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The donation of South Africa overseas Chinese and the effort of Association of China-Africa Small-holder Agriculture (ACASA) amid Covid-19

Writer:Xiaoshun Qin Date:03/02/2020

 

1. Background of Covid-19 outbreak in China

Since December 2019, unknown viral pneumonia broke out in Wuhan city, China. In January 2020, Chinese National Health Commission (NHC) sent two high-profile expert teams respectively in order to understand and grasp the change of epidemic and condition of infection on novel coronavirus via on-site inspection in Wuhan. On 20 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) named it as 2019 Novel Coronavirus, namely "2019-nCoV".

In order to prevent the epidemic from further outbreak and worsening, Wuhan completely closed the departure corridor at 10:00 on January 23, 2020. Furthermore, the WHO announced the New Coronavirus Pneumonia (2019-nCoV) epidemic outbreak in Wuhan, China, as a "public health emergency of international concern" on 30 January 2020.

On 8 February 2020, the NHC issued a notice on the temporary naming of new coronavirus pneumonia at a conference held by State Council’s Joint Prevention and Control Institute: pneumonia contracted by new coronavirus is named unanimously as “New Coronavirus Pneumonia” with the abbreviation of “NCP”. On 11 February 2020, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, announced that the new coronavirus was named "Covid-19", where "Co" stands for "Coronavirus", "vi" is "virus" and "d" is "disease" at the press conference of the Global Research and Innovation Forum. On 21 February 2020, the NHC revised the English name of Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia as “Covid-19”, being consistent with the WHO’s nomenclature, nevertheless, Chinese name remained the same.

According to the data released by the NHC, as of 24:00 on February 26, there were 43,258 confirmed cases (among which 8,346 were severe cases), while the total confirmed cases reported were 78,497; the suspected cases were 2,358; the cumulative cases cured and discharged were 32,495 as well as the death was 2,744.

2. The donation of overseas Chinese in South Africa and from SA side amid Covid-19

Firstly, on 3 February 2020, South Africa ’s ruling party (ANC), issued a statement in support of China’s efforts to fight the new coronavirus pneumonia epidemic, appreciated China ’s efforts to combat the epidemic, and expressed confidence in China ’s ability to grapple the epidemic. On 5 February 2020, the director-general of the ruling party of the African National Assembly, Mr Masha Tiller, issued a statement that highly appreciating the Chinese government's ability and measures to combat the epidemic of Covid-19, and firmly supported China's efforts to fight the epidemic. On 7 February 2020, Prai Mabei, the national spokesman of the ANC, published a feature article entitled "Building a Better World Free of Disease" in the party journal "ANC Today". He praised China's ability to fight the epidemic and reiterated that the ANC will fight alongside China.

Secondly, on 9 February 2020, Lin Songtian, Chinese Ambassador to South Africa, held a conference briefing on China's fight against the Covid-19. He introduced China's work and efforts on coronavirus to journalists in four ways, including that the nationwide joint-prevention, joint-control and emergency mechanism was activated timely and operated efficiently; containing the outbreak of Covid-19 via mobilizing everyone in China and taking resolutely the most comprehensive and strictest prevention and control measures; medical personnel and medical supplies nationwide were assembled to provide emergency assistance to Wuhan to take advantages of this to contain the epidemic as well as releasing timely epidemic information and progress pertaining to Covid-19 by virtue of upholding openness and transparency and a high degree of responsibility for global public health security. Following this, he answered the reporter ’s questions concerned.

On February 13, Ambassador Lin was invited by "Good Morning South Africa" of current affairs gold column affiliated the South Africa Satellite Television 5 (eNCA) news to discuss the Covid-19, the Chinese government's response and positive results to the new coronavirus and the impact of the epidemic on China's economy.

On 14 February 2020, Ambassador Lin held a further press conference on China's fight against the Covid-19 in Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa. Through a detailed comparison of the epidemic data, he introduced comprehensively the latest progress of the new coronavirus epidemic, as well as the Chinese government's response and positive results. China has the confidence, ability and resources to prevent and control the epidemic, and is fully committed to guaranteeing the health and life safety of foreign citizens in China.

