade exchanges between China and Europe, but also promotes the stability of the global industrial chain and supply chain.

China's action has injected strong confidence into the world economy. "It is encouraging that China's economic and social order is rapidly recovering, Connect policy measures can effectively hedge and mitigate the impact of the pandemic and play an important role," the IMF said. An editorial in the Financial Times sees China's economic recovery as a "light of hope" in the crisis. The French historian Bernard Brizayagreed, "the world is looking forward to China's recovering economic vitality, not only because China is a world trade power, but more importantly, China has shown the hope to other countries affected by the COVID-19 outbreak that the pandemic will eventually be overcome and the economy and life will return to normal."

China promotes the in-depth development of economic globalization and leads the world economy to a stable and far-reaching future with its own open development. The pandemic outbreak has brought many layers of clouds to the world economic development trend, and all sides need the power of thinking to clear the clouds. "The world will never return to isolation, and no one can sever the ties between countries since they are not in line with the historical trend.""Burying one's head in the sand like an ostrich in the face of economic globalization or trying to fight it with Don Quixote's lance goes against the trend of history”, from the 2017 Davos World Economic Forum to the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, President Xi Jinping's profound exposition and clear statement on economic globalization shine the glory of truth.

Currently, unity and cooperation is the right path in the human world. Some people cook"decoupling" and "hiding inside a small building as a unified domain" are both tactical misjudgment and strategic shortsightedness. Obviously, some people fail to recognize the overall situation and the mega-trend, and fail to see the fundamental force that determines the future of the world economy. Although the pandemic outbreak has changed the form of economic globalization, yet it has not changed the mega-trend of globalization. At present, a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial reform are catalyzing birth to new industries, new formats and new models all over the world, the connectivity of human economic activities will only be further strengthened, so the world will not return to a state of isolation from each other. It is not in the interests of any country to artificially separate the economic chains of global cooperation.

Crisis may bring risks of stagnation, recession or depression, but also catalyzes birth to opportunities for change, growth and progress. In recent years, having targeted at the in-depth difficulties such as sluggish world economy and stagnated recovery, China speaks loudly of leading the economic globalization toward open, inclusive, universal, balanced and win-win development direction … promoting the Belt and Road construction and illuminating the dream of various countries along the routes, having creatively held the International Import Expo to set up a shared platform for global enterprises, the International Fair for Trade In Services has been upgraded to boost the open cooperation of global service industries; a number of new pilot free trade zones are born one after another, promoting the deep integration of China's economy and the world economy

The more difficult it is, the more one sees the strategic determination to forge ahead in the face of changing situation and in the teeth of difficulties. China, with resolve and courage together with wisdom and persistence, is promoting in-depth reform, implementing a higher level of opening-up, accelerating the formation of a new development pattern with the domestic big circulation as the mainstay and the domestic and international dual circulation promoting each other, opening up space for China's economic development and adding impetus to the world's economic recovery and growth.

V

The relations between major powers have an important impact on international cooperation in combating the pandemic outbreak. At the extraordinary moment of global anti-pandemic, some American politicians are blowing the evil wind of "new Cold War" and taking dangerous methods to push the Sino-U.S. relations to the direction of confrontation, which not only arouses widespread concern in the international community, but also attracts a lot of criticism inside the United States.

The United States is the country with the most serious pandemic outbreak in the world, with already nearly 7 million confirmed cases and more than 200,000 deaths. A commentary published on the website of Singapore's Straits Times points out that playing the blame game by American leaders will only put more American lives in danger, so for the United States and its allies, focusing on saving lives and working with China to find out an effective vaccine will work much better. "At a time when the United States needs China most, the White House becomes a geyser of anti-China paranoia, said the Atlantic Monthly, the lesson of the pandemic outbreak is not that the United States should end its cooperation with China, but must rebuild bilateralcooperation in public health.

Looking back on the past, there is never short of successful cooperation between China and the United States in times of crisis. The Asian financial crisis in 1997, the September 11 terror in 2001, the international financial crisis in 2008 and the fight against Ebola in 2014… all witnessed the efforts of the two countries to actively lead international cooperation. Today, the pandemic outbreak is endangering global security and impacting the development of all countries. Even Graham Allison, the initiator of the "Thucydides trap" and professor of Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, also stressed that the United States should face up to China's successful experience and explore cooperation with China in key areas, because if China is not allowed to participate and become a part of our solution, we will be unable to succeed in this war against this new virus.

Even though some American politicians frequently set up obstacles to the normal exchanges between China and the United States, the anti-pandemic cooperation between the two countries is never interrupted. Many American organizations, enterprises and people have extended a helping hand to China. The Chinese government, local governments and people from all walks of life have also actively donated a large amount of urgently needed medical materials to the U.S. side, so as to provide support and convenience for the U.S. side to make relevant purchases in China. Scientists from the two countries have carried out cooperation in various fields. Walter Ian Lipkin, an American infectious disease expert known as "virus hunter", took a field trip to China, and academician Zhong Nanshan also shared several video links with the U.S. team. Chinese and American pharmaceutical companies, scientific research institutions and others carry out joint research on vaccine and clinical treatment.

"Why are we wasting the best opportunity to deal with the pandemic outbreak?" This is a focus of many reflections in western society. In a commentary, the New York Times argues that some Westerners have become victims of the idea that "China is always a dissident" and that "China's experience can never be related to us". Undoubtedly, it is the pride and prejudice, blindness and selfishness that have largely allowed the spread of the novel virus.

In the face of the pandemic sudden outbreak and a large number of unknown matters, no country can boast about full preparations and capable response. Only by constantly exploring and trying, can we find an effective way to cope with the developmentsituation. It is more important to distinguish the way in which the experience of other countries is "related to us" and make a choice.

A major country should act like a major country. It is the urging and expectation of the international community, including the American civil society, for the U.S. government to work with China and promote international anti-pandemic cooperation through practical actions and should also be a choice of a major country to be responsible for its people, world and history. Stephen S. Roach, a senior researcher at U.S. Yale University, hopes that at this critical moment, the only way out is that the United States should carry out self-examination as it had done in the past and seek cooperation with China in dealing with the hard problem of global COVID-19 outbreak.

People can't help thinking: if all countries in the world can do the same as China, which can ensure zero new case of local confirmed cases, and keep it for two weeks, then the new coronavirus virus will be completely "starved to death", and this pandemic outbreak will be brought to a complete end.

Unity and cooperation are the most powerful weapons to beat the pandemic outbreak, and also the road sign for mankind to win the future.

The history of development of human society is a history of constantly overcoming various challenges and difficulties. We firmly believe that through the severe test of theCOVID-19 outbreak and the baptism of wind and rain, the desire to jointly build a clean and beautiful world of lasting peace, universal security, common prosperity, openness and inclusiveness will be more universal and strong, and the concept of a community of a shared future for mankind will be more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Under the banner of unity and cooperation, more and more people will join hands firmly and forge ahead bravely.

"The theCOVID-19 outbreak will eventually be defeated by mankind, and the victory belongs to the people of the world!" It is extremely elegant and valuable that President Xi Jinping delivered a significant speech at the UN General Assembly, conveying confidence and strength.

(Edited excerpts of the article in the People's Daily, September 24, 2020)