Last week, the world marked the 51st Earth Day. This year’s theme – “Restore Our Earth” – was apt. As the COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us, the effects of human activity on the planet do not respect borders. The Earth is a single living, self-regulating system, and it demands a single, shared system of accounting that balances at the global level. We need a one-Earth balance sheet.

Kyrgyzstan, a small nation of 6.6 million, has received generous gifts of vaccine packages from the global community, notably a 170K donation from China, yet public distrust and anti-Chinese attitudes have prevented the general population from taking up the offer, revealing deeply-rooted issues Central Asian nations have with their powerful neighbor.

Early in the pandemic, an unexpected outbreak among mink brought catastrophe to Denmark’s vaunted mink fur industry, leading to the extermination of its entire mink population and total collapse of its output. The U.S. and China are among the top contenders looking to capitalize on the sudden vacuum in the market.

The Covid-19 pandemic unleashed opportunistic and nationalistic impulses on the part of countries and biomedical companies, but it also rekindled the global cooperative spirit.

Serbia’s willingness to receive a mountain of Chinese Sinopharm vaccines, as well as Russian and Western doses has made it one of the most well vaccinated countries in the world.

The coronavirus crisis will eventually be a thing of the past, but in the post-COVID era, serious questions remain. What kind of human rights and what international moral standard serves humanity best?

A variety of technical paths and the use of multiple treatments in the global population provide the best opportunity for quick, widespread success. Vaccine nationalism should be avoided, as it only slows progress.

The volatile state of U.S.-China relations has only hindered progress towards ending the COVID-19 pandemic. There’s little question that if the two countries were to join forces, a safer world would be within reach.

The post-pandemic era provides paths that, if followed, will catapult the country into first place globally by mid-century. It will open wider, increase cooperation with international partners and make even greater contributions to the world economy.

China is standing up for poor countries in the global fight against the pandemic as the West turns away. Its role is essential if humanity wants to win. Disparaging Chinese vaccines will only prolong the agony and suffering of people in need.