by Xinhua writer Yu Jiaxin
LONDON, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Collective global efforts and a "genuine focus" on international cooperation are essential to winning the battle against COVID-19 as the pandemic continues to escalate in parts of the world, a Cambridge University expert has said.
The resolve of the Group of 20 (G20) to agree to such a collective approach would make the prospect of the fastest possible recovery from a world crisis more likely, Professor Alan Barrell told Xinhua via email.
Leaders of the G20 convened an extraordinary summit to coordinate a multilateral response to the pandemic on Thursday, during which China called for an all-out global war against COVID-19.
Barrell said he was impressed by China's proposal that the G20 nations take a strong lead, initially through the G20 health ministers' meeting, to consider global public health information exchange and planning.
"It would be a good start to a different approach to health issues and a genuine focus on global public health standard agreement and ongoing cooperation," he said.
Barrell opposed the view that globalization is to blame for the rapid spread of the pandemic.
"Blaming globalization is wrong," he said, stressing that globalization has brought great benefits to many people and is a major factor in global economic development, and is especially helpful to emerging nations.
Now COVID-19 has infected more than half a million people worldwide and dealt a severe blow to the world economy, collaboration, open information exchange and collective action are the only way to optimize recovery, Barrell said.
"The world economy is already damaged and (its) repair will require openness and a spirit of global planning and enterprise to make recovery fastest possible," he said.
Barrell applauded China's role in fighting against the pandemic, which reflects the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind.
China, with its continued emphasis through government policy on international collaboration for the common good, has already been demonstrating a leadership position, he said.
"As the proverb writer told us, 'Vision without Action is a daydream, but Action without Vision is a nightmare," he said, noting that a great vision like a community with a shared future for mankind can only be turned into tangible reality with determined implementation and serious global efforts.
"Hopefully the shock of the pandemic will encourage the action to be forthcoming," Barrell said.
