14 BEIJING REVIEW MARCH 26, 2020 http://www.bjreview.com
tries did not take the threat seriously.
Discussing how COVID-19 could rav-
age Italy, Michele Geraci, former Under
Secretary of State at the Ministry of
Economic Development, said the govern-
ment did not pay enough attention to the
virus in the early days. Although schools
and businesses were shut down, people
still moved freely in towns.
Maria Rita Gismondo, a leading re-
searcher, went public saying COVID-19 was
not to be feared since the seasonal ßu had
killed more people in Italy in 2020. All these
confusing signals made people lower their
guard.
Italy and even the EU had not been strict
enough and were slow to act, Geraci told
Guangzhou Daily.
Spain and France also have been among
the worst-hit in Europe. Many people disre-
garded the warnings about avoiding mass
gatherings.
For example, on March 3, thousands of
French people took to the streets to pro-
test the pension reform plan. On March 8,
thousands of women in Spain and France
marched in International Women’s Day
rallies.
A week later, Spain announced a two-
week state of emergency, a lockdown
similar to Italy’s, after reporting 1,500 new
coronavirus cases in a day. Shortly after
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s decree to
that effect, his wife Begoña Gómez tested
positive for COVID-19.
In the Middle East, where Iran is the
most severely affected, long conflicts and
political turmoil have generally weakened
the medical systems. Besides, according to
Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, U.S.
sanctions, which target medical and labora-
tory supplies to Iran, are hampering Iran’s
efforts to control COVID-19.
The Chinese Government has sent med-
ical supplies to Pakistan, Laos, Thailand, Iran,
the Republic of Korea, Japan and the African
Union, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng
Shuang said at a press brieĶng on March 18.
Besides, it has donated 20 million to the
WHO for assisting other countries. Local
governments in China have also donated
masks, protective clothing, test kits and
other medical supplies to their sister cities in
foreign countries.
In addition, China has shared its medical
knowhow. Its healthcare professionals have
gone to Iran, IraT, Italy and other countries,
lending their expertise. The sharing has
been widened through video conferences
with more countries and international
organizations.
For instance, on March 18, Chinese
experts took part in an online video confer-
ence attended by nearly 300 African ofĶcials
and specialists. The experts detailed the
trend of the pandemic, its features and the
Chinese practices for disease control and
treatment.The Chinese corporate sector has also
responded. The Jack Ma Foundation, the
charitable organization of Ma, founder of
the e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, sent
500,000 test kits and 1 million masks to
the U.S. It also donated medical supplies to
Japan, the Republic of Korea, Italy, Iran, Spain
and African countries.
Besides, the foundation has compiled a
handbook from doctors’ experience in treat-
ing COVID-19 patients. “As most regions
in the world will face challenges, I hope
this practical experience could be shared
among all medical workers to make them
prepared,” Ma wrote on his Chinese social
media account.
The Sany Group, a construction and
mining eTuipment manufacturer based in
Changsha, Hunan Province, with a world-
wide presence, sent 50,000 face masks to
Germany on March 13. On each box there
was a note Tuoting a German proverb,
“Mountain and valley never come together,
but people do.”
According to Sun Yongfu, a senior
researcher with the Center for China and
Globalization, a Chinese think tank, the mea-
sures taken by China to combat COVID-
cannot be replicated in other countries as
their national conditions are different. “But
prevention and treatment experience could
be shared,” he said. Also, “countries should en-
hance cooperation in joint scientiĶc research
on vaccines, test kits and treatment plans.”Workers load medical supplies donated for Italy at the Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital in Hangzhou on March 17
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