The China Current with James Chau

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. 

World 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.

 

Dr. Parag Khanna is an economist and author, using his writing to shape our understanding of complex global issues in a rapidly changing world. China Current host, James Chau, discusses with Dr. Khanna China’s capacity to manage the outbreak of novel coronavirus and why not enough people recognize the impact of public health on their lives. They discuss what this means for China and the international community and whether global connectivity is more a burden than a blessing when it comes to global public health. Dr. Khanna speaks to James from Singapore.

The World Health Organization is on its way to China, on an international mission to urgently further understand the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) that has infected tens of thousands of people in Wuhan and beyond. Dr. Bernhard Schwartländer, WHO Chief of Staff and Assistant Director-General, says the mission may go to Wuhan — or to another high-impact area, to avoid distracting from strained resources in the epicenter. He says China has helped secure the safety of the world by taking drastic action to contain the virus, pointing to the comparatively low number of infections globally. Dr. Schwartländer speaks to James Chau in this interview, sharing his insights on what the likely length of the outbreak might be, and why it is critical to mobilize a community-led movement to end it.

Millions have been watching the live feeds of China turning empty city lots into fully-functional emergency hospitals in just 10 days. These hospitals are equipped with thousands of patient beds and medical technology – and staffed by military doctors with first-hand experience battling Ebola in West Africa. These modern, makeshift facilities are being built at a time when local hospitals are overwhelmed and local gymnasiums are being repurposed to provide extra beds. Step by step, China seems to be catching up with the wide-spreading virus. Follow us for the latest stories in our special coverage on the novel outbreak.

(Photo by Xinhua News agency)

In her first interview since the outbreak of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), Dr Margaret Chan looks at the implications as the number of infections and deaths climb. For over a decade, Dr Chan was Director-General of the World Health Organization, managing outbreaks from Zika, to polio, and the Ebola epidemic in West Africa that claimed 11,323 lives. All of these were declared a public health emergency of international concern - as has the current outbreak of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) by her successor, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. 

I first met Dr Chan during SARS when she was Director of Health in Hong Kong, and later served her and now Dr Tedros as a WHO Goodwill Ambassador. In this podcast, I wanted to draw out her deep experience in handling infectious diseases, to understand what this global health emergency means, and - in a world at acute risk for disease epidemics and pandemics - what governments and individuals can do to prepare now. 

Interview with James Chau. You can watch video highlights from this video by following @thechinacurrent on social media or www.chinacurrent.com

Once considered taboo to discuss, mental health is now rising up on the global agenda, including at this year's UN General Assembly, as the evidence linking it to wellbeing, the economy, and our future continues to build. In China, overcoming this challenge is all the more critical, as 1.4 billion people contend with the changing expectations, pressure, and income inequality that has accompanied the country’s dramatic drastic economic transformation of the last 40 years. Depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder have become some of the new realities - but with few resources available to those that struggle with their mental health, some people must turn to their own methods for maintaining their wellbeing. We look at the emerging trends and the cultural traditions that could offer hope for the future.

The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest crises of our times with 8 million people dying of a tobacco-related illness every year. But in addition to illness and death, it's also tied to impoverishment. This triple impact is felt deeply in China, where many people continue to either smoke or be exposed to second-hand smoke. James Chau speaks with Dr Angela Pratt, who was part of the ministerial team in Australia that introduced plain packaging to the world - and now works on tobacco control, as well as other areas of health, at the World Health Organization. She shares her insights on China, a country she has lived and worked in, and why she believes its creation of smoke-free cities provides a template for a happier future. 

In the final part of our conversation with C.H. Tung, First Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Mr. Tung discusses how China’s transformation out of an impoverished, isolated country has contributed to global peace. Since China's opening-up to the world, and the establishment of ties with the U.S., no American soldier has died on a battlefield in East Asia. He also shares his thoughts on how looking back can help us move forward, and how it’s up to the stakeholders including the young people of today to make the world a better place to live.

 

More Videos:

Part 1: Building Trust and Understanding

Part 2: Opening Up

Part 3: Securing Our Global Future

 

 

 

 

In the second part of our interview with First Chief Executive of Hong Kong C.H. Tung, we discuss the impact and legacy of a historic meeting between the leaders of the U.S. and China in the midst of the Cold War, and China's momentous decision to reform and open-up. Between President Nixon and Chairman Mao’s first meeting, to President Jimmy Carter and Deng Xiaoping’s warm friendship, Mr. Tung shares his insights on how the people-to-people relationships behind the U.S. and China’s coming together led to an era of stability that ultimately created a safer, more prosperous world. This is our conversation. 

 

More Videos:

Part 1: Building Trust and Understanding

Part 2: Opening Up

Part 3: Securing Our Global Future

 

#Tung Chee-hwa