Lin Songtian says China is better placed to deal with the crisis, given its financial muscle
Chinese ambassador Lin Songtian has insisted his country was safe and there was no need for South Africa to evacuate its citizens currently residing in China.
Lin commended the SA government for not following other countries including the US, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Canada in evacuating its citizens from Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak that has claimed about 360 lives. There were about 17,200 confirmed coronavirus cases in China. The ambassador said it would be the “wise, safe, cheap and right” thing to do for SA citizens — some of whom have said they want to come back home and be with their families — to stay put in China during this “crucial moment” to prevent the spread of the disease.
“They have the capacity and resources to protect our people. We want to work together with the US, with the world and all of us. We have no choice: We need to join hands together to fight and keep away from the disease. [We need to] protect our people [and] work for a better world and a better shared future for mankind.”
“China is the main engine [driving the] world’s economic development. In 2008, when the financial crisis happened, the [economic growth] contribution from China reached about 30%,” Lin said in Pretoria on Monday. The coronavirus outbreak has been declared an international public health emergency by the World Health Organisation .
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