NZ China Friendship Society national president Dave Bromwich (right) with Sally Russell and Sam Jackman. Photo / File
NZ China Friendship Society national president Dave Bromwich (right) with Sally Russell and Sam Jackman. Photo / File
A year to the day since China reached out for help to source face masks from a New Zealand-based China friendship society, the organisation says the impact of Covid-19 has damaged the country's reputation – even on home soil.
When Hawke's Bay Today first spoke to the leader of theNZ China Friendship Society on January 30, 2020, there had been just 300 Covid-19 deaths in China.
One year later, the total number of cases worldwide has surpassed 100 million – with 2.2 million deaths across the world.
Havelock North-based NZ China Friendship Society national president Dave Bromwich said it has been a "difficult year to be a friend of China".
Bromwich, who normally spends five months of the year in China, said the pushback against the Asian country has been mammoth since the outbreak of the pandemic.
"We have often heard stories, even in New Zealand, of incidents of racism from those who see Chinese people as having bought the disease to us, which is complete rubbish," he said.
"It's been a difficult year to be a friend of China. Having spent a total of more than 10 years there, it's disappointing to see such misrepresentation of the people."
Bromwich, who spent a year living in Napier's sister city Lianyungang teaching English in 1996, said the main difference in how the society has run in the past 12 months has been the lack of travel between the two countries.
"It's the first time in over 20 years that I've not been to China at all in a year. I had three tours planned, which have been postponed, which is disappointing," he said.
"It's been a difficult year with Covid, as well as the international geopolitical situation, with a lot of negativity aimed at China. But, while our face-to-face relationships have ended, we've maintained contact through Zoom all year round."
The NZ China Friendship Society, which works to enable links between people, sister cities, schools and friendship associations, has 12 branches across New Zealand.
People wearing face masks in a subway station in Beijing, China. Photo / AP
In January 2020, the society received a call for help from the Guangdong Friendship Association asking for help sourcing protective face masks after the Guangdong organisation ran low.
But following the spread of the virus worldwide, the society's Chinese counterparts ended up sending close to 7000 masks to New Zealand in an attempt to help.
Bromwich said three packages from Sichuan and Shanghai were distributed to marginalised and at-risk communities around New Zealand.
"I've still got 500 sitting here and I'm hoping never to need them. But they are available if something else comes up," he said.
"But that is an indication of how China treated its friends around the world."
Bromwich said with China all but "out the woods", he hopes the world can learn from how they and New Zealand handled the outbreak.
"China is still treating it very seriously. When they've had little outbreaks, they'll lock down an entire community and test them," he said.
"The number of deaths in the US is over 400,000, but China has only had 6000 or so. The Chinese people are very respectful of how the Government has looked after them and protect them, just like here."
