On March 10, 2020, China and the Pacific Island Countries(PICs) that have diplomatic relations with China held a video conference on the epidemic of COVID-19. The participants include the Chinese senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Health Commission, and relevant health experts, the Chinese ambassadors to the PICs, the Minister of Health of Papua New Guinea, the Acting Minister of Health of the Federated States of Micronesia and the CEO of the Ministry of Health of Tonga. More than 100 officials and health experts from PICs, including Fiji,Vanuatu, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Cook Islands, and Niue also attended the meeting through the Internet.
The Chinese side introduced the latest progress in the fight against the COVID-19 and stated that under the personal command and deployment of President Xi Jinping, the situation in China is steadily improving. Work and life for everyone is rapidly returning to normal. President Xi Jinping went to Wuhan, Hubei Province to inspect the work of epidemic prevention and control. His visit to Wuhan has effectively boosted the morale and confidence of the Chinese people in overcoming the epidemic.
With full confidence and capability to win this combat, China is working hard to achieve its economic and social development targets for the year. China recognizes that mankind is a community with a shared future, and has been active in international cooperation of fighting the epidemic in an open, transparent and highly responsible manner.
China and the PICs are all developing countries. China sympathizes with their special difficulties in preventing and controlling the epidemic. We have always been concerned about the island friends and shared the latest information of epidemic with PICs. We have adopted effective measures to protect the health and safety of the island countries' nationals including students in China.
China will work with PICs to strengthen information exchange, deepen epidemic prevention cooperation, work together to overcome difficulties and jointly safeguard regional and global public health security. China is willing to help PICs to the best of its capabilities to control the epidemic with the development of the situation.
Wu Zunyou, Chief Expert of Epidemiology of CDC of China, and Wang Guiqiang, Director of Infectious Diseases Department of Peking University First Hospital, briefed the attendees about the COVID-19'S pathogenic mechanism, transmission mode, epidemic development, China's prevention and control response and clinical treatment on it. They answered dozens of questions in detail, ranging from information of virus, protection of medical staff, precise prevention and control, border inspection and quarantine, therapeutic medicines, vaccine research and development.
The officers and experts from the PICs spoke highly of China 's remarkable achievements in fighting the epidemic which greatly contributes to global public health security. They said that China 's experience has set a benchmark and model for Pacific island countries to respond to the epidemic. President Xi Jinping's personal visit to Wuhan has effectively boosted the morale and confidence of the Chinese people in overcoming the epidemic. It also sent a positive signal to the international community that the epidemic can be contained.
By expressing their gratitude to China for hosting the video conference briefing the experience of epidemic prevention and control, attendees agreed that this provided timely and useful information so that the island countries could do well in the prevention and control of the epidemic. The epidemic respects no borders, while the brotherhood will be consolidated. As good friends in partnership with China, the island countries sincerely wish to continue to strengthen cooperation with China in the prevention and control of the epidemic and work together to win the battle.