Has US foreign policy in recent years surprised the Chinese leadership?

Yes, and that’s exactly the point I made in my International Affairs article. Not only did Chinese officials and established scholars grossly underestimate the deep frustrations with China among America’s policy, business and academic elites, they also had a false sense of stability in the relationship that they attributed to the Sino-US economic interdependence. They also misunderstood Trump the individual, believing that he could be appeased and mollified by Chinese ‘buy buy buy’. As is clear by now, his administration has been ramping up more pressure on China across the board and there are China hawks across the political spectrum.

How did the Chinese leadership respond to Trump’s election victory?

Ahead of the 2016 US election, the majority opinion within the Chinese foreign policy establishment could be summarized as ‘anyone but Clinton’. Many held deep antipathy toward former secretary of state Hillary Clinton for her hawkish China approach and her stance on human rights and democracy. They preferred Trump, thinking that as a one-note politician he’d be much easier to deal with. The election result was therefore widely perceived as good news in China.

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What are China’s intended outcomes from its policy towards the United States?

China’s US strategy was epitomized by the phrase, ‘dou er bu po’, meaning ‘struggle but not split’ or managed competition. While Chinese leaders and officials knew clashes with Washington over certain issues were unavoidable, they did genuinely want to maintain some general stability in the overall relationship while making progress on Taiwan. However, the relationship has been in free fall since the trade war. Therefore, it is doubtful whether the old idea still holds much sway in Beijing. Now, there does not seem to be a coherent strategy or game plan either. The tactic at the moment appears to be tit-for-tat or, so to speak, fight as you go.

Huawei’s recent expansion of 5G services across the world has been met with hostility from the US intelligence establishment. Is it possible to detach economic and security concerns in the context of current US–China relations?

This is impossible now. The case with Huawei is indicative of the American determination to decouple from China economically and technologically. For all the apocalyptic warnings of Huawei as a national security threat by American officials, the fact that the US has not been able to persuade even its closest Western allies — the UK for instance — has laid bare not only the weakness of the American argument but also the strategic rationale of Washington’s global hunt of the Chinese telecom giant. In that sense, Huawei is but a pawn in the wider geopolitical rivalry.

IL. 33 KUTUMIKA KUIMARISHA HUDUMA ZA KIJAMII NCHINI

NA WAMJW Dodoma

Wizara ya Afya, kupitia Idara kuu ya Maendeleo ya Jamii inatarajia kutumia Jumla ya shilingi bilioni 33.195 ili kutekeleza shughuli mbalimbali za kijamii hususani zilizopewa kipaumbele kwa mwaka wa fedha 2020/21.

Akiwasilisha Hotuba ya Wizara ya Waziri wa Afya, Maendeleo ya Jamii, Jinsia, Wazee na Watoto  Mhe. Ummy Mwalimu amesema katika mwaka wa fedha 2020/21 Idara Kuu ya Maendeleo ya Jamii inatarajia kutumia kiasi hicho cha fedha kwa lengo la kuimarisha huduma na mafunzo kwenye Taasisi za Ustawi na Maendeleo ya Jamii, kukarabati makazi ya wazee, kujenga mahubusu za watoto na kutokomeza ukatili wa kijinsia.

Alisema kuwa bajeti hiyo itasaidia kuimarisha Kujenga kumbi pacha na hosteli katika Taasisi ya Maendeleo ya Jamii Tengeru ambapo jumla ya shilingi bilioni 2.7 zimetengwa, pia kuboresha utoaji wa mafunzo ya taaluma ya maendeleo ya jamii ili kukidhi mahitaji ya soko sambamba na kukuza ujuzi wa wahitimu ikiwemo kuwajengea uwezo wa kujiajiri na kuajiriwa kwa kutenga jumla ya shilingi bilioni 6.6.

Maeneo mengine yaliyotengewa fedha ni pamoja na ukarabati wa majengo na miundombinu katika makazi ya wazee kwa shilingi milioni 400, ujenzi wa Shule ya Maadilisho katika Mkoa wa Geita shilingi milioni 200, kuimarisha ujenzi wa mahabusu ya watoto katika mikoa ya Kigoma na Mtwara shilingi milioni 700 na kuwezesha Taasisi ya Ustawi wa Jamii kuboresha utoaji wa mafunzo yanayokidhi mahitaji ya soko shilingi milioni 250.

Aidha, jumla ya shilingi milioni 827.95 zimetengwa kwa ajili ya shughuli za kutokomeza ukatili wa kijinsia katika jamii.

“Ili kutekeleza vipaumbele vilivyoanishwa kwa mwaka 2020/21, Wizara kupitia Idara kuu ya Maendeleo ya Jamii imekadiria kutumia kiasi cha shilingi bilioni 33 kwa ajili ya kutekeleza majukumu mbalimbali ya Wizara ikiwa ni pamoja na uendeshaji wa ofisi na miradi ya maendeleo” alisema.

Mhe. Ummy amesema Wizara imeendelea kukuza ari ya jamii kushiriki katika kujiletea maendeleo ya kijamii na kiuchumi kwa kutumia nguvu kazi na rasilimali zinazowazunguka na kusimamia masuala yote ya ushirikishwaji wa jamii kwenye sekta mbalimbali.

MWISHO

--

Raymond Ishengoma Mushumbusi

Information Officer

Government Communication Unity

Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children

+255715477877/+255789553222

rishengoma2020@gmail.com 

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A protester holds a placard of Donald Trump and Xi Jinping during an anti-government rally in Hong Kong, January 2020. Photo: Anthony Kwan via Getty Images

During the 2016 US presidential election campaign, candidate Donald Trump made much of what he saw as an imbalanced US–China relationship. How has he conducted himself as president in this policy area?

We can say with certainty that President Trump has exhibited all his known eccentricities and idiosyncrasies in his dealings with China. As a first-time politician, he was primarily fixated with America’s annual trade deficit hovering over US$300 billion for years according to US government statistics. As an entrepreneur, Trump is profoundly transactional and unmoored in any political ideology. During the campaign, he publicly broached the idea, among an assortment of anti-China assertions, of using Taiwan as a card. So, when he talked to Tsai Ing-wen, President of Taiwan (officially known as Republic of China) over the phone days after winning the election, Beijing was of course concerned. Soon, however, he learned that as president his first foreign policy challenge was North Korea, and on that subject Beijing’s cooperation was indispensable. As a result he quickly paid lip service to the ‘one China principle’ in order for Beijing to agree to ever stricter sanctions on North Korea. He even openly floated the prospect of China solving the North Korea problem for him in exchange for a compromise on trade. But as soon as he emerged from the talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore in June 2018 and declared victory, he pulled the trigger on the trade war.

Trump’s trademark unpredictability and the chaotic manner in which his administration is run caused a great deal of confusion and concern in Beijing during the course of the trade negotiations. Particularly as Chinese officials had a hard time telling who among Trump’s senior advisers actually spoke for him and whether the verbal agreement the two sides had struck would be accepted by Trump. Now with the US in the throes of the coronavirus epidemic, Trump’s xenophobia is often on display as he and other senior US officials insist on calling it the ‘Chinese virus’ or ‘Wuhan virus’. This demonstrates how the past three years of dealing with the Trump administration have been a deeply frustrating experience for Beijing.

The great Chinese surprise: the rupture with the United States is real and is happening

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Has US foreign policy in recent years surprised the Chinese leadership?

Yes, and that’s exactly the point I made in my International Affairs article. Not only did Chinese officials and established scholars grossly underestimate the deep frustrations with China among America’s policy, business and academic elