Joint fight against COVID-19 strengthens China-Myanmar bond

Xie Jian left Myanmar more than a month ago, but still gets messages from his peers in the Southeast Asian country asking about the prevention and control of COVID-19.

"I get inquiries about how to enhance prevention and control and how to apply traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the fight against COVID-19," the TCM expert who went to Myanmar to fight the epidemic said. Xie was part of a group of 12 medics from China who were sent to the neighboring country to help deal with the outbreak in April.

During their 15-day stay there, the medics held more than 60 training sessions in more than 40 hospitals and laboratories, interacting with experts and local medical staff.

One of the major responsibilities of Xie, a doctor with the Yunnan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in southwest China's Yunnan Province, was to share his experience in the fight against coronavirus through TCM.

"Through training and communication, we showed how to fight the epidemic with TCM and its effects," he said, adding that officials and medics were quite interested in how TCM battles the disease.

"Experts in Myanmar believe that traditional medicine in Myanmar is similar to TCM, which could prevent or eradicate illnesses," Xie, the only TCM practitioner in the Chinese team, said. During the stay, the TCM medication he was carrying became quite popular, he said.

Though a busy doctor, Xie did not hesitate to join the team when he heard China was sending medics to Myanmar.

"Though my family was a little worried about the epidemic, they were quite supportive," Xie said. "It was an honor to join the team."

Xie lauds relations between China and Myanmar. After the epidemic broke out in China, people from Myanmar sent help. When confirmed cases were reported in Myanmar, China increased support to the country.

"As the two countries fight together, we can protect our people from the impact of COVID-19," he said.
China donated a nucleic testing lab to Myanmar, the equipment for which was taken by the medical team to the country. China has so far donated more than 160,000 nucleic testing kits, over 3.97 million surgical masks and about 50,000 protective suits to Myanmar.

After the epidemic broke out, authorities from Yunnan's Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture that borders Myanmar held a series of meetings with their counterparts in the neighboring country to discuss ways to battle the outbreak. They also donated medical supplies to Myanmar.

Local authorities in Dehong even created an anti-epidemic song together with the Myanmarese.

"It is a great honor to contribute to the friendship between China and Myanmar," said Hnin Hnin Kyi of Myanmar, who is one of the singers and works at a school in Dehong.

"After the virus outbreak, China and Myanmar have been supporting each other in the battle, which contributes to their friendship," she said. "I hope the epidemic will be over as soon as possible."

Editor: John Li