The 78th World Health Assembly held in Geneva, Switzerland, announced the adoption of the Pandemic Agreement on Tuesday.

What does the adoption of the Pandemic Agreement mean for global public health governance? What role has China played in the negotiations?

Xinhua interviewed Hu Guang, director of the Emergency Response Division at China's National Disease Control and Prevention Administration (NDCPA), who was deeply involved in the drafting and negotiations of the Pandemic Agreement, to better expound China's actions and positions.

SOLEMN COMMITMENT TO SAFEGUARDING HEALTH OF ALL HUMANITY

Q: What does the adoption of the Pandemic Agreement mean for global public health governance?

A: The formulation of the Pandemic Agreement is a key measure in the reform of global health security governance following the COVID-19 pandemic, as countries seek to improve global health governance, address deficiencies in the international and the World Health Organization (WHO) responses to the pandemic, and enhance global capacity to prevent, prepare for and deal with the next infectious disease pandemic.

The agreement proposes establishing a series of new platforms and mechanisms which aim to comprehensively reform the existing working rules for pandemic monitoring, prevention and response systems, promote the development and sharing of pandemic-related products, and restructure production and distribution systems -- to collectively optimize the global public health governance system and make efforts to address the current challenges to fairness in international health development.

After over three years of intensive negotiations, nations have finally reached consensus on the agreement text, fulfilling a solemn commitment to protecting global public health while demonstrating robust support for multilateral governance mechanisms.

IMPROVING GLOBAL HEALTH GOVERNANCE, DEMONSTRATING CHINA AS A RESPONSIBLE MAJOR COUNTRY

Q: What role has China played in the negotiations of the Pandemic Agreement?

A: China has been actively participating in the negotiations of the Pandemic Agreement. Guided by the vision of building a global community of health for all proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, China has practiced true multilateralism and has advocated for strengthening solidarity and cooperation among nations during the talks. It has supported the WHO in playing a central coordination role in order to jointly improve the global health governance system and boost worldwide capacities for prevention, precaution and response.

On technical issues including pandemic prevention and monitoring, China, upholding the spirit of science, has put forward reasonable amendments to the text and been deeply involved in drafting the relevant text, playing an important role in helping reach consensus. Thanks to China's efforts, all parties agreed to focus monitoring efforts on emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases with pandemic potential, to clarify the scope of institutions responsible for information sharing, to reduce the implementation burden on the parties, and to safeguard the common interests of developing countries.

In addition, together with Brazil, Indonesia, Bangladesh and other countries, within the framework of "Friends of Fairness," China actively responds to the reasonable demands of developing countries for fair access to health products, demonstrating its role as a responsible major country.
ADDRESSING EQUITY ISSUES AND CARRYING OUT SUBSEQUENT ANNEX NEGOTIATIONS

Q: How will the Pandemic Agreement enhance global coordination and effectively address existing equity issues?

A: The Pandemic Agreement proposes measures in areas such as research and development (R&D), production, technology transfer, benefit-sharing, product supply and financing to address existing equity issues.

Regarding R&D, the agreement mandates collaborative actions among the parties, requiring them to support developing countries in building their R&D capacities and institutions, actively facilitate their participation in scientific research, and establish mechanisms for the prompt sharing of research data and outcomes.

In the areas of production and technology transfer, the agreement requires the parties to implement measures -- including transferring production technologies and skills for producing pandemic-related products -- to enhance the sustainability and geographic diversification of global production capacity, ensuring more sustainable, timely and equitable access to such products worldwide.

Regarding pathogen access and benefit-sharing, the agreement calls for establishing a WHO-managed pathogen access and benefit-sharing system to achieve rapid and timely sharing of materials and sequence information on pathogens with pandemic potential, and share the benefits resulting from the use of these materials and sequence information.

Regarding product supply, the agreement proposes establishing a WHO-led global supply chain and logistics network to meet global public health needs.

Additionally, it establishes a financing coordination mechanism to provide more sustainable and predictable funding for implementing the Pandemic Agreement.

Q: When will the adopted Pandemic Agreement enter into force?

A: According to the relevant arrangements, after the adoption of the agreement at the 78th World Health Assembly, the WHO will establish Intergovernmental Working Group to negotiate the annex related to Article 12 (Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System) of the agreement.

The outcomes of the annex negotiations will be submitted to the 79th World Health Assembly for consideration. Upon adoption, the annex will be open for signature and approval together with the main text of the Pandemic Agreement and will enter into force after the approval of sixty nations. China will continue to actively participate in the negotiations on the annex in a bid to promote the agreement's scientific rigor, equity and operational feasibility.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday called for pooling the strength of the country's working class and working people and working hard in a down-to-earth manner to turn the grand blueprint of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation into reality.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at a gathering to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions and honor model workers and exemplary individuals. 

