The China Current is honored to partner with AIDS 2020: Virtual – the world's biggest conference on global health. In a time of COVID-19, its leadership on science, policy and civil society is needed more than ever. From fighting stigma to funding research, the conference shines a light on how public health affects how we all live on this earth. As part of AIDS 2020: Virtual, James Chau interviewed Sir Elton John, David Furnish, Dany Stolbunov – and in this video, Winnie Byanyima, the Executive Director of UNAIDS.

China’s thousands of years of history are filled with countless stories of human growth, culture, and civilization, and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Liangzhu aims to preserve one such story of historical significance. The remains of the 5,000-year-old city contain traces of complex societal hierarchy, primitive technology, and unique artifacts that show the ways people lived millennia ago. In its place now stands modern-day Hangzhou, an innovation hub that is home to some of the world’s leading tech giants. This meeting point between the past, present, and future provides an important lens to view human civilization—and the ancient ruins of Liangzhu are a reminder of where that journey began.

In many ways, Africa, which consists of an incredibly diverse group of civilizations with thriving innovation and culture, could lead our planet towards the future. The effects of the outbreak have been felt differently there, making the continent uniquely positioned to mitigate the effects of the pandemic. From managing food shortages to televised schooling, The China Current’s Laura de Belgique and James Chau go through the ways African countries are handling the challenges of the health crisis.