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Tuesday, April 28, 2020, 23:05
Wang Yi: No tolerance of stigmatization in pandemic fight
By Xinhua
Tuesday, April 28, 2020, 23:05 By Xinhua

BEIJING - The international community should never be distracted in its collaborative response to COVID-19 by finger-pointing or the blame game, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said onTuesday.

Wang, who is also a state councilor, made the remarks when addressing the extraordinary meeting of foreign ministers of BRICS, an emerging-market bloc that groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, via video link.

"Still less should we allow new tensions and divisions to be created as a result of politicization or stigmatization," Wang said.

BRICS is an emerging-market bloc that groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Noting that fighting COVID-19 is like putting out fire, Wang said every minute counts when life is at stake.

Wang called on all BRICS countries to make the right call and do the right thing in face of the COVID-19 outbreak.

"As countries battle the disease in light of their own situations. China calls for mutual understanding and respect for these efforts, and sharing and learning from each other's experience," he said.  Enditem

With its rapid spread in many parts of the world, COVID-19 has put lives and health of people around the world under grave threat

Stand firm by multilateralism

Wang called on all BRICS countries to stand firm by multilateralism, by the UN-centered international system and by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

"We need to champion the approach of consultation and cooperation for shared benefits in governance, and take the lead in advancing global governance reform along the right direction," Wang said.

He called on BRICS countries to safeguard through the joint efforts the legitimate rights and interests and space for development "not just for ourselves but also for all other emerging market and developing countries."

Wang encouraged countries to enhance coordination on macro economic policies to curb recession, create jobs, protect livelihoods and stabilize the global economy. He also called for sustaining coordination to keep up secure and smooth functioning of global industrial and supply chains. 

With its rapid spread in many parts of the world, COVID-19 has put lives and health of people around the world under grave threat, seriously disrupted the flow of people worldwide and the global economy, and posed a severe challenge to BRICS countries, Wang said.

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"Should we let science and reason prevail or create political divisions, bolster cooperation across borders or isolate ourselves through decoupling, promote multilateral coordination or practice unilateralism? We all need to answer these questions in a way that stands the test of history," he said.

Wang said as representatives of major emerging countries with global influence, BRICS countries much act in the interest of the well-being of humankind, and stand by justice and equity.

"We must make the right call and do the right thing," he said.

Building community with shared future for mankind 

Wang said the outbreak of COVID-19 once again proves that building a community with a shared future for mankind is a right choice that meets the trend of times.

The sudden onslaught of COVID-19 reminds us once again that our interests are closely entwined and so are our futures

Wang Yi, Chinese Foreign Minister

"The sudden onslaught of COVID-19 reminds us once again that our interests are closely entwined and so are our futures," Wang said.

A challenge that respects no border and makes no distinction of ethnicity has only made global governance more important, not less, he said.

"As we live in the same global village on planet Earth, building a community with a shared future for mankind is a right choice that meets the trend of times," Wang said.

In response to some arguments that the world will never be the same again after COVID-19, Wang said China's strategic assessment is that COVID-19 will not change the theme of the times which remains peace and development.

"It will not cut short the historical trend toward multi-polarity and globalization, and still less will it deter humankind from its firm pursuit of civilization and progress," he said.

He called on countries to bear in mind both immediate needs and longer-term objectives and promote both their own interests and global well-being.

"We must work together to sustain a peaceful and stable international environment and foster brighter prospects for win-win progress," Wang said.  

'Useful experience'

Wang also said China has provided useful experience for global response to COVID-19 and boosted confidence in defeating the virus.

We have all along been open and transparent, and put people's health and safety front and cente

Wang Yi, Chinese Foreign Minister

The Chinese government and people have fought a people's war against COVID-19 according to principle of shoring up confidence, strengthening unity, ensuring science-based control and taking targeted measures, said Wang.

ALSO READ: Xi urges BRICS countries to champion multilateralism

"We have all along been open and transparent, and put people's health and safety front and center," he said.

China reported the infected cases and shared the genetic sequencing of the virus at the earliest possible time, said Wang, adding that under the requirement of early detection, reporting, quarantine and treatment, China concentrated the best human and material resources on treating patients in severe conditions.

"With extraordinary efforts and sacrifices, we stemmed the spread of the virus at home, and curbed its spread to other parts of the world, providing useful experience for global response and boosting confidence in defeating the virus," Wang said.  

China's help based on humanitarianism 

China's readiness to help other countries combat COVID-19 is inspired by humanitarianism. It has no ideological agenda, and is still less driven by selfish geopolitical interests, Wang said.

Wang said the fact that China has been a strong force behind international anti-epidemic cooperation is because its own experience has made Chinese people fully empathetic with other peoples suffering from similar difficulties.

"We understand that only when COVID-19 is uprooted in the global sphere, can the health and safety of the Chinese people be better protected," he said.  


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