By Jiang Maoxia, Tu Huazhong and Wang Zheng

President Xi ever stressed that virus goes beyond boundaries and races, which is the common challenge faced by mankind. The international community can only win the war by concerted effort. With the rapid spreading of COVID-19 in both the world and China’s neighbouring countries, Yunnan sharing 4060 Km borders with Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam stands with neighbouring countries to overcome difficulties, and practices the concept of a community of shared future for mankind by promoting actively international anti-epidemic cooperation.

Yunnan has established joint prevention and control mechanism with relevant foreign departments of neighbouring countries, and built up effective communication mechanism to share control information and protection tips by bilateral meetings, talks and effective consultation. On Jan. 21 and Jan. 28, Menghai County of Xishuangbanna met with representatives from Special Region(4), Eastern Shan State of Myanmar to share experience of epidemic prevention and control held by communities and villages. Both sides had made the consensus on strengthening information sharing, ensuring smooth communication, smooth linkage, smooth disposal and smooth handover, and jointly winning the battle against the epidemic. On April 1, “Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism for COVID 19 between Tian Bao Port of the People’s Republic of China and Qing Shui Port of Socialist Republic of Vietnam”had been signed officially by Administrative Committee of Border Economic Cooperation Zone of Malipo in Wenshan Prefecture and Administrative Committee of Economic Zone of Ha Giang in Vietnam, which focused on the coordination and management of joint inspection departments of both sides to facilitate the trade clearance, detection and disinfection of bilateral drivers and vehicles specialized in logistics and freight transportation, and timely notification of COVID-19 cases so as to respond effectively.

Judicial cooperation is also carried out on bilateral and regional repatriation and extradition to repatriate the foreign nationals who enter the country illegally and foreign criminals timely. Such as, police of Wenshan Prefecture of Yunnan Province communicated with police of Vietnam actively, launched bilateral mechanism on assist in investigation and management, wrote to the headquarters of border forces of Ha Giang province and Lao Cai province in Vietnam, and strengthened ties between border police stations of Wen Shan and corresponding border garrison in Vietnam to ensure bilateral exchange of epidemic information and prevention policy synergy of border control.

Yunnan dispatched medical experts involving the fields of respiration, severe illness, nursing, inspection and traditional Chinese medicine to neighbouring countries for epidemic prevention and medical assistance by abiding by China’s unified work assignment. During March and April, 2020, Anti-epidemic Medical Expert Team to Laos and Myanmar set up by National Health Commission and appointed by Yunnan Provincial Health Commission went to hospitals, laboratories, ports and airports to carry out special training and to provide medical technical guidance in Vientiane, Champasak, Luang Prabang of Laos and in Yangon, Mandalay of Myanmar.

Relief materials, medical and protective supplies have been provided to neighbouring countries largely by Yunnan province, its prefectures, counties, and enterprises, etc. Such as Dehong Prefecture; Wenshan Prefecture, Menghai county, Yunnan International Power Investment CO.,LTD; Yunnan Provincial Energy Investment Group CO.,LTD, etc. Till now, those anti-epidemic materials have been donated including Automated Nucleic Acid Extraction Instruments, Real-time PCR Instruments, EP Tube Centrifuges, Detection Reagents, Medical N95 masks, Disposable Medical Masks, Medical Protective Suits, Chinese Patent Medicines, Thermometers , disinfectants, safety Goggles, etc. “Zero-wait” inspection will be carried out generally for those vehicles that transport anti-epidemic materials in order to ensure safe and smooth customs clearance at various ports. For Example, on Feb.5, 2020, Menghai county donated 75% alcohol by volume 2.05 tons and medical masks to Special Region(4), and tried to coordinate the vegetable supplies from large towns like Daluo, Menghun, Mengzhe, Mengman to the markets of Myanmar.

Yunnan has also carried out the cooperation with neighbouring countries concerning prevention and control strategies, prevention and control materials, and visual medical diagnosis and treatment, etc. Foreign-aid Medical Expert Teams that were dispatched to Laos and Myanmar shared with foreign medical institutions and experts their experiences in fighting the epidemic, treatment procedures, diagnosis and treatment schemes and protective measures while they also provided guidance and consultation on case screening and management, prevention and control of infectious diseases, clinical  diagnosis and treatment, drug mechanism, health management in communities and laboratory work.

Yunnan actively supported the anti-epidemic work carried out by neighbouring countries including provision of training of knowledge and skill on epidemic prevention and control; knowledge spread to the foreign villagers at border areas on epidemic prevention and control. At the end of January 2020, Menghai County had sent medical experts to Special Region(4), Eastern Shan State of Myanmar to carry out knowledge training on epidemic prevention and control by multimedia, which involved in more than 200 persons from Myanmar who were department heads and medical personnel. Menghai County also assigned two medical experts to stay in Special Region(4) for a long time to guide the work on epidemic prevention and control.

Yunnan believes in the Chinese old saying“one is easy to break, and masses are hard to destroy”, so it always deepens the friendship with neighbouring countries by practical action to contribute to forging a community of shared future for mankind.

(Jiang Maoxia, Professor of Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, P.R. China; Tu Huazhong,Associate Professor of Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, P.R. China; Wang Zheng, Staff of Yunnan Provincial Branch of Agricultural Bank of China)