On March 5, Guo shaochun, Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, gave an exclusive interview to Zimbabwean national TV station ZBC, informing the public about the latest progress in the mitigation of the COVID-19 in China and responding to the common concerns of the Zimbabwean people.

Ambassador Guo said since the beginning of the outbreak, President Xi has paid close attention to the situation. Personally overseeing the national response, he chaired several high-level meetings within a short period of time, visited local communities to inspect the progress, and made a video call to the medical staff working in Hubei Province to encourage their fight. During the visit, he wore a protective face-mask and had his body temperature taken, setting a good example for the whole country. While leading the fight against the virus, he also gave instructions on how to resume the normal functioning the economy and society. He kept close communication with the WHO and leaders of other countries to share information and encourage international cooperation. Under his leadership, the Chinese people fought hard and brought the situation under control. The number of newly confirmed cases kept decreasing while the recovery rate kept rising. Now China is moving faster to resume work and production. We have the confidence and capability to minimize the impact of COVID-19 on the Chinese economy.

Ambassador Guo stressed that even though the epidemic was first reported in China, it didn’t necessarily originate in the country. Medical experts worldwide are working against the clock to try to uncover the source of the virus and develop vaccine. The sudden outbreak exposed our weakness in emergency response, social management, public health facilities and material strength. It also highlighted the urgency of strengthening international public health cooperation and improving global public health governance. Major infectious diseases are non-traditional security threats faced by all of us; we must work together to build a "community of health". China is actively sharing its experience with other countries affected by the virus and doing its best to help them fend off the challenge. And we will continue to be part of this global fight until victory comes.

In response to the public concern about Zimbabwe’s preparedness, Ambassador Guo said the Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe has issued six consular alerts, requiring Chinese citizens departing from China to postpone or cancel their non-essential visits to Zimbabwe and Chinese citizens arriving in Zimbabwe to strictly abide by the quarantine regulations. China supports the necessary prevention and control measures taken by the Zimbabwean government and will continue to maintain close communication and coordination with the Zimbabwean government for the safety and health of the Zimbabwean people.

The interview was broadcast by ZBC News on the evening of March 5 and was warmly received by Zimbabweans, who spoke highly of China’s robust actions in protecting its own people and the people of Zimbabwe.