EYESHENZHEN  /   Opinion

Japan should be on high alert

Writer: Winton Dong  |  Editor: Jane Chen  |  From:  

As the world has entered the process of globalization, no country can prosper in isolation or overcome all challenges on its own. Our interests are closely interconnected.

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, the Japanese Government and its people have continuously and generously sent batches of donations to Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei Province and epicenter of the epidemic, and other cities to help China fight the disease.

Aiming to encourage Chinese people to tide over the present difficulties, these donations from Japan arrived at various Chinese airports in packaging bearing poems and other verses by famous Chinese poets from the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The verses quickly went viral online, sparking heated discussion among Chinese netizens. In my point of view, what the Chinese people marvel at the most is not the Japanese people’s proficiency in Tang Dynasty poems, but their sense of mutual understanding, their decent and civilized behavior, belief in the rule of law, empathy with fellow human beings, and respect for every individual’s rights.

Upon finding out that the new virus is also spreading in Japan, Chinese people also showed their concern and worry. While expressing heartfelt thanks for Japan’s assistance, many Chinese netizens are calling for the Japanese side to stop sending further donations to China and to tend to its own escalating situation.

According to statistics, Japan had 756 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Feb. 22, among which 634 arrived via cruise ship Diamond Princess, which is owned by a multinational company Carnival Corp. The ship, with about 3,700 passengers and crew members from 56 countries and regions, has been quarantined since arriving in Yokohama port, southwest of Tokyo, on Feb. 3, after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong before it traveled to Japan was diagnosed with COVID-19.

Some people may argue that the ship does not belong to Japan. But the fact is, except those from some countries such as the United States, Canada and Italy that have already evacuated or are preparing to extract their citizens from the ship, all other infected passengers have been transferred to Japanese hospitals for treatment.

Recent news reports revealed that some big gatherings were still held as usual at various places in Japan. For example, more than 10,000 people attended a traditional ceremonial activity in Okayama on Feb. 15. And it is more astonishing to know that about 100,000 Japanese people took part in the marathons held at the same time in Kyoto, Osaka, Shizuoka, Aichi and seven other cities on Feb. 16.

The Japanese Government should be on full alert since the new virus is highly contagious and multiplying. The 756 confirmed cases aboard the Diamond Princess have already made the vessel the largest infection cluster anywhere outside China. As we know, Japan is a densely populated country. With only one-30th of China’s land area, its population is about one-10th of China’s. As a megacity cluster, its capital Tokyo has about 37 million inhabitants, three times more than that of Wuhan. Moreover, about 30 percent of Japanese citizens are now above the age of 60, and the elderly are said to be more vulnerable to the virus.

It is good to hear that Japan canceled the celebration of the 60th birthday of new Japanese Emperor Naruhito on Feb. 23. Due to the same public health concern, Japan will also greatly reduce the number of participants of the Tokyo Marathon on March 1 from 38,000 to only about 200 professional athletes.

With the drawing near of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in July, Japan is now under special pressure to make its country safe and healthy. In a recent news conference, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said that China is closely following the situation in Japan and stands ready to share information and experience with Japan and offer support and assistance in accordance with its needs. Knowing that Japan is in urgent need of nucleic acid reagent, which is commonly used to detect the new virus, Shenzhen-based BGI Institute donated a batch to Japan on Feb. 20.

China has accumulated much first-hand experience in combating the epidemic. Moreover, the country’s high-caliber medical staff, history of herbal medicine, strong manufacturing sector and infrastructure construction capability may also be of help to Japan when necessary.

(The author is the editor-in-chief of Shenzhen Daily with a Ph.D. from the Journalism and Communication School of Wuhan University.)