Pacific China Friendship Association members issue joint statement to the WHO opposing politicization and stigmatization in COVID-19 origin-tracing

Jin Hanghang

R ecently， 16 member organizations of the Pacific China Friendship Association issued a joint statement to the World Health Organization strongly opposing the politicization and stigmatization in the origin-tracing of COVID-19， and calling for the international community to uphold the scientific spirit， strengthen antiepidemic cooperation and jointly build a community of common health for mankind. Main points of the joint statement are as follows：

I. We believe we live in a community where we stand and fall together with a shared future. COVID-19 is the common enemy and greatest threat to humanity today. The only way to defeat the epidemic is for the international community to work together.

II. We believe science is the force that can be relied upon to defeat viruses and eradicate disease. The origintracing of COVID-19 is a serious scientific issue. We can’t jump to conclusions without scientific facts or evidence.

III. We believe origin-tracing is a shared obligation. The outline of the next step in a work plan unilaterally proposed by the WHO Secretariat has neither complied with what is stipulated in the relevant resolution of the World Health Assembly， nor consulted adequately with member states， still less reflecting the latest research achievements of global origin-tracing. We therefore call on the Secretariat of the World Health Organization to act on relevant resolutions adopted by the World Health Assembly to advance global origin-tracing study， in conjunction with all member states， giving full consideration to emerging new scientific evidence and following the recommendations of the Report of the WHO-China Joint Mission on Coronavirus Disease 2019.

IV. We support medical experts and scientific researchers in carrying out thorough origin-tracing in a professional spirit， covering multiple countries and multiple locations， to provide necessary references for the prevention of the next possible pandemic.

V. We b e l i e v e a l l o w i n g politicization of the tracing issue to run its course will seriously poison the atmosphere for cooperation on global origin-tracing and undermine the achievements of the international fight against COVID-19， serving the interest of no party. We resolutely oppose politicization， geographical labeling and stigmatization， as well as obstruction by any political faction， or political manipulation of the research or international anti-epidemic cooperation.

VI. We believe that we should redouble our epidemic prevention and control efforts. We need to ensure the accessibility and affordability of vaccines in developing countries and ensure that vaccines become a global public good. We appreciate that China has made positive moves in providing vaccines to the rest of the world， particularly developing countries， making important contributions to global anti-epidemic cooperation. We call on vaccine-capable countries to refrain from imposing export restrictions or resorting to excessive hoarding， and to decisively oppose vaccine nationalism so the global immunization gap can be narrowed and a stronger international fence against the virus can be built.

VII. We believe all political parties and organizations must shoulder their responsibility to enhance cooperation and work hard to facilitate global anti-pandemic cooperation， to be an unlimited driving force for the global fight against COVID-19 and the building of a global health community.

VIII. We believe that as long as members of the international community care for each other in these most trying of times， humanity will surely prevail over the pandemic， emerge stronger from this dark hour in history and embrace an even brighter future of human development.

NOTE： The PCFA was founded in October 2016. It aims to enhance friendly feelings of people in the Pacific region toward China and promote exchanges and cooperation in tourism， culture and youth， among other fields. Its member organizations include：

American Samoa China Friendship Association

Australia China Friendship Society

Cook Islands China Friendship Association

Federated States of Micronesia China Friendship Association

Fiji China Friendship Association

Ta h i t i C h i n a F r i e n d s h i p Association

New Caledonia China Friendship Association

New Zealand China Friendship Society

New Zealand China Maori Friendship Charitable Trust

Niue China Friendship Association

Palau China Friendship Society

Samoa China Friendship Society

Solomon Islands China Friendship Association

To n g a C h i n a F r i e n d s h i p Association

Vanuatu China Friendship Association

Wallis & Futuna China Friendship Association