Serbian heads of medical institutes, hospitals and representatives of government attend a video conference with Chinese health officials, experts and their counterparts from Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries in Belgrade, Serbia on March 13, 2020. (Xinhua/Shi Zhongyu)
China's initiatives go far beyond economic interests and that they are designed to build a community with a shared future for mankind by putting people first, Serbian officials say.
BELGRADE, March 14 (Xinhua) -- As fear and uncertainty over the COVID-19 epidemic spread across Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC), China extended a helping hand to the region.
Upholding the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind, China, still in a recovery mode itself, is offering not just encouragement and vital equipment, but also hard-won experience gained from the frontlines.
On Friday, Chinese experts who had joined their country's battle against COVID-19 in recent months staged a video conference with their CEEC counterparts as well as government officials.
A Serbian participant uses a smart phone to record a video conference with Chinese health officials, experts and their counterparts from Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries in Belgrade, Serbia on March 13, 2020. (Xinhua/Shi Zhongyu)
The first such event within the framework of China-CEEC cooperation led to an expansion into the field of healthcare, giving additional impetus and sustainability to overall China-CEEC cooperation.
Sharing economic interests and a desire to strengthen ties, China and the CEEC have since 2012 engaged in numerous joint projects, including those in the cultural and security fields.
The network of China-CEEC cooperation, which was created to meet the increasing appeals for exchange between these 17 countries and China, now functions as a highway of knowledge-sharing about the virus and how to beat it.
Medical specialists provide online services to patients in Henan Provincial People's Hospital in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Jianan)
In Serbia, medical experts said they had gained vital input from their Chinese counterparts on how to act in their everyday practice, including what treatments have proven efficient, what symptoms and clinical conditions to expect and how to protect other patients and themselves from being infected.
Officials here also said that this shows that China's initiatives go far beyond economic interests and that they are designed to build a community with a shared future for mankind by putting people first.
A doctor thumbs up before entering isolation wards at the Xiaogan First People's Hospital in Xiaogan City, central China's Hubei Province, Feb. 19, 2020. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
Thanks to efforts from both sides, China-CEEC cooperation has produced fruitful results in past years, which has brought tangible benefits to their people and consolidated their traditional friendship.
A friend in need is a friend indeed. Confronted with the same challenge, China and the CEEC can achieve final victory through solidarity and mutual assistance.
When handshakes are no longer encouraged in Europe, China's helping hand could make a difference. ■
