China emerges a global leader

First hit by the pandemic, China shows the world how to handle it and its effects

The much-awaited twin sessions or the two annual meetings, the first, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), commenced on Thursday, 21 May. The second meeting, of the National People’s Congress (NPC), began a day later with Premier Li Keqiang’s work report. Premier Li’s report typically lays out annual economic targets and the policy framework to achieve those. This year it’s going to be a challenging task given an unprecedented economic crisis brought on by Covid-19. The economy has suffered its worst-ever contraction in the first quarter of 2020 compared to growth of 6.8 percent over a year ago. Although the worst of the country’s outbreak is hopefully over, a significant global demand slump will continue to undermine the recovery in the rest of the year.

The “Two Session” will be a beginning for China to restore its economy and social order because despite being hit hard by the global pandemic covid-19, the steps that China took firstly, to contain the deadly virus; secondly, to insulate its own people from it; and thirdly, to reach out to the rest of the world, gave the Chinese reassurance in their own leadership, that during the “Two Sessions” the decisions taken will be pragmatic and far reaching.

Expectations are high because the Communist Party of China will never put its people at risk. It will adopt carefully thought-out measures to protect them and the steps of opening up are necessary but will only be effective if the insulation is fool-proof. Schools, colleges, workplace and travel modes all have to be protected, and China has the capacity and will to ensure such measures.

During a recent tour of China’s northern province of Shaanxi, President Xi Jinping instructed cadres to “turn the crisis into an opportunity.” It is such statesmanlike leadership that takes nations in crisis across the hump to overcome adversity. The performance of the Chinese government during the darkest period of the scourge of covid-19 was an example for the rest of the world. China did not demur from reaching out to other countries to share its experience, its expertise and its equipment to combat the deadly coronavirus.

In the prevailing milieu, the Chinese President’s speech ushered a ray of hope in a world, where even the mightiest have been hard hit by the global pandemic but few have shown the magnanimity, benevolence and transparency displayed by China. Similarly, the steps taken during the twin sessions will not only usher relief from the deadly virus but hope to rebuild not only Chinese society but the entire world.

The Chinese dream of taking the entire nation beyond the poverty line by 2021, the 100th anniversary of the CPC will not remain a pipe dream because the economy–built on a combination of manufacturing expertise, connectivity and first-class infrastructure, plus the world’s largest middle class of domestic consumers– was operating at 87 percent of typical output on May 12, according to the Trivium National Business Activity Index has survived the shocks and is ready to rebound. In April, though imports were down 14.2 percent, China’s exports were up 3.5 percent year on year, surpassing predictions largely because of medical products sent overseas.

The WHO has been playing a role of leading and coordinating the global efforts in fighting covid-19, which is extremely important for whether humankind can defeat this common enemy of the entire world. Some countries, who suffer from myopic vision, firstly failed to perceive the threat from covid-19 despite warnings issued by the WHO. Now that these doubting Thomases are suffering the most, they have chopped funding to the WHO. The premier institution still has the support of China and Europe but the impediments put in its place by detractors provide China the unique opportunity to fill the vacuum and find its true potential.

Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, presented some very cogent comments, proposals and decisions at the Virtual Event of Opening of the 73rd World Health Assembly on 18 May 2020. His speech came at a very critical juncture of world events. More than 210 countries around the globe are suffering from the deadly effects of covid-19.

Certain portions of the world have suffered from numerous pandemics before; the plague, Spanish flu, SARS, MERS, Ebola, AIDS among others, but covid-19 has struck the entire globe. Covid-19 was first reported in Wuhan China before it engulfed the entire world.

China was treading on uncharted waters because nothing was known of this new pandemic but through trial and error and dedicated efforts, China controlled the onslaught courageously.

The address of Xi Jinping at the WHA was bold and innovative. China has already shared its experiences, sent its medical teams and dispatched much needed masks, surgical gloves, protective gear, testing kits and even ventilators.

While some world leaders have chosen to target the World Health Organization and even China to divert attention from their own mismanagement of the catastrophe, Xi Jinping did not enter into rhetoric or a blame game. Instead, he made some hard-core proposals on how to combat the scourge of coronavirus collectively, find a cure and a vaccine to prevent the spread of the disease.

Besides recommending proposals, in his poignant speech, Xi Jinping announced tangible decisions like providing $2 billion over two years to help with the covid-19 response and with economic and social development in affected countries, especially developing countries. He declared that China will work with the UN to set up a global humanitarian response depot and hub in China, ensure the operation of anti-epidemic supply chains and foster “green corridors” for fast-track transportation and customs clearance. Xi Jinping announced that China will establish a cooperation mechanism for its hospitals to pair up with 30 African hospitals and accelerate the building of the Africa CDC headquarters to help the continent ramp up its disease preparedness and control capacity.

The Chinese President promised that covid-19 vaccine development and deployment in China, when available, will be made a global public good. This will be China’s contribution to ensuring vaccine accessibility and affordability in developing countries. Perhaps the most profound decision was that China will work with other G20 members to implement the Debt Service Suspension Initiative for the poorest countries. China is also ready to work with the international community to bolster support for the hardest-hit countries under the greatest strain of debt service, so that they could tide over the current difficulties.

The world is already reeling under the economic impact of the deadly virus. Poorer states are close to bankruptcy and the developed countries are still groping with modes of allaying the negative effects.

In this gloomy perspective, President Xi’s announcement to delay the loan repyments of developing countries will be very welcome and provide them breathing space as well as renew their efforts to rebuild themselves.

President Xi Jinping has demonstrated that he is a true statesman, who believes that mankind is a community with a shared future, by concluding that solidarity and cooperation is the most powerful weapon for defeating the virus.

In the prevailing milieu, the Chinese President’s speech ushered a ray of hope in a world, where even the mightiest have been hard hit by the global pandemic but few have shown the magnanimity, benevolence and transparency displayed by China.

Similarly, the steps taken during the twin sessions will not only usher relief from the deadly virus but hope to rebuild not only Chinese society but the entire world.