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China solidarity buoys Africa in virus battle

By CHEN YINGQUN | China Daily Global | Updated: 2020-07-03 09:10

Xi’s speech provides inspiration for efforts against pandemic, experts say

 China’s and Africa’s commitment to strengthen their collaboration in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic has great significance in helping African countries defeat the virus and rebuild their economies, experts said.

Nkolo Foe, a professor at the University of Yaounde I in Cameroon, told a forum, held via a videoconference, that he was impressed by how China, after quickly defeating the virus within its borders, decided to launch a “gigantic crusade” against COVID-19 to help the world eradicate it.

The country has pursued this goal by offering “material and financial support for the various nations of the world, regardless of ideological choices or the nature of the political regimes in force”, said Foe, who is a former vice-president of the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa.

An international symposium focused on a keynote speech by President Xi Jinping at the recent Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity Against COVID-19 was held by the China-Africa Institute on Tuesday. During the speech, Xi assured African countries that China would continue to support COVID-19 containment measures on the continent.

Foe appreciated that Xi in his speech made a strong plea for multilateralism and pointed out that solidarity and cooperation are the most powerful weapons to defeat the virus.

“These remarks are made at the very moment when centrifugal forces are working to weaken global health governance,” he said, citing what he termed the vile attacks against the World Health Organization by some Western countries.

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