This year's event is the 17th edition of its kind, and showcases the patriotism and creativity of workers in the new era. A total of 1,670 people were honored as national role model workers, while 756 were recognized as exemplary individuals, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Monday.

Apart from those working in the traditional sectors like agriculture and manufacturing, the honorees also include inheritors of fine traditional Chinese culture and representatives from new professions such as delivery workers and domestic service trainers.

No matter how historical conditions and social groups evolve, the status and role of the working class in China, the fundamental principle of relying wholeheartedly on the working class, and the nature and functions of the country's trade unions cannot be shaken, Xi said.

Xi called on the whole society to learn from the model workers and exemplary individuals, and promote their excellent qualities. Model workers and exemplary individuals should also cherish the honors they have received and continue working hard to achieve new successes.

Inspiration for people

Xi has made inspirational remarks in various occasions to commend people in different walks of life for their hard work, underscoring the significance of the leading role of the working class and working people. 

While addressing a discussion session with national model workers in 2013, Xi noted that "people make history, and work creates the future. Work is the fundamental force driving the progress of human society. Happiness does not fall from the sky, nor do dreams come true automatically."  

Xi, in a visit to the hutong neighborhoods of central Beijing in 2019, particularly dropped in on an express delivery station there. He praised the hard work of deliverymen, saying they were "busy as bees," bringing convenience to people's lives. 

"No matter how the times change, we must always treat work and working people with reverence and respect, and we must always attach significance to the leading role of the working class and working people." These words by Xi encapsulate his decades of concern, support and respect for the workforce, Xinhua reported in May 2022.

Among many inspired are the Fu family from Haermodun village in the Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture of Bayingolin in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. 

The father Fu Zhizhou started four decades ago as a pioneer in afforestation efforts in the village located near China's largest desert, the Taklimakan Desert in Xinjiang. 

Fu led his family and mobilized fellow villagers to plant poplar trees, which when connected, have a total length of 34 kilometers, forming a Green Great Wall that defies the arid landscape. 

After Fu Zhizhou passed away, Fu's children are now carrying forward the cause to complete his pledge to plant one million trees. As a sand control worker, "I will bend down, work diligently, plant one tree after another, one year after another," the second son Fu Guoxi told the Global Times.      

With determination and courage, people overcame the hostile environment and transformed the desert, and with unwavering efforts, people can achieve bigger goals, according to Fu.  

Down-to-earth manner

At the Monday gathering, Xi said that on the new journey in the new era, it is imperative to focus on promoting high-quality development and motivate the broad masses of working people to strive for achievements and be innovative and creative.

For example, sending science and technology experts to boost local development has been one of China's measures to facilitate local development, and such creative and down-to-earth measures have yield fruitful outcomes with vivid examples across the country. 

The practice of sending sci-tech experts to rural areas was initiated in 1999 when the local government in Nanping, East China's Fujian Province, sought to upgrade its unproductive rural economy. 

In 2002, Xi, then governor of Fujian Province, appreciated the measure of Nanping in an article, saying it was a useful exploration in innovating rural work. In the same year, the measure was piloted in several other provinces and regions. It was promoted nationwide in 2009 and has gained bigger institutional support from the central authorities since 2012, according to Xinhua.

Wu Jingcai, number 001 of the first batch of 225 experts sent to Nanping, has retired from his job in a Fujian agrotechnological institute, but "never retired from work." In March, Wu received a phone call and went all the way to a village 160 kilometers away to help a farmer upgrade the shaddock variety. 

"I am happy and fortunate to be able to apply what I have learned to agricultural production. It is of great importance to me that when farmers are in need, I can help," Wu said. 

Agricultural sci-tech experts help farmers solve real problems and it is truly rewarding to see farmers increase their incomes and improve their livelihoods, Wu said. Part of Wu's job is to help farmers better cope with the ever-changing market as "there is no forever profit-making variety, and cultivators need to understand supply and demand."  

But one principle does not change, that is hard work will pay off, Wu said.  

Zhang Yiwu, a professor at Peking University, told the Global Times on Monday that being hardworking is a traditional virtue of the Chinese nation, and the China of today was built by the hard work of its people, from generation to generation. 

The virtue of hard work has always been cherished in China, yet it is of unique significance in times of hardship, Zhang said, adding that in the face of major changes in the external environment at the moment, Chinese people, hardworking and down-to-earth, keep the courage and confidence to overcome challenges and march forward on the great path of national rejuvenation.