Guest: Zhou Li, head of the Research Management Department of the Human Rights Institute, Southwest University of Political Science & Law

 

Interviewer: Yang Yang, chinahumanrights.org

 

Date: February, 2021

 

Host: China has put people’s health and safety first in its fight against the COVID-19 epidemic since its outbreak and has also contributed to the global anti-virus efforts, sharing its experience in epidemic prevention and control with other countries. This fully demonstrates China’s ethos, strength, and sense of responsibility. How should we understand the human rights practices against the background of the epidemic fight? Today, we are honored to have Professor Zhou Li, head of the Research Management Department of the Human Rights Institute of the Southwest University of Political Science & Law. He will be sharing his opinions on human rights amid COVID-19.

 

 

· The advantages of China’s governance system demonstrated in epidemic prevention and control

· A responsible major country reflected in epidemic prevention and control

· Preserving life and health is a basic prerequisite for human dignity

 

Host: Hi, Professor Zhou. 

 

Zhou Li: Hi. 

 

Host: We all know that as China has entered the phase of regular epidemic prevention and control, both the people’s lives and the country’s economic development have to a large extent returned to normal. What do you think of the effectiveness of the  country’s fight against the epidemic?

 

Zhou Li: The sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic is a major public health emergency of international concern. The effectiveness of China’s efforts to combat the epidemic is obvious for everyone to see. A leading group for epidemic prevention and control was set up to make comprehensive arrangements. We have lived up to the institutions, the governance system, and capabilities of a major country. The tradition of the Chinese nation never merely emphasizes personal interests, it also stresses collective responsibilities and moralities, the obligation of an individual to the family and society, and moral transcendence. During the epidemic, we have seen medical workers rushing to Wuhan’s rescue; we have seen tens of thousands of medical workers going to the front line of epidemic control, disregarding their own safety; we have seen the grass-roots government officials and community workers as well as volunteers and delivery men, busy working to fight the epidemic even on their days off. We have also seen people from all walks of life actively donating money and materials and overseas Chinese buying medical supplies. All of these constitute the Chinese characteristics and advantages, reflecting China’s political system and governance capabilities, as well as China’s traditional morals and culture. 

 

Host: What do you think of the human rights concepts and principles that China has illustrated in the fight against COVID-19? 

 

Zhou Li: The very first concept and principle should be “putting people and life first,” as we always say. This is not empty talk because we have witnessed with our own eyes that the Chinese government has made the safety and health of its people a top priority regardless of costs. Basic subsistence and the preservation of life are the fundamentals of human rights. It is the preservation of life and health, which serves as the basic prerequisite to realizing the value and dignity of human beings, that makes all other basic rights, including freedom and equality, possible. That is the first one. The second concept and principle should be that everyone is equal. In China, we never give up any patient, and we also try our best to provide assistance to the international community.

 

Host: You just mentioned that China has spared no efforts to provide assistance to other countries and organizations that need help. Could you explain more? 

 

Zhou Li: That demonstrates that China is a decent major country. Do not forget that we wasted no time updating the WHO on the situation of China’s epidemic prevention and control. China wasted no time sharing with other countries its research results on the genome sequence of the corona virus, and it shared its experience of epidemic control to the international community in a timely manner. Also, China tried its best to help countries in need by sending medical teams and providing medical supplies. Likewise, when we made major breakthroughs in the research and development of COVID-19 vaccines recently, we also strived to make them available as a global public good.

 

Host: Yes. China has provided assistance to 82 countries, the WHO, and the African Union and has exported its vaccines to 27 countries. It is an expression of China’s international cooperation with other countries in fighting COVID-19and the fulfillment of the promise of making the vaccine a global public good. 

 

Host: In the meantime, we also noticed that the U.S. has been questioning and criticizing China time and again on the pretext of human rights, despite a mismatch between its poor anti-virus performance and its proclaimed values of human rights and democracy. What is your comment on this?

 

Zhou Li: It is true COVID-19 has posed a great threat to human life and health, putting the state’s obligations and responsibilities to the test. These are the central categories of human rights. The Floyd incident, which happened after the outbreak of the epidemic in the U.S., caused a wave of protests that also spread to some other countries. I would like to say that it is worth noticing. People could no longer tolerate the unjustness in society, and their anger burst out, with Floyd’s death as the fuse. White supremacy, the privilege of capital interests, the dual democracy drawing a line between the people’s interests and the interests of the politicians, as well as the politicized legislation have been deeply rooted in the system of the U.S. The U.S. is obviously affected by these (factors) in terms of its anti-virus decisions, prioritizing capital interests over the people’s interests and the people’s lives and health. 

 

Host: It has been more than a year since the COVID-19 epidemic broke out, and the number of people infected worldwide has exceeded 100 million. If we look back now, what lessons do you think we can draw from this global emergency from the perspective of mankind as a whole? 

 

Zhou Li: What constitutes a threat to human rights, as we have just talked about, is more a threat to human beings. There will not be any economic development or stability if people’s health is not guaranteed, nor will there be peace, human rights, or human dignity. Men are born fragile in front of nature and disease, which is implied in the values and dignity of human beings. Only with a good institution, a good governance system, and good governance capabilities can we avert the risk that comes with this fragility. A good system will foster and facilitate development.

 

Host: Thank you for your sharing, Mr. Zhou. Thank you very much. 

 

Zhou Li: Thank you.