China Public Diplomacy Association (CPDA) held online talk with African media on “China-Africa mutual assistance and jointly fighting the pandemic” on April 23. H.E. Liu Biwei, Vice president of CPDA, chaired the talk. H.E. Ambassador Kuang Weilin, former Head of the Chinese Mission to the African Union, Mr. Luo Jun, Deputy Director General of Guangdong Foreign Affairs Office, Mr. Li Tiegang, Epidemiologist and member of the Guangzhou COVID-19 Prevention and Control Group, talked with journalists from Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda and Burkina Faso who had attended China Africa Press Center (CAPC) of China International Press Communication Center (CIPCC) via video connection. Mr. Doucoure Abdoulaye, President of Mali-China Business Council, and Mr. Virginio Bibang Ndong, Equatorial Guinea’s Student of Southern Medical University also joined the online talk.
H.E. Liu Biwei and H.E. Kuang Weilin introduced China-Africa cooperation on fighting the pandemic, and told stories of China-Africa friendship based on their early work experience in Africa. Mr. Luo Jun introduced Guangdong’s work on the prevention and control of the outbreak, especially their ever-improving measures to implement health management of African people on the principle of undifferentiated treatment. Mr. Li Tiegang elaborated on the “Four Early” and other prevention and control measures taken in Guangzhou, combining with his experience of serving as a member of the Chinese medical team to Ghana in fighting against Ebola in 2014. Mr. Doucoure Abdoulaye and Mr. Virginio Bibang Ndong talked about their daily life in Guangdong during the outbreak.
The Chinese side answered the questions raised by the journalists, who expressed that China attached great importance to African people’s situation, adhered to the principle of treating all the foreigners in China equally, and took zero tolerance for racial discrimination. Gungdong Province has strengthened communication with consulates in Guangzhou to establish normal daily contact mechanism, and build working groups to address African community concerns everyday without delay.
The journalists said that this online talk was very important for them to acquire the first hand information, and they would like to keep close touch with the Chinese side and tell true stories through their reports.