Thirdly, Standard Bank of South Africa donated funds to support China in the fighting epidemic. On 24 February 2020, the Standard Bank of South Africa held a donation transfer ceremony at its headquarters in Johannesburg, handed over R 750,000.00 to the Chinese Embassy in South Africa to support China's fight against the Covid-19.

Finally, and importantly, the donations were from overseas Chinese in South Africa amid Covid-19.

Air China's special cargo plane, CA1002, took off from Durban International Airport in South Africa on 5 February 2020. The aircraft delivered a total of 7,150 boxes of 2.86 million medical protective masks to support China's fight against the Covid-19.

On 20 February 2020, Li Xinzhu, the chairman of the Fujian Association, the honorary chairman of the All-China Peaceful Reunification Promotion Association, and the director of the South African Police and Civilian Cooperation Center, assisted in the procurement of protective clothing arrived in Xiamen. These batches of protective clothing worth 1.5 million yuan (CNY) were Xiamen's single medical supplies largest and professional medical supplies from the furthest distance.

The Hunan Association of Commerce in South Africa completed the preparation of 100,000 medical masks on 31 January 2020 and compressed more than 300 cases of masks into 57 packages in order to obtain aircraft seats as soon as possible. On 2 February 2020, the first batch of 24 packages of donated materials entered the OR Tambo International Airport. On 15 February 2020, the second batch left overcame numerous difficulties and finally arrived in Changsha.

As of mid-February of 2020, Wu Shaokang, a well-known overseas Chinese leader in South Africa and chairman of the South Africa Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Association of Commerce, has donated a number of important materials to provinces of Guangdong, Hunan and Fujian. Among these, the total amount of 1,200 medical isolation gown and 10,000 medical masks were donated in the first batch in early February. On 14 February, he donated another 6,300 medical N95 masks, 3700 medical masks, 500 sets of medical protective gown, and 20 infrared thermometers to the Red Cross Society of Jiangmen through the Guangdong Charity Federation.

On 17 February 2020, a group of professional medical masks purchased by the Fujian Association in the Free State were successfully transported to Wuhan, Hubei Province with the assistance of the Chinese Consulate General in Johannesburg, the State Grid and Air China. There were a total of 8,160 the N95 masks in this batch of charity supplies.

3. The effort of ACASA amid Covid-19

Association of China-Africa Small-holder Agriculture (ACASA), whose aim to benefit smallholder farmers via collaboration between China and Africa, based in South Africa. As NPO, we have completed lots of works to support our home-country, China.

Firstly, ACASA has raised the medical materials including medical masks, isolation gowns as well as other necessities, which the amount of them was around R 10,000.00, to transport to Hubei Province, China in a bid to support the frontier of fighting the Covid-19.

Secondly, ACASA had hold conference with local government, medical division, and think tanks such as PPF, to communicate the information pertaining to Covid-19, how to prevent and control it, how to avoid the public panic and nervousness.

Due to the adverse effect of Covid-19, some South Africans thought overseas Chinese in South Africa are not safe to them and suspect the business with them. ACASA entered the local community to spread the knowledge of the new coronavirus and the up-to-date result of the prevention and control of Covid-19 done by the Chinese government in order to make them understand the Chinese government can control the Covid-19 well and persuade them to keep normal communication and business activity.

Finally, ACASA send the information of the Covid-19, teach them how to prevent the virus and protect themselves from the new coronavirus as well as spread the positive energy with regard to the Covid-19 to their family, relatives and friend by means of Whatsapp, email, Tweeter, Facebook and our ACASA website in a bid to spread active effect of China.

4. Conclusion

The rampant Covid-19 is yet to be controlled, and the overseas Chinese in South Africans are operating actively at the same time. The disaster makes China become unity and work hard. We believe firmly that under the strong leadership of the CPC with president Xi Jinping as the core, and the joint efforts of Chinese at home and abroad, China will be able to overcome the new coronavirus epidemic as soon as possible and realize the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Xiaoshun QinChairman and CEO, Association of China-Africa Small-holder Agriculture (ACASA)

International relationship director, Professional Progressive Forum (PPF)

Director, African Youth Agricultural Development Association (AYADA)

Copyright: China-Africa Institute