BEIJING, March 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Recognizing China for its support during the pandemic, the Senate of the Dominican Republic recently presented China with an award. The Senate's Vice President Santiago Zorrilla said at the award ceremony that the Dominican Republic will always remember China's timely assistance in its darkest hour, and the bilateral cooperation against COVID-19 is regarded as an example of interpreting the notion of building a community of common health for mankind.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, China has been carrying out global cooperation to tackle the challenge by providing medical supplies and vaccines to other countries and regions, and sharing experience in virus prevention and treating patients.

In March 2020, Chinese President Xi Jinping first proposed the concept of building a community of common health for mankind. In the global fight against COVID-19, Xi has on various occasions stressed the importance of global health cooperation and called for fulfilling the proposal.

China has put the proposal of building a community of health for mankind into practice by establishing a series of major initiatives and measures. 

Information quickly shared, hundreds of events held

China has held more than 300 technological exchange events about COVID-19 with other countries, regions and international organizations. In addition, China has sent 37 medical expert teams to 34 nations, sharing China's experience with the rest of the world, according to its National Health Commission (NHC).

In the early stages of the COVID-19 epidemic, the Chinese government released information in a timely, open, transparent and responsible manner, actively responded to concerns of all sides, and enhanced cooperation with the international community, according to a timeline document recording China's response to the epidemic from late December 2019 to March 2020.

The country's regular communication over the outbreak of COVID-19 with the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as relevant countries and regions came on January 3, 2020, said the document.

Starting on February 3, the English official website of China's NHC started releasing COVID-19 information simultaneously, updating the data 58 times as of March 31, 2020.

First country to promise exemption for IP rights of COVID-19 vaccines

China was the first country to promise exemption for IP rights of COVID-19 vaccines, and also the first to cooperate with other developing countries on vaccine production. China has provided over 2.2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to more than 120 countries and international organizations.

China is committed to building a global community of health for all and has provided vaccines to the world, especially developing countries. The country actively carried out joint production, which illustrates that COVID-19 vaccines should be considered as a global public good, a concept Xi stressed in a written message to the first meeting of the international forum on COVID-19 vaccine cooperation in August 2021.

"We are willing to work with the international community to promote international vaccine cooperation and build a community with a shared future for humanity," Xi said.

Speaking at the 48th session of the UN Human Rights Council in September 2021, Chen Xu, head of the Chinese Mission to the UN Office at Geneva, called on all member states and other parties concerned to expand vaccine production and upgrade production capabilities of developing countries by export, donation, joint research and development, franchised production and transfer of know-how.

Traditional Chinese medicine aids global fight against COVID-19

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), widely used in the global anti-pandemic fight since the onset of COVID-19, has proved to be remarkably effective. 

China has held more than 100 video events to introduce TCM treatment to over 150 countries and regions, and sent TCM experts to help epidemic control in over 30 countries and regions, according to its NHC.

In a report released in late March 2022, the WHO confirmed that TCM is beneficial in the treatment of COVID-19, particularly in mild-to-moderate cases. 

"There are promising data to suggest that TCM is beneficial in reducing the risk of progression from mild-to-moderate cases to severe COVID-19," a report stated. 

"For mild-to-moderate cases, there is encouraging evidence that the studied TCMs, when administered as add-on interventions to conventional treatment, may shorten the time for viral clearance, resolution of clinical symptoms and length of hospital stay when compared to conventional treatment alone."

Just as China has helped the world battle COVID-19, countries and international communities around the globe have also supported China, especially during its toughest time.

"The Chinese nation never forgets the help and generosity it receives, and always reciprocates with the same goodwill," according to a white paper published in June 2020 by the State Council Information Office.

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