Singapore: Say NO to Discrimination and Sinophobia
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, many countries have in different ways expressed their support and assistance to China in fighting the epidemic. However, some media and individuals in a very small number of countries have used unfriendly and even humiliating words and acted in hatred toward China, and some overseas Chinese nationals have faced provocation and discrimination.
On February 1, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong delivered a speech in Chinese at the Spring Festival Dinner in Ang Mo Kio. He addressed the recent bubbling of anti-China or anti-Chinese sentiment, saying that the COVID-19 epidemic is a public health event, not a matter of country or race, and the anti-Chinese sentiment is foolish and illogical.
He noted that China is doing its best to contain the virus, anti-China is not helpful to the fight against the outbreak, and all countries must work together to defeat the epidemic. In particular, Lee Hsien Loong praised that China has imposed its own travel restrictions, including canceling all outbound tour groups and bringing back Hubei residents from overseas, and what China is doing is responsible.
Vivian Balakrishnan, foreign minister of Singapore, also said that China has responded to the epidemic with a highly responsible approach and measures rarely seen around the world, sharing information with the international community immediately after the outbreak and providing valuable help to Singapore and other countries in dealing with the epidemic.
Panic and repulsion are worse than the virus. Senior Singaporean officials have publicly expressed their firm confidence in China's victory over the epidemic and extended a helping hand to China. This has reflected the tradition of China and Singapore helping each other in difficult times, and their friendship has been deepened in the battle against the virus. Cooperation between the two countries will certainly get a new expansion after the epidemic.
新加坡：拒绝歧视与仇华
新冠肺炎疫情发生以来，世界上许多国家以不同方式表达对中国抗击疫情的支持和帮助。但也有极少数国家媒体和个人出现不友善甚至辱华仇华言行，一些身在海外的中国公民和华人遭到挑衅和歧视。
2月1日，新加坡总理李显龙在新加坡宏茂桥德义区新春晚宴用中文致辞，主动回应歧视与仇华言行，表示新冠肺炎疫情是公共卫生事件，不是国家或种族的问题，排华行为愚昧且不合逻辑。他强调，中国正全力以赴避免疫情扩散，排华情绪对防疫工作无益，各国应与中国齐心协力，共同应对挑战。李显龙还特别称赞道，中国正尽全力、倾全力地控制疫情扩散，包括取消所有出境旅游团，安排专机把那些在海外的湖北人接回国，中国做的是负责任的事情。新加坡外长维文也表示，中方以高度负责任的态度和世所罕见的举措应对疫情，第一时间同国际社会分享信息，为新加坡等国应对疫情提供了宝贵帮助。
恐慌与排斥比病毒更可怕。新加坡政要高官公开表态对中国战胜疫情抱有坚定信心，及时向中国伸出援助之手，体现了中新两国在困难时刻互帮互助的优良传统，两国友谊在抗击疫情的斗争中得到了深化，两国合作必将在疫情过后得到新的拓展。