Global Community of Health for All: What, Why and How

• Author: Wang, Yong & Zhou, Qingqing
• Position: Professor and Doctoral Supervisor of East China University of Political Science and Law/Candidate in International Law at East China University of Political Science and Law
• Pages: 91-123

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Global Community of Health for All: What, Why and How

Yong Wang & Qingqing Zhou1

Abstract: The COVID-19 virus continues to ravage the world and seriously

endangers human life and health. After successfully bringing the pandemic under

control, China proposed the idea of building a Global Community of Health for All to

the international community. This is a Chinese plan for international reference and

shows China’s active participation in the global public health governance.

International law is at the core of building a Global Community of Health for All.

Building this community has rich connotations of achieving health equality,

maintaining health safety, promoting health development, persisting in openness and

inclusiveness, creating a healthy environment and is of great significance to the

development of international law. The establishment of the Global Community of

Health for All has a relatively solid legal foundation and international practice

foundation, and thus has the legitimacy of international law. It is undeniable that

constructing a Global Community of Health for All still has some dilemmas in the

legal system and specific systems of international law in the construction of the human

health and health community, which need to be resolved in order to build a strong

international legal defense line for the ultimate victory over the new crown epidemic.

Key words: Global Community of Health for All; International Law; Public

Health

1. Introduction

The pneumonia pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus (hereinafter referred to

as COVID-19) continues to ravage the world. As of December 25, 2020, COVID-19 has

infected more than 55 million people worldwide and caused about 1.74 million deaths,

and these numbers are still increasing rapidly. In addition to these major health crisis,

COVID-19 also has a huge impact on the global economy.2 Since the outbreak of the

1 The first author: Yong Wang, Ph.D., Professor and Doctoral Supervisor of East China University of

Political Science and Law; the second author: Qingqing Zhou, Ph.D. candidate in International Law at

East China University of Political Science and Law. This article is the phased result of Chinese National

Social Science Fund Project named “Research on the International Rule of Law of Free Trade Ports

with Chinese Characteristics” (NO.20&ZD205).

2 Over one in six young people surveyed have stopped working since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis.

Among them, the unemployment rate of young women is even as high as 31.1%. See International

Labor Organization, ILO Monitor: COVID-19 and the World of Work. Fourth Edition,

https:www.ilo. org /wcmsp5 /groups/ public /—dgreports/—dcomm / documents/ briefingnote

/wcms— 745963.pdf (accessed on May 27, 2020).

The growth impacts of the virus used for the unemployment estimates suggest an additional 8.8 million

people in working poverty around the world than originally estimated (i.e. an overall decline of 5.2

million working poor in 2020 compared to a decline of 14 million estimated preCOVID-19). Under the

mid and high scenarios, there will be between 20.1 million and 35.0 million more people in working

poverty than before the pre-COVID-19 estimate for 2020. See International Labor Organization, ILO

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pandemic nearly a year ago, international organizations represented by the United

Nations and World Health Organization have launched a large number of COVID -19

assistance projects to aid the countries and people affected by the pandemic, especially

underdeveloped countries and the poor. Some countries, including China, have already

brought the spread of the virus under control. At the same time, however, developed

countries that are generally considered to have lower risk of infection failed to withstand

COVID-19, and some of those developed countries have even become the main affected

countries.3 Their world-leading medical capabilities have not been able to protect the

health of the citizens. The world is now stuck in this pandemic, and the international

health governance is in urgent need of new ideas.

After relatively succeeding in controlling the domestic epidemic, China has

actively participated and contributed its own schemes in the global governance of

COVID-19. In the phone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron on

March 21, 2020, Chinese President Xi Jinping initiated the proposal of “Building a

Global Community of Health for All”. Chinese President Xi Jinping pointed out that

public health security is a common challenge that the human race is facing, and China

is willing to make concerted efforts with France to enhance international cooperation in

epidemic prevention and control, support the United Nations and World Health

Organization playing a leading role in improving global public health governance, and

build a community of common health for mankind.4 On May 18, 2020, in his speech

delivered at the opening ceremony of the 73rd World Health Assembly via video link,

Chinese President Xi Jinping pointed out that international solidarity and cooperation is

essential for the sake of people’s lives, and called for all the countries to work together

to build a Global Community of Health for All.5 On June 7, 2020, the Information

Office of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China issued a white paper titled

“Fighting COVID-19: China in Action”. In the white paper, China calls for creating an

efficient, sustainable global public health system for all, fortifying defenses for the lives

and health of all, and building a Global Community of Health for All.6 On September

8, 2020, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a speech at the meeting to commend

role models in the country’s fight against COVID-19. In the speech, Chinese President

Xi Jinping stated that China will continue to enhance international collaboration in

pandemic control, support World Health Organization playing a leading role in the

global fight against the disease and promote the establishment of the Global Community

of Health for All.7 To sum up, building a Global Community of Health for All has

become an epitomization of China’s active participation and its resolute contribution to

the global public health governance.

