China launched the largest emergency humanitarian operation since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and supported global economic recovery and post-pandemic reconstruction, contributing China’s part to the building of a global community of health for all. In the First Meeting of the International Forum on COVID-19 Vaccine Cooperation hosted by China on August 5, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced through a written message that China will strive to provide two billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to the world throughout this year and offer $100 million to COVAX for the distribution of vaccines to developing countries.
While China strives to boost international cooperation against COVID-19, it also takes the issue of origin-tracing seriously. Origin-tracing is an important link in fighting all pandemics to the extent that it will help prevent and tackle more effectively similar public health emergencies in the future. China has all along taken a scientific attitude as it engages in global cooperation on science-based origin-tracing. It invited WHO experts to China twice for relevant research. Earlier this year, a WHO team of leading experts carried out a 28-day joint research in China and concluded that the pathway of lab leak is extremely unlikely. They also recommended further research on earlier cases around the world and the role of cold-chain and cold-chain products in viral transmission. These important conclusions, reached by following WHO procedures and rigorous scientific methodology, are authoritative and science-based, and should be the basis for the next phase of global origin-tracing.
