"Technology is being instrumental in China in controlling the pandemic."

The Chinese experience is serving as a reference for the rest of the world in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Its strict containment measures and slow return to normality shed some light on which strategies are working and which are not. The commitment to technology, not exempt from politics, is part of its strategy, as explained by Carlos Sentias, CEO of the consulting firm Henkuai, speaker at the latest Forum Business Travel webinar.

Carlos Sentís, is managing director of Henkuai, a leading communications and China relations consultancy and Global Shaper of the World Economic Forum. She has worked for 10 years for Spanish and Chinese companies and institutions, including the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Air China, HNA Group, Iberia, LaLiga and Aena. In addition, he is a speaker at WTO, WTTC and WTCF events, among others. He is currently working on Impact Tourism for the Tourism Industry and travelers to drive the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

China is proving that it is possible to get out of the coronavirus pandemic. To what extent is this perception realistic?
The truth is that no country has completely overcome the crisis, not even the most advanced in this field, such as China. In fact, it has just quarantined a province where an upsurge of the disease has been detected.

"What are the first measures that the Chinese have taken after the deconfinement?
There is a clear limitation of capacity in spaces. Normality is being restored little by little, but we are working from home. The Chinese are very used to the masks. They are not infallible, but they are useful.

What are they doing right? What things are working, given the circumstances?
On the mobility side, airport testing is widespread. Airlines have increased their traffic by 10%. On the other hand, all travelers from abroad are obliged to have a 15-day quarantine. The cost of hotel stays, usually simple, is borne by the Government. There are also disinfection arches for subways, trains or buses. Sometimes they use ultraviolet lights, which work well, although with their drawbacks, to avoid corrosion. All stores are disinfected daily. Many hotels have eliminated buffet and room service. There are constant temperature controls between rooms and elevators can only be used individually.

From the outside, the process looks very slow...
Yes, they are doing it very carefully. There are strict measures in schools. Restaurants have put up partitions between tables. The food that is served at home is very controlled. The riders have to certify the cook's temperature and their own and leave the package at the customer's door.

What role is technology playing in this process?
It is being very decisive to control the population and prevent possible outbreaks. The inhabitants have an application that informs about their health situation with red, yellow and green colors. These codes are used for access to public spaces, among other things. Security, as opposed to privacy, is a political issue in the West, not so much in China, although there are giants such as Google and Apple that are already collaborating to launch control tools. On the other hand, there are very technological hotels, such as Alibaba, which have been using measures to avoid human contact for some time, such as biomedical keys or robots that carry luggage to the rooms.