UoS holds webinar on dealing with pandemic thru Chinese strategies

SARGODHA: The Pakistan Institute of China Studies (PICS), University of Sargodha, on Tuesday organised a webinar on “Dealing with pandemic: Lessons from China”, to discuss and learn from the Chinese best practices and strategies in containing and controlling the deadly virus.

The webinar brought together distinguished panelists and think tanks from China and across Pakistan. The event was moderated by Director PICS Dr Fazlur Rahman, while the panelists included Vice Dean of National Institute of International Strategy, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Ye Hailin, head of Xinjiang, the Institute of Borderlands Studies Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Xu Jianying, senior journalist of China Media Group Urdu Services Wang Qianting, Australian National University Research Fellow Xiaoyu Lu, Director Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies Amir Rana and Director Pakistan Council on China Humayun Khan.

Addressing the webinar, Ye Hailin said that COVID-19 crisis was not like the previous health crisis and it would change the mankind history. China had better public health facilities in comparison to all other nations of East, West and European Union, he said, adding that there was a dire need to address the public health opportunities and to invest in the public health sector. He stressed transforming the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) investments focus from infrastructure to public health sector. Xu Jianying deliberated on citizen’s responsibility in adopting precautions and the treatment. Strong leadership, medical facilities, high precautions and self-responsibility of the public enabled China to deal with this deadly virus.

Ms Wang Qianting informed about the white paper titled "Fighting COVID-19: China in Action," issued by the government of China consisting of four chapters. The white paper explains China’s prevention, control and treatment efforts in the battle against the virus, as well as the efforts made at a global level in international cooperation.

The public health depends not only on the medical technology, but also greatly on the infrastructure and government’s mode of operation, its determination, efficiency and the balance of civic consciousness and public awareness, she added.