Stockholm, Feb. 24(Greenpost)– On 20 February, Dr. Andrea Ammon, Director of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), held a briefing for the diplomatic missions in Sweden at the Center to introduce the new developments of COVID-19 and the close exchange and cooperation between the ECDC and the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention. She also recommended that the missions keep in contact with the ECDC and obtain objective information from the Center’s website. Ambassador Gui Congyou attended the briefing together with diplomatic envoys of more than 30 Embassies in Sweden, including Italian, Croatian, Austrian, Lebanese, and Bulgarian Embassies.
Ambassador Gui expressed his appreciation for the ECDC and Dr. Andrea Ammon for their professionalism in presenting the developments of COVID-19 in an objective way, which helps prevent spread of rumor and panic.
Ambassador Gui said that after the outbreak of COVID-19, our Embassy was instructed by the Chinese Government to maintain close communication with relevant departments of the Swedish Government and experts and provide updates in a timely manner. Some Swedish experts told me that there is no need to panic since an epidemic can occur in any country or region, and what is crucial is to make all-out efforts to prevent and control it. The Communist Party of China and Chinese Government have taken stringent measures above what is required by WHO standards and the International Health Regulations, and implemented the national joint prevention and control mechanism, which have generated positive results. The number of newly confirmed cases in areas other than Hubei Province dropped from more than 800 cases on 3 February to 45 yesterday, decreasing for 16 consecutive days. The daily number of new cases in Hubei Province decreased from more than 2000 to less than 1000. Since 1 February, the number of cured cases has exceeded the number of deaths. These positive changes indicate that China’s prevention and control measures are effective, and that the epidemic is preventable, controllable and curable.
Ambassador Gui said that as experts from various countries are yet to fully figure out the pathogens and modes of transmission of this new type of corona virus, it will still take some time to develop effective medicine and vaccines. The Chinese Government will continue to take stringent containment and mitigation measures. By doing so, we shoulder the responsibility not only for the Chinese people, but also for people around the world.
Ambassador Gui said that China has been maintaining close communication and cooperation with relevant countries and the major disease prevention and control centers all over the world, including the ECDC, in the principle of openness and transparency. The epidemic is a challenge not only to China’s public health security, but also to the international public health security. We hope that all countries will strengthen solidarity, follow WHO recommendations, avoid overreactions and maintain normal people-to-people and trade exchanges, to jointly overcome the epidemic.
The diplomatic envoys gave their thanks to Ambassador Gui for his introduction, applauded China’s great efforts and sacrifices to contain and mitigate the epidemic, and expressed the confidence that China can overcome the epidemic at an early time.
Hans Blix gave Ambassador Gui a photo which showed his meeting with former vice premier Geng Biao. 
