Africa -China Review Africa -China Cooperation and Transformation
China was the first country to be affetced by COVID-19 in the city of Wuhan. The magnitude of deaths and infections due to the virus was alarming at the beginning. However, the Chinese government in collaboration with medical workers and the entire Chinese population, realised great achivements in halting the spread and deaths due to COVID-19. Today, China is among the top countries in the world with the least infections with a mere 10 new cases as of Tuesday.
The medical professionals not only in China but around the world were more at risk on the front line in the fight against COVID-19. The Chinese leadership and people did not take this selfless sacrifice for granted. The Government found deemed it an act of bravery and needed appreciation and recognition. It is against this background that on Tuesday, president Xi Jinping presented medals of the highest honour to four indivduals for their outstanding contributions to the country’s fight against the corona virus pandemic.
At the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, the medal of the Republic was conferred upon Zhong Nanshan, a respiratory disease expert, the national honorary title “The People’s Hero”, was conferred on a traditional Chinese medicine expert Zhang Boli, for his research that combined Western and traditional medicines, head of Jinyintan Hospital in Wuhan for treating COVID-19, and Chen Wei, a military medical scientist invlolved in research and development of COVID-19 vaccine.
It was an emotinal moment when the bus carrying the medal receipients escorted by police motocycle riders roled through the streets of Beijing towards The Great Hall. Police officers on the road side saluted as the convoy passed by, and hearts of the Heroes must have oveflowed with joy and gratittude.
Taking China’s example, medical professionals around the world need to be recognized and appreciated for the selfless sacrifice in the fight against COVID-19. They put their lives at risk to save the lives of others. This is the true heroic spirit that all countries around the world should appreciate, either individually or collectively. Some medical professional have lost their lives in the process.
Secondly, the COVID-19 experience has taught us that there is no single country rich or poor that can win the war against COVID-19 alone. The pandemic is a global threat to the human race and therefore, global cooperation and collaboration is not an option but a must. At the Great Hall during the ceremony to honour the Chinese role models and Heroes in the fight against COVID-19, president Xi Jinping noted that, “the fight against COVID-19 once again proves that the vision of building a community with a shared future is the right path for mankind to tackle the challenges and build a better world.
Africa-China Review Editorial
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