Monitor 1st Edition: COVID-19 and the World of Work: Impact and P olicy Responses, https://w

ww.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/documents/briefingnote/wcms_738753.pdf

(accessed on March 18, 2020).

3 See World Health Organization Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Dashboard, https://COVID19.

who.int/table (accessed on December 26, 2020).

4 See Lifang Qiu, Chinese President Xi’s phone call with French Pr esident Emmanuel Macron,

http://www.xinhuanet.com/2020-03/21/c_1125748121.htm (accessed on December 21, 2020).

5 See Chinese President Xi’s statement at the 73rd World Health Assembly, Fighting COVID-19

Through Solidarity and Cooperation Building a Global Community of Health for All,

http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/leaders/2020-05/18/c_1126001593.htm (accessed on May 19, 2020).

6 See Sheng Zhong, Take Moral Responsibilities and Promote Unity and Cooperation,

http://world.people.com.cn/n1/2020/0612/c1002-31743799.html (accessed on June 12, 2020).

7 See Chinese President Xi, The Speech at the Meeting to Commend Role Models in the Country’s

Fight aga inst COVID-19, http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/leaders/2020-09/08/c_1126467770.htm

(accessed on September 9, 2020).

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International law can maintain international security with systems, promote

international justice with norms, and promote international development with consensus.

International rule of law is also an effective way to maintain the order of the

international society and is a relatively suitable governance tool in the globalization era.

The establishment of the Global Community of Health for All must be carried out within

a normative system with high value consensus, relatively stable order, and predictable

action evaluation. Therefore, international law is the core of building the Global

Community of Health for All. In order to build this community, a series of questions

should be conducted and solved in order to consolidate this community and at last

establish a strong defense line of the international rule of law when dealing with the

COVID-19 virus and similar global pandemics. These questions include: What’s the

meaning of this Global Community of Health for All and its meaning to the development

of international law? What foundation of international law is needed to build this global

community of health for all? When building this global community of health for all,

what dilemmas still exist in terms of the basic theories and specific systems of

international law and how should these be fixed?

2. Global Community of Health for All: Response to the Call for

International Law in Dealing with Public Health Threats

2.1 Connotation: What is the Global Community of Health for All?

The Global Community of Health for All refers to the health of all humanity as an

organic whole to ensure the common health and well-being of all. Among them, the

word “All” clarifies the scope. No one dominates or manages alone. It’s a universal

practice and universal benefits for all human beings. The word “Health” clarifies the

goal. It’s not to take consideration of political or economic benefits, but to maintain

health and well-being. The word “Global” clarifies the pathway. It isn’t an isolated,

conservative self-government, but an organic whole that collaborates together.8 The

Global Community of Health for All represents the beautiful vision of all humanity for

the pursuit of health, proposes a set policy propositions and actions to improve the

governance of international health. It also has a rich connotation of international law,

which is mainly reflected in the five aspects below:

The first is to achieve health equality. Health is the common pursuit of all humanity,

and health equality is the basic goal and purpose of international health governance. The

preface of the Constitution of World Health Organization states that the enjoyment of

the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human

being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.

Bridging the health divide has been a priority in the European over the past decade.

Significant progress has been made—today nearly one billion people can expect to live

to the age of 78 on average. Despite this, significant health inequities within and

between countries still exist.9 Achieving health equality is an extension of the principle

of the peaceful ideology that the Global Community of Health for All contains. Its

8 See Angang Hu, How will China Secure a Decisive Victory in Building a Moderately Prosperous

(2000-2019 Year): System Assessment and Important Enlightenment, 40(6) Journal of Xinjiang Normal

University (Edition of Philosophy and Social Sciences) 54, 58 (2020).

9 World Health Organization, Five conditions must be met to achieve health equity, https://ww

w.euro.who.int/en/media-centre/sections/press-releases/2019/five-conditions-must-be-met-to-achieve-h

ealth-equity,-says-who (accessed on December 6, 2020).