China an advocate, promoter and practitioner in int'l health cooperation: former WHO leader

BEIJING -- China has actively participated in global governance and promoted global health cooperation, said the former director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday in an interview with the Chinese newspaper Global Times (GT).

Margaret Chan Fung Fu-chun, from Hong Kong, China, was elected as director-general of the WHO in 2006, and has since led the response to several major global health crises including the Ebola outbreak and the Zika virus. She was in office till 2017.

Domestically, China has made "remarkable progress in deepening medical reform, health promotion and basic medical insurance," Chan told GT.

Its own health system improved, China has also provided medical and health personnel, technology and training to other countries in need, she said, noting that "China has grown from a beneficiary of global health cooperation to an active builder and contributor."

When asked what role China has been playing in the UN framework, Chan briefed GT about the country's actions of sending medical teams abroad, building health infrastructure overseas, and carrying out research cooperations with developing countries.

"All this shows that China has become an advocate, promoter and practitioner of international cooperation in the field of healthcare and is committed to the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," Chan said.

She also spoke highly of China's reactions to the COVID-19, adding that amid the pandemic, countries need to help each other and overcome the difficulties together to reach shared development and progress.