Chinese President Xi Jinping advocated the vision of building a global community of health in his speech at the opening ceremony of the 73rd session of the World Health Assembly (WHA). Implementing this important concept is of great practical and global significance. Since the COVID-19 pandemic spread worldwide, Shanxi province has resolutely implemented the decisions and arrangements of the central government. Authorities in Shanxi have conveyed condolences, made donations and offered assistance to many affected countries and regions, particularly to its friendship provinces and states and partner governments. These actions have helped further materialize the building of a community of a shared future for mankind. Shanxi stands firmly with overseas Chinese as they are of the same blood and flesh. Meanwhile, it communicates patiently with and provides meticulous services to foreigners entering China through Taiyuan. By doing so, Shanxi is fulfilling its own responsibility to showcase China's commitment as a large country, and making its contribution towards building a global community of health.

Providing contributions and full support

Meeting the urgent needs of others and exchanging essential supplies with each other are what it means to be in a community. After learning of the scarcity of medical supplies overseas, Shanxi spared no efforts to locate and purchase needed supplies from across China to support the affected countries and regions. It donated 500 protective suits to Nordrhein-Westfalen (NRW) of Germany on March 23, 45,000 masks to Japan and ROK on March 26, and 100 medical goggles and 500 sets of protective suit to Mantova of Italy on May 31. Local city governments, the provincial development & reform commission, the provincial education department, the Management Committee of Shanxi Transition and Comprehensive Reform Demonstration Zone, the provincial geological prospecting bureau, and Shanxi Coal Import & Export Group Co., Ltd. have all made donations to Shanxi's partner cities and institutions in Tajikistan, France, South Africa and Tanzania, among many others.  

So far, Shanxi has donated nearly 3.5 million yuan ($494,100) of epidemic prevention supplies to 30 local governments in 20 countries, and nearly 610,000 yuan ($86,116) of supplies to 63 institutions in 30 countries including schools, associations and groups of overseas Chinese students. Its assistance has been fully recognized by the recipients. They have expressed their gratitude and friendship and acknowledged the need of strengthened cooperation in future. Armin Laschet, the governor of Nordrhein-Westfalen (NRW) of Germany, said, "NRW has been enjoying affinity with Shanxi for more than 30 years. The heart-to-heart connection with each other in difficult times has proven how strong our friendship is." Anatoly Lis, chairman of the Brest State Council of Belarus, said, "Only unity and collaboration can beat such a complex and severe pandemic. Humanitarian assistance from Shanxi is in the spirit of unity and cooperation between our two peoples in fighting against the pandemic and has laid the foundation for our victory in the end." 

Conveying cordial and warm sympathy

Feeling empathy for each other is what it means to be in a community. Letters are often used to convey such feelings and thoughts. Shanxi has sent letters of sympathy to 44 friendship provinces and states, friendly partners and local governments. The letters have been signed by the chief of the provincial CPC committee, the governor of Shanxi and the director general of the province's Foreign Affairs Office. "The virus respects no national borders and is the common enemy of humanity. Shanxi is willing to strengthen cooperation, share information and its experience in fighting against the pandemic and safeguard the lives and health of the people," reads one of the letters, which have shown Shanxi's friendship and willingness to help as much as possible and have enhanced the confidence of beating the pandemic overseas. Many foreign governments also expressed their willingness to collaborate for common development in their replies. Mirzakhmedov Nurbolot, the governor of Jalalabad State of Kyrgyzstan, said, "My sincere thanks to Shanxi for its sympathy and concern. Jalalabad and Shanxi will maintain their efficient exchanges and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields." Hermilando Mandanas, the governor of Batangas Province of the Philippines, replied, "Sincerity and respect from Shanxi have inspired confidence and courage from our people. We'll return to our normal life and develop ourselves even better. We're convinced that with deepened friendship and partnerships, the prospect of our mutually beneficial cooperation will be even brighter."  

Young people from Shanxi University, Taiyuan University of Technology and agencies of provincial government made videos to show solidarity with Japan and ROK and their people. They conveyed their willingness to help and their confidence and determination to enhance long-term and friendly relations, which will bolster the people-to-people foundation for the long-term development of China-Japan and China-ROK relations. College students and young government officials said in the video that they were ready to work together with Japanese and Korean people as responsible partners to jointly overcome difficulties, which has greatly enhanced ties among youths and people-to-people recognition.  

Sharing experience through video conferences 

Sharing experience for common progress is what it means to be in a community. On May 20, public health experts from Shanxi, who represented China, met with their counterparts from Thailand and Singapore through a video conference. They shared the practices China had taken in public health and COVID-19 prevention and control. On May 28, Shanxi hosted an experience-sharing webinar on COVID-19 prevention and treatment with its friendship cities and partner governments. Provincial leaders, representatives of the province's health authorities and local medical experts exchanged experience and measures in COVID-19 treatment with foreign health officials and medical experts from seven international friendship cities and provinces, including the Moravian-Silesian Region of Czech Republic, Mombasa County of Kenya, and Lori Province of Armenia, as well as professors from Nihon Pharmaceutical University, Japan. Jincheng City also held an experience-sharing webinar in which experts and medical workers, who had worked in Wuhan hospitals, met online with their counterparts in Sarah Batman City of South Africa to share epidemic-fighting experience.  

Shanxi has taken prudent and effective epidemic prevention and control measures ever since Jan. 22 when the first COVID-19 case was confirmed within the province. Now efforts have shifted gradually from mass prevention and control to localized prevention and control. Shanxi's story has been well told through information sharing. We have constantly said that only with concerted efforts, mutual learning and collaboration, can we as a community cope effectively with this global crisis of public health and stop the transmission of the virus. Experience sharing will boost global confidence in fighting the pandemic, explore cooperative programs, and inject new impetus into the endeavor of building a community of health for all in the post-epidemic era.

Providing meticulous services to fulfill responsibility

Providing undiscriminating and integrated services is also what it means to be in a community. Taiyuan airport is one of the 12 designated ports of entry for inbound international flights redirected from landing at Beijing airports. It has received more than a dozen foreign ambassadors (and their families) and representatives of international organizations in China. Local requirements on epidemic prevention and control were communicated to them in detail. Their reasonable concerns and needs were accommodated, and priority and preferential treatment were provided in line with international practices during medical observation at the designated isolation sites. These services and measures have been well appreciated by foreign guests. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommended Shanxi's practice to other provinces and cities as a good example.   

Recently, a special fund was approved in Shanxi to donate 478,000 masks to seven friendship provinces and states (eg. Ulyanovsk in Russia and Canelones in Uruguay), 12 friendly partner governments (eg. Sao Paulo in Brazil, and Bangkok in Thailand), and seven overseas Chinese societies (eg. Shanxi communities in Toronto, Canada, and the Malaysia-China association in Sabah, Malaysia). 

Shanxi will continue to make its due contribution in the process of building a global community of health by firmly implementing the decisions and arrangements of the central government, actively strengthening international cooperation and further pushing forward exchanges in various fields. 

The author is director-general of the Foreign Affairs Commission Office, Shanxi Provincial Committee of the CPC, and director-general and Party secretary of the Foreign Affairs Office, Shanxi Provincial People's Government.

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