Q: What is the latest situation of the epidemic in China? If local Cypriot friends and overseas Chinese have the will and ability to donate medical supplies to China, what should they proceed?
A: Thanks to the most comprehensive, stringent and thorough epidemic control measures, China's efforts are now achieving positive results and the overall situation is evolving for the better. In the provinces outside Hubei, the number of newly confirmed cases per day in each province largely remained at about 10 in the past 5 days, and the number of new suspected cases per day remained below 100 for 4 consecutive days, while the number of daily discharged patients in the last 6 days was around 3,000. But meanwhile, the situation of epidemic control in Europe becomes more challenging, and the risk of epidemic imported to Cyprus is increasing. We thank Cypriot friends and overseas Chinese for their support and contribution to China's fight against the epidemic. But we suggest them keeping more medical supplies within the island for the potential epidemic control and self-rescue. As a good friend of Cyprus, China will also provide support within its capacity at critical moments.
Q: Recently, some people in the island questioned or even rejected the Chinese government's quarantine isolation measures to prevent and control the epidemic. What would you say to that?
A: The quarantine approach was first used during the second of three plagues in the world, namely at the peak of the Black Death epidemic. Early identification and early quarantine are the most original and effective ways so far. Epidemiological practices have proven that the quarantine approach is even more important in the face of an epidemic onset and of no specific medicines and vaccines. The sooner to quarantine the affected, the more effects to achieve, minimizing its damage and better protecting public health. The Chinese government has adopted a series of measures such as the quarantine approach to effectively control the epidemic, which is recognized by the World Health Organization and followed by more countries. It is also important to note that although China is implementing the quarantine method but love is not "quarantined", people-oriented services have been provided to the quarantined people, including medical observation, psychological counseling, catering, garbage treatment, etc.
Q: China is resuming economic production and operation. Are you confident in achieving the expected goals for economic and social development this year?
A: In 2003, the SARS virus plagued China for over half a year. Despite its severe impacts, China still maintained a rapid GDP growth of 10%. Although China's current economic structure and growth features vary from 2003, the growth momentum remains unchanged or even better thanks to the great potential, strong resilience as well as the width and depth of China's economy. Recently, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council discussed in many meetings on how to effectively deal with the impact of the epidemic on China's economy and society. The whole country is now facilitating both economic and social development in the context of epidemic control, increasing its efforts to stabilize employment, finance, foreign trade, foreign capital, investment and expectations, and keeping the economy running within a proper range throughout the year. Moreover, the central government has increased financial support for local governments to improve people's basic livelihoods. I have all confidence that China will achieve the expected economic and social development goals of the year.
Q: What do you think of the expelling of 60 Chinese journalists by the United States?
A: I joined the Information Department of China's Foreign Ministry at the age of 25. I have been dealing with the media for almost my entire career. There have been numerous misreporting cases in the US media, which was characterized by Donald Trump as "fake news" producers. Despite the biases and rumors, China did not take counteractions, believeing in good faith that the US media may become objective one day when they better understand China. It wasn't until they labelled China as a "sick man of Asia" in recent epidemic, the racist remarks not even allowed by U.S. law, that China expressed its suppressed anger. The US provoked this media war as a continuation of its trade war, technology war and public opinion war. It seems that American politicians are turning into fishwives on every occasion they attend. I cannot see any bottom line for the US media. Their reports degenerate even further from "fake news" to "true discrimination". People used to dislike the US as the "world police", and now get even more annoyed by this "global robber".