China is your partner, not your enemy

Instead, it was full of hostility towards China, groundlessly trying to demonise China, like "don't give them the rights of the implementation of the new world order", "our enemies are here" etc.

On April 26, Daily News Egypt published an article with the title “You are not welcome anymore China”. It is surprising that there was not a single convincing fact, figure or piece of evidence in the article to outline the cooperation between China and Europe and the rest of world, the cooperation which has promoted global economy significantly. It is also cooperation which has benefited consumers worldwide with lower prices and reliable quality.
Instead, it was full of hostility towards China, groundlessly trying to demonise China, like “don't give them the rights of the implementation of the new world order”, “our enemies are here” etc.
I want to point out that China is your partner, your sincere friend, not your enemy. China's extensive cooperation with the rest of the world has become one of the major driving forces for global economic growth. According to IMF statistics, China contributed as much as 34% (measured by market exchange rates) or 27.7% (measured by purchasing power parity) to global GDP growth from 2009 to 2018, ranking first in the world.
China has become the world's second largest importer after the US since 2009, and kept its position afterwards. China's imports increased nearly 9 times in the past 20 years, from $243.55bn in 2001 to $2.08trn in 2019. "Made in China" has brought enormous benefits to ordinary people around the world, keeping the global CPI index at a low level for a decade.
The McKinsey Global Institute points out that Chinese exports have led to lower prices for consumers around the world (non-oil consumer prices in US have fallen by 27%, for example). While some western media and politicians who always enjoy criticising China's intellectual property rights (IPR) protection, it is essential to highlight that China, with constantly strengthened judicial protection of IPR, is the country conducting the largest number of intellectual property cases, especially patent cases in the world.
In 2018, China's external payments of IPR royalties rose to $35.8bn, making China the fourth largest patent-importer in the world. In fact, Chinese companies have just started to invest overseas in recent years, some of which have met with trouble, while there are successful stories.
In 2010, massive losses led Ford to sell the passenger car arm of Volvo to Chinese carmaker Geely. Promising free reign over product development to the Swedish company, Geely helped Volvo spread an excellent production and sale network throughout Europe, Asia Pacific and North American markets in under 10 years.
In 2019 Volvo sold over 700,000 cars and crossovers worldwide, earning $1.43bn in profit, which is more than they ever have in over 90 years. Apparently "Tillverkad i Sverige" and "Made in China" are achieving a win-win resolution.
Some western media and politicians always turn a blind eye to these positive examples of cooperation, or they do not want to recognise China's willingness for sincere cooperation.
Instead, they judge China through coloured glasses, adopting double standards, with arrogance and prejudice, even with a racist mentality, such as in this article saying that China ” as used our know-how to eliminate our own race, slowly but smartly”. It can also be seen in comments by the US State Department's former Director of Policy Planning, Kiron Skinner, describing China's economic position as "the first time we will have a great power competitor that is not Caucasian", although herself is African American.
Based on such psychology, some people have lost basic conscience and human nature. In the time of the COVID-19 outbreak, when the Chinese people have suffered greatly from the disease, these people showed no sympathy, standing aloof, looking on the suffering with indifference, even gloating over that. When the outbreak of epidemic in their own countries took place, led by mismanagement and slow reaction, they began to seek scapegoat and pass buck to China.
They said China “exported outbreaks of illness and disease to an aging Europe”, and make carping comments on China's effort to provide much-needed medical aid to the countries asking for help. One should be clear that the only enemy of humankind is the virus.
It was Chinese scientists who found the coronavirus first, defined the gene sequence of the virus first and shared it with the world without any delay – but it does not mean that the virus originated in China.
In 1918-1919, the Influenza pandemic spread worldwide infecting about 1 billion people and taking 25-40 million people's lives. The flu first broke out in Spain, but the virus was first identified in the US in the spring of 1918.
In the current situation, scientific research has traced the strains of the coronavirus, but did not support the rumour that it originated in China. At the end, only the scientists can give the answer, and provide advice for mankind to better prevent a repetition of such a tragedy in the future.
In the midst of the global pandemic, mankind does not need another "political virus". What we need, and what is basic human conscience, is to actively cooperate and work together to defeat the virus.
I would like to point out that the cooperation between China and Egypt in all aspects is developing well within the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. In fighting against the coronavirus, the two countries helped each other, making an example for such cooperation.
Finally, I would like to point out that economic globalisation has brought great benefits to people across the world. Of course, whislt people enjoy the convenience and benefits of globalisation, there have also been some problems, there has been imbalance, and there is a need to adjust accordingly.
China has been actively putting forward suggestions and initiatives. We champion the idea of "the community with sheared future for mankind". We follow the principle of "wide consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits".
China has no intention to replace anyone, just as it will never impose its will on anyone to make some “new world order”. What we want is mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit cooperation. China is your partner, not your enemy.
Han Bing, Minister Counsellor for Commercial Affairs at the Chinese Embassy to Egypt