Ambassador He Yafei was China's Vice Foreign Minister and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, where he worked closely with agencies including the World Health Organization. I wanted to draw out that insight as one of the country's foremost diplomats, but also as an ordinary person who alongside millions of others in China, is staying mostly at home during this outbreak. He says the world has become complacent to the emergence of new viruses, relying on advancement in science and medicine, and wrongly believing that there will be a cure for every illness. I called Ambassador He in his hometown of Zhejiang to discuss the impact that the new virus will have - on preparing for the next health emergency, to supply chains and the world economy, and the likely shape of global governance in this new decade.
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Feb 24 , 2020 | COVID-19Last November, The China Current spoke with Ted, an American businessman in Shanghai, and his wife Gillian on the city’s efforts to modernize recycling. This month, we follow up with the family to see how they are holding up as the coronavirus outbreak unfolds. Ted and his family have spent most of this month inside their apartment compound, getting most of their necessities from online shopping. Ted shares that while living in temporary confinement is not the most comfortable, it is far less restrictive than when he and his wife lived in China under the threat of SARS. His message is simple — keep calm, and wash your hands. Follow us for the latest stories in our special coverage on the novel outbreak.
Feb 23 , 2020 | COVID-19Paige is a nine-year-old American in Shanghai, who doesn't go to school, and doesn't see her friends. And it's all because of the outbreak regulations that are keeping millions of people like her at home. We first met Paige last year, when we spoke with her and her parents about their life in one of China's best-known cities. But today that life is very different— the radio repeats daily instructions on how to wash your hands, the streets are quieter than usual, and millions are working from home. Every day, Paige’s mother records her daughter’s temperature, and texts it to her teacher to keep records. Once afraid of the outbreak, Paige says she's now hopeful because of the growing numbers of people who have recovered. This is her story. Follow us for the latest stories in our special coverage on the novel outbreak.
Feb 19 , 2020 | COVID-19World Health Organization Chief Scientist, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, hosted a meeting of the world's top scientists and research funders in Geneva last week to focus urgent attention on the global COVID-19 response. Our host James Chau interviews Dr. Swaminathan about the outcomes of the meeting, the science and medical community's priorities, the likelihood of a vaccine, and modified treatments that can be used to save lives now. She speaks to us from Geneva.