Trump Is Using Coronavirus As an Excuse to Brag About Ratings
https://youtu.be/ZDVETqkluQw
Fox News on Thursday quoted "multiple sources" and claimed that the COVID-19 is "likely originated in a Wuhan laboratory." A Fox News reporter also asked US President Donald Trump about the issue during the White House coronavirus news briefing, and Trump didn't deny it. This has promoted the spread of this accusation in the international media.
Everyone knows that Fox News is a media outlet that firmly defends Trump. It did not even dare to say the source of information. We have reason to suspect that Fox News fabricated the news out of thin air. This is their special operation to assist Trump's reelection.
Scientists worldwide have opposed the opinion that the COVID-19 was leaked from the laboratory. On February 18, before China and the US had diplomatic frictions on the origin of the virus, 27 prominent public health scientists released a statement to "strongly condemn conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin."
Fox News' report is to cater to the political needs of Trump and US ruling elites. The media is turning itself into a part of their political attack.
There are only more than six months before the 2020 US presidential election. The US is at the peak of the epidemic and it is uncertain whether it can be controlled. After a slight decline in infections, the number of new confirmed cases and deaths in the US soared by 40,678 and 2,538 over the past 24 hours, both reaching a new high.
The epidemic will impose a continual and dangerous political pressure on the Trump administration. To win the election, Trump and his Republican Party urgently need to pass the buck to others and divert public attention and anger. They will mobilize all their resources and pass the buck to China. Attacking the WHO is a new way to divert people's suspicion on China.
US ruling elites probably believe that whether they can make voters believe the US' highest infections and deaths are all because of China, and whether they can incite extreme nationalism among the Americans against China and make voters hate China, instead of US' rulers, are the keys to their election.
Fox News, US Republican lawmakers, the government-controlled intelligence agencies and the high-ranking officials who appear in public are all playing different roles. They are jointly painting a false picture that China is lying about the main information of the epidemic and hiding key facts from the world.
They are trying to convince Americans that China's so-called concealment has led to the US government's contempt for the epidemic, and has reinforced people's impression that the death toll in the US is too high. They want voters to believe that the US government has done a good job, and the US' death toll is acceptable and is much less than the worst case.
Are American people and international society so gullible? Let us see what will actually happen in the end. Our judgment is that politics will confuse some people and interests may help lies spread, and thus there will be people who chime in with Washington's claims.
But common sense and real science will be more powerful. People in and outside the US will agree that the US must be responsible for its terrible COVID-19 management.
Washington will only fall into a bigger crisis if it wants to use a lie to weather the current one. They will pay a greater price for it.
The strict review and correction of the death toll means
there is no room for deliberate concealment. Speculation that China
falsified the death toll from the coronavirus is far from truth
The ongoing virus fight still brings in uncertainties.
Meanwhile, resumption of production and work will become new themes,
while how to balance economic recovery and the virus fight needs to be
explored Related posts:
Hundreds of activists gather outside Fox News HQ on
March 13, 2019 to protest against Fox News host Tucker Carlson over his
controversial comments against women. Photo: VCG
Fox News’ unscrupulous manipulation should be condemned by the global press
https://youtu.be/JMj4k_rqtfQ
This week, Fox News, one of Donald Trump's favorite mouthpieces, ran a story on the conspiracy theory that claims COVID-19 was made at a laboratory in Wuhan, China.
The most shocking aspect of this theory was not how it claimed to know where the virus originated. Such misinformation has since become old news after it was dispelled by Chinese scientists and international institutions as early as February.
What's shocking is how Fox News claimed that "multiple sources" said the virus was leaked in an attempt by China to "demonstrate that its efforts to identify and combat viruses are equal to or greater than the capabilities of the United States."
Reading the report was an unbelievable experience, and not because the Fox News claim rocked my understanding of China, but how it was unfathomable that a major news outlet would make such a ridiculous claim and even take it seriously.
Did anyone at Fox News bother to read the report? China leaked the virus because it wanted to prove its system was better than the US? It sounded like something a third-grader would say.
Even though Fox News may think that all Americans are as ignorant as Trump's consultant Kellyanne Conway, who claimed the virus was the 19th version of COVID, the report is beyond ridiculous and will inspire others to wonder if there is anyone at the news outlet whose brain actually works.
Unfortunately, Fox News has an extensive fan base who wants to be coerced into believing the "China leaked virus" theory. On Twitter, some threatened to "wipe" China off the planet and posted a gif of a nuclear bomb, suggesting that China should be nuked. Such fascist behavior should come as no surprise given that Fox News and Trump's behavior often invite racist and neo-Nazis words.
Objective and intellectual thinkers do not accept Fox News claims regarding China. On the Fox News YouTube channel, many questioned their "sources," which is something Fox News refuses to address.
What's even funnier is how Trump said in 2016 that "don't believe 'sources said' by the VERY dishonest media. If they don't name the sources, the sources don't exist."
Regardless of "sources," the Fox News theory proves a concern I've had since February. Trump and his conservative allies began making remarks that COVID-19 was "just a flu" and one that would "magically disappear" due to "hot weather." Trish Regan of Fox News said the epidemic was a "scam" by Democrats to impeach Trump. Their attitudes inspired me to wonder if the coronavirus emerged in the US first, would these people treat it just like a flu, downplay its risks and even cover up the truth of this deadly pandemic?
China reported, studied, and fought the virus first, treated it as a very serious crisis, and became a whistleblower for the pandemic worldwide. China's efforts might have foiled Trump and his henchman's plan to downplay COVID-19. So, when the outbreak in the US worsened and couldn't be covered up because of information from China, Trump and his men would dislike China for revealing the true nature of COVID-19, which would also jeopardize his approval rating.
And now, in Fox News' latest false claim, one can certainly sense such a grudge against China. It is apparently a form of revenge by Trump's team as they are shamed by China.
In other words, the Fox News' conspiracy theory may have revealed how they never took COVID-19 seriously. For them and Trump, it is ultimately a political reality show for Trump's re-election so that instead of being responsible, their priorities are always to find someone to blame, be it Democrats, news media, China, or the World Health Organization.
For those who need further evidence that Trump and his puppy Fox News only care about political gain, check the internet and social media and see who is spreading misinformation and who is pretending that this is just a flu.
There is a saying on China's social media: Like idols, like fans.
US media outlet Fox News recently published a report
hyping the old conspiracy theory that the novel coronavirus was made in
"a Wuhan laboratory" by citing "anonymous sources" without even
explaining how the sources acquired the information. Known as a hub for
fake news about coronavirus, Fox News's latest report was criticized by
overseas netizens and experts for demonstrating a new low of "lack of
professionalism" in journalism.
Fox News berated as fake news hub spreading conspiracies about COVID-19 - Global Times https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1185825.shtml#.XpqI0P7Z4cA.twitter
The World Health Organization’s director-general expressed regret Wednesday at President Trump’s intent to withhold funding, and said the agency would seek to fill financing gaps from other donors as it battles the coronavirus pandemic.
US allies line up to condemn Donald Trump’s WHO funding suspension
EU foreign policy chief captures chorus of concern as health body expresses regret and assesses financial hit
President Donald Trump’s decision to halt US funding to the World Health Organization has triggered heavy criticism at home and abroad for depriving the global body of its biggest donor as it battles the coronavirus pandemic.
Josep Borrell, EU foreign policy chief, captured a chorus of international concern when he warned that all countries must work together closely to stem the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Deeply regret US decision to suspend funding to WHO,” he wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. “There is no reason justifying this move at a moment when their efforts are needed more than ever to help contain & mitigate the coronavirus pandemic.”
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, expressed regret at Mr Trump’s decision and said his organisation was assessing the impact and how to fill any funding gaps.
“This is a time for all of us to be united in our common struggle against a common threat, a dangerous enemy,” he told reporters. “When we are divided the virus exploits the cracks between us.”
Mr Trump shocked European allies on Tuesday when he announced that hundreds of millions of dollars in US funding would be suspended while a review was conducted to assess the WHO’s “role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus”.
He also criticised the organisation’s relationship with China. “American taxpayers provide between $400m-$500m per year to the WHO, in contrast China contributes roughly $40m a year, even less,” Mr Trump said. “As the organisation’s leading sponsor, the US has a duty to insist on full accountability.”
Critics countered that the White House was undermining the international response to the Covid-19 pandemic and other serious diseases in an effort to distract attention from questions over its own handling of the health emergency.
This is the time for solidarity, not for finger-pointing or undermining multilateral co-operation.
The European Commission said the EU backed the WHO in its efforts to contain the pandemic, had already provided additional funding and was looking into what it and its member states could do in response to the US move.
“This is the time for solidarity, not for finger-pointing or undermining multilateral co-operation,” the Commission said.
Ursula von der Leyen, Commission president, is due to host an online pledging conference on May 4 that will look at immediate funding gaps in combating the pandemic.
In Germany, Heiko Maas, foreign minister, said it did not help to “apportion blame” over the pandemic. Simon Coveney, Ireland’s foreign minister, slammed Mr Trump’s decision as “indefensible” in the “midst of global pandemic”.
Sergei Ryabkov, Russia’s deputy foreign minister, branded the US move “very alarming”. “This is an example of a very selfish approach by the US authorities,” he said, according to the Tass news agency.
Mr Trump’s move was also condemned by Bill Gates, the Microsoft founder and billionaire head of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “Halting funding for the World Health Organization during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds,” he wrote on Twitter.
The US, where more than 26,000 people have died from Covid-19, the largest official national death toll, is the largest single contributor to the WHO. Of the roughly $500m it provides annually, $116m is mandated by the UN and about another $400m is in voluntary payments.
In Washington, the president’s move came under heavy fire from Democrats, while Republicans were largely supportive. Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic speaker of the House of Representatives, described it as an “illegal” move that would be “swiftly challenged”.
“The president’s halting of funding to the WHO as it leads the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic is senseless,” she added.
Bob Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate foreign relations committee, said it was a “dangerous and reckless” move at a time when people in the US and across the world were dying from the virus.
But Republicans were supportive either because of concerns that the organization was too China-centric — echoing the claims of Mr Trump — or because of unease about international institutions.
“This is a critical time for worldwide public health and we cannot afford China apologists running the WHO,” said Lindsey Graham, a senator who generally backs US international engagement. “I support a suspension of funding . . . until there is new leadership at the WHO.”
Stephen Griffin, associate professor at the school of medicine at the UK’s University of Leeds, said Mr Trump’s decision was perhaps “one of the least productive, most short-sighted, self-motivated and hypocritical acts I have ever witnessed”.
China’s foreign ministry said Washington’s decision would “weaken the capabilities of the WHO, harm international co-operation against the epidemic, and affect various countries including the US itself domestically”.
But Australia’s prime minister Scott Morrison also expressed concerns about the WHO’s handling of the pandemic, calling for greater transparency from the health body on the causes of the outbreak.
US
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with patients who have
recovered from the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in the Cabinet Room of
the White House in Washington, DC on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Washington was suspending funding to World Health Organization (WHO) while reviewing over the organization's "role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus." Since last week, Trump has launched a barrage of attacks on WHO, accusing the organization of being "China centric."
Mainstream public opinion both in the US and abroad believes Trump is anxiously making WHO a scapegoat to divert increasingly fiercer domestic criticisms for his botched epidemic response.
It should be taken as part of Trump's reelection campaign. Attacking WHO and labeling it as "China centric" could incite many Americans to unleash their anger over the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans amid the pandemic as well as their severely impacted life. Canvassing gatherings cannot be held at this moment, so finding scapegoats to let voters vent their anger has become the best campaign tactic. The US recent years has intensified its anti-China ideology, targeting WHO and China together could fan as much nationalism as possible in the US and covertly boost Trump's reelection.
Those in the US Congress who are furiously blasting WHO are from the Republican party. The White House has taken state apparatuses and public interests as campaign resources. Such political operations are quite immoral.
The global virus fight is at a critical juncture. The novel coronavirus is launching indiscriminate attacks against all the people regardless of nationality or race. WHO is the authoritative body that can coordinate the global anti-virus fight. Washington's crackdown on the WHO is a blow to the global endeavor against the coronavirus. The US is making lives of numerous people pay the price for its political infighting. This is a bloody plan.
So far epicenters of the pandemic are mainly in relatively developed regions and those hardest hit countries have comparatively strong ability to stem the pandemic on their own.
However, the risk of pandemic hitting underdeveloped areas is growing increasingly high. Those countries will tend to rely more on the support and assistance of the WHO. Any move at this time that may paralyze and weaken WHO will foster the pandemic and place human beings in a more vulnerable situation.
Washington's attack on the WHO is so unpopular that no country in the world has yet echoed. Only the Taiwan bogus regime supported Washington out of its own political interests. This isolated camp - the US plus the island of Taiwan - well explains "an unjust cause finds scant support."
Washington's attempts to shift the blame onto other countries and international organizations are doomed to fail. Its own mistakes cannot be more obvious, and buck-passing will only drive people to further investigate and define its responsibility for improper handling of the outbreak.
The US' attacks against the WHO is groundless. Taking buck-passing as one of the main battlefields of the presidential election will very much likely to suffer losses.
A sovereign country that investigates the WHO and treats international organizations so arrogantly won't be supported by international law.
Washington evaluates the WHO in accordance with how the organization has served the US. This goes against the purpose of WHO.
Such an arbitrary and overbearing act will surely help the world see clearly the true nature of the ongoing conflicts between the US and international organizations.
The US has no ability to reconstruct an international system. What it is doing now is pure destruction. The acts of the US are throwing the world into chaos and crippling the global system. The US political and legal framework cannot restrain its government from acting at its own will. This is the misfortune of the US and the entire world.
US President Donald Trump's decision to suspend US
payments to the World Health Organization in the midst of the present
pandemic is outrageous and grossly irresponsible, which prioritizes his
own electoral fortunes over the needs of the American people and people
around the world, Martin Jacques, a senior fellow at the Department of
Politics and International Studies at Cambridge University, told the
Global Times via email.
Public health crises do not happen often, but once they
do, they expose the various flaws of a system. It remains to be seen how
the US reforms its system to address the flaws, or just looks for a
scapegoat.
Perhaps the biggest lesson that we should learn from the
COVID-19 pandemic is countries with different political systems and
ideologies should unite to deal with our common enemy. Learning to
coexist may be the goal of human development in the future as well as
the solution to global problems.
The ruling elites in Washington are living in a fantasy
where they think blurring the facts and spreading their slander allows
them to call white for black.
According to research, although Wuhan is the initial epicentre, it may not be the root of the outbreak.
No proof that COVID-19 originated in Wuhan: Peter Forster
https://youtu.be/AQQf2yoymu0
Peter Forster, a geneticist at the University of #Cambridge, has identified three distinct strains of COVID-19. Forster and his team traced the origins of the epidemic by analyzing 160 genomes from human patients and found that the strain in #Wuhan mutated from an earlier version. #Coronavirus
https://youtu.be/fB8M37gx5xM
https://youtu.be/Ozlc4yZ0-es
https://youtu.be/Q2-OZchVEfQ
Going out safely: People wearing face masks seen on the East Lake after
the lockdown was lifted in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province. —
Reuters
CHINA bashing is continuing even as the world struggles to fight the killer Covid-19 virus. In fact, the blame game has intensified, fuelled by some western politicians and the media.
It’s not a good time for Asians, especially ethnic Chinese, to be in Western countries as there have been reported cases of racial abuse and even assault.
Without doubt, these, are isolated cases as the majority of people are reasonable but such incidents have made many Chinese people in these countries feel uneasy and unsafe.
Amid all these, a very important report went almost unnoticed last week. Perhaps most journalists were preoccupied with headline- grabbing news of Covid-19 deaths and lockdown violators.
The report, which has been widely discussed in the scientific community, was carried by some newspapers but CNN and BBC did not find it interesting enough or perhaps it did not fit into their narrative.
Well, for the first time, experts from Britain and Germany have mapped the evolutionary path of the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 and determined there are currently three versions of it spreading around the world.
In simple English, the viruses are mutating – changing their forms – and these scientists have put them in three forms, or variants, as they prefer to call them. But the bad news is that they are still mutating, and more variants could be added later.
The virus, according to these experts – “is constantly mutating to overcome immune system resistance in different populations.”
According to the findings, these researchers reconstructed the early evolutionary paths of the virus as it spread from the epicentre in Wuhan, China, out to Europe and North America.
By analysing the first 160 complete virus genomes to be sequenced from human patients, scientists found the variant closest to that discovered in bats was largely found in patients from the US and Australia – not Wuhan.
They used data from samples taken from across the world between Dec 24,2019 and March 4,2020. They found that the closest type of coronavirus to the one discovered in bats – type A, the original human virus genome – was present in Wuhan, but was not the city’s predominant virus type. The Chinese city was initially the epicentre of the outbreak.
The finding said type A was also found in Americans who had lived in Wuhan, and in other patients diagnosed in the United States and Australia.
However, the report did not elaborate who were the Americans who had lived in Wuhan and how they got infected.
The most common variant found in Wuhan was type B although this appeared not to have travelled much beyond East Asia before mutating, which the researchers said was probably due to some form of resistance to it outside that region.
Type C was the variant found most commonly in Europe based on cases in France, Italy, Sweden and England.
It has not been detected in any patients in mainland China, though it had been found in samples from Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea, the study said.
Dr Peter Forster, geneticist and lead author from the University of Cambridge, said: “There are too many rapid mutations to neatly trace a Covid-19 family tree.”
But the researchers concluded that variant A was the root of the outbreak as it was most closely related to the virus found in bats and pangolins. Type B was derived from A, separated by two mutations, while type C was the “daughter” of variant B.
“The Wuhan B-type virus could be immunologically or environmentally adapted to a large section of the East Asian population, ” Forster said.
“It may need to mutate to overcome resistance outside East Asia. We seem to see a slower mutation rate in East Asia than elsewhere, in this initial phase.”
But one thing is for sure. It is not a good time to travel as the virus has been transmitted at an unbelievable speed.
For example, the study reported that one of the earliest introductions of the virus to Italy was found in a Mexican traveller, who was diagnosed on Feb 28, came via the first documented German infection – a person who worked for a company in Munich on Jan 27.
The German contracted the infection from a Chinese colleague in Shanghai, who had recently been visited by her parents from Wuhan. The researchers documented 10 mutations in the viral journey from Wuhan to Mexico.
“Because we have reconstructed the ‘family tree’ (the evolutionary history) of the human virus, we can use this tree to trace infection routes from one human to the next, and thus have a statistical tool to suppress future infection when the virus tries to return, ” Forster said.
The research team has since extended its analysis to 1,001 viral genomes and while it has yet to undergo peer review, the report has indicated that the spread of the virus has increasingly adapted to different populations and therefore the pandemic needs to be taken seriously.
More importantly, this scientific report could help politicians and the media to understand better the cause of the virus, and end their conspiracy blame game.
"For most people alive today, anywhere in the world, we have never faced a crisis of such magnitude. It is the first true test of our ability to stand together in the face of a common enemy"
An aerial view shows the newly completed Huoshenshan
Hospital. Digital tools helped coordinate its design and construction-Image: REUTERS
Taking advantage of emerging technologies, including Big Data and artificial intelligence, has enabled China to respond rapidly to the impacts of COVID-19 and to fight against its spread;
New hospitals were built in record time and millions of students were able to resume their learning online thanks to the industrial internet;
From coordinating community volunteers to offer municipal programmes online, digital platforms have helped empower citizens in the fight against the virus.
The outbreak of COVID-19 has brought huge challenges across the globe.
There are contradictions and conflicts, but also an unprecedented spirit within humanity to defeat this scourge. Beyond national borders, countries are working together to combat the coronavirus, utilizing joint prevention and control mechanisms while sharing resources and information. Have you read?
In China, people have joined together to contain the virus’ spread. Their achievements have been nothing short of heroic given the exponential rise in confirmed cases, a huge and densely-packed population and the world’s largest human migration simultaneously occurring during the Chinese New Year festivities in January and February.
The involvement of Tencent, a Chinese internet technology company, in promoting the power of digital, is testament to the rise of the industrial internet in the fight against the virus.
While the consumer internet provides services such as social networking and e-commerce to consumers who are self-isolating, its industrial counterpart, focusing primarily on business and industry, has worked to safeguard society’s normal operation, making a profound contribution which we will call the “ACE effect”. Accelerator: a new speed record
Incorporating technologies, including 5G, artificial intelligence, Big Data and cloud computing, the industrial internet is a new, pan-industry infrastructure. Connecting data, while promoting data sharing and its evolving importance, enables the coordination of the entire industry chain. This has given the Chinese manufacturing industry a dramatic boost, leading to an amazing string of new production records.
An excellent example is the newly built Huoshenshan and Leishenshan Hospitals, which offer 2,600 beds in total.
Containing the virus’ spread required additional facilities to handle the patient load and construction workers took just 10 days and 12 days respectively to build and equip both. Digital tools like BIM (Building Information Modelling), allowed the hospitals’ design institutes to utilize the industrial internet, bringing together hundreds of BIM designers nationwide. The hospitals’ design plans were produced in 24 hours and construction drawings in only 60 hours. Onsite construction was so well-organized that thousands of machines were monitored and coordinated in real-time through an industrial internet platform.
Change-maker: the cyber-world becomes the real world
The outbreak increased the digitalization of sectors including medical services, office work and education. In turn, these newly digital products have reshaped people’s perceptions and behaviours. Society has experienced an irreversible leap into digital life.
Following the outbreak, Tencent, Alibaba and vertical online healthcare platforms like DXY began offering the public remote medical services. People consulted with online doctors, conducted self-assessments and decided whether to go to a hospital for further medical checks or remain at home. These simple screening tools reduced non-essential hospital visits and caregiver workloads while mitigating the risks of cross-infection.
Remote technology has enabled hospitals to share their best resources over great distances. Thanks to China’s 5G networks, many Wuhan hospitals, have been able to connect with counterparts in Beijing, allowing experts in the capital to provide real-time consultation based on ultra-high-definition images.
China is leading the way in development of 5G technology
China is leading the way in development of 5G technology
Image: Statista
Keeping 276 million students learning online has advanced the digitalization of education. In mid-February, the government ordered more than a quarter of a billion full-time students to resume their studies through online platforms - the largest “online movement” in the history of education. Hundreds of industrial internet-based online educational platforms now provide free-of-charge, individual live streaming services or share their open class content. During the Spring Festival period, Tencent Classroom alone added nearly 1.28 million new users.
Starting with remote offices, the digitalization of business and human resource management has moved up the agendas of corporate managers. Online collaborative platforms from Tencent, Alibaba, Huawei, Byte Dance and Baidu have been refined to meet surging consumer demand. Tencent Conference added more than 100,000 Cloud Hosts in only eight days between 29 January and 6 February.
Enabler: a new co-governance model for modern society
During this period a new type of social governance has arisen; one enabled by the industrial internet. Governments now actively engage partners to improve the efficiency and quality of municipal services. Empowered by digital tools, communities and people are active stakeholders in social governance. Co-governance, involving multiple participants, is emerging as a new model for today’s increasingly complicated society.
In China, the digital provision of municipal services infiltrates government agencies in many cities. The outbreak has expedited this process and agencies have digitized further. By 8 February, there were 100-plus municipal service “mini programmes” featuring epidemic status information. On WeChat, these programmes grew their users by nearly 60% in under 3 weeks.
Importantly, the industrial internet has empowered communities and people in the war against COVID-19. Through digital platforms, volunteer teams of residents within communities assist in disinfection and deliver supplies aided by digital community management and communication tools.
US cases of COVID-19 have now surpassed those in China
US cases of COVID-19 have now surpassed those in China
Image: Statista
In addition, the advent of the “Health QR Code” lets users submit information regarding travel to major epidemic outbreak regions and details close contact with infected people and other relevant information. A three-colour scale indicates the person’s recent virus-related health history, enabling them to cooperatively comply with virus-related prevention and control policies.
Through the “ACE effect”, the industrial internet provides a fundamental infrastructure for empowering individuals and organizations. Enterprises, government and individuals have all actively engaged in the war on COVID-19 through the advantage supplied by this technology and the advantage this creates has helped China to almost stop the outbreak.
What is the World Economic Forum doing about the coronavirus outbreak?
A new strain of Coronavirus, COVID 19, is spreading around the world, causing deaths and major disruption to the global economy.
Responding to this crisis requires global cooperation among governments, international organizations and the business community,
which is at the centre of the World Economic Forum’s mission as the
International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation.
The Forum has created the COVID Action Platform,
a global platform to convene the business community for collective
action, protect people’s livelihoods and facilitate business continuity,
and mobilize support for the COVID-19 response. The platform is created
with the support of the World Health Organization and is open to all
businesses and industry groups, as well as other stakeholders, aiming to
integrate and inform joint action.
As an organization, the Forum has a track record of supporting
efforts to contain epidemics. In 2017, at our Annual Meeting, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations
(CEPI) was launched – bringing together experts from government,
business, health, academia and civil society to accelerate the
development of vaccines. CEPI is currently supporting the race to
develop a vaccine against this strand of the coronavirus.
The Forum has created the COVID Action Platform, a global platform to convene the business community for collective action, protect people’s livelihoods and facilitate business continuity, and mobilize support for the COVID-19 response. The platform is created with the support of the World Health Organization and is open to all businesses and industry groups, as well as other stakeholders, aiming to integrate and inform joint action.
As an organization, the Forum has a track record of supporting efforts to contain epidemics. In 2017, at our Annual Meeting, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) was launched – bringing together experts from government, business, health, academia and civil society to accelerate the development of vaccines. CEPI is currently supporting the race to develop a vaccine against this strand of the coronavirus.
These enabling capabilities will outlast the COVID-19 pandemic and make lasting contributions to the sustainable development of mankind. Tencent’s partnership with the UN, in recognition of its upcoming 75th anniversary, is a good example. The initiative will ask millions of participants worldwide how our planet should look in 2045 and what role international cooperation can play in solving our common challenges, both now and in the future.
For most people alive today, anywhere in the world, we have never faced a crisis of such magnitude. It is the first true test of our ability to stand together in the face of a common enemy.
Now is the time for neighbourliness, not hostility. Let this event serve as a wake-up call: our governments must be responsible to the people and enter into a collaborative relationship for the well-being of this and future generations. Should we lose, then we lose together; when we achieve victory it will be because we did it together.
Lau Sengyee, Senior Executive Vice President, Chairman of Group Marketing and Global Branding, Tencent
After Wuhan, capital city of Central China's Hubei Province
hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, lifted its city
lockdown after 76 days in isolation to contain the novel coronavirus
spread, China officially entered the next stage of combating the virus.
It is time for the US to accept the fact: China is indeed
working miracles, and will certainly do more. Realizing this reality
will benefit the US itself and China-US relations.
China rectifies death toll based on facts, unaffected by Western noise: Global Times editorial
Viral diplomatic wars: Trump’s labelling of
Covid-19 as a ‘Chinese virus’ earlier this month has infuriated Beijing
and ethnic Chinese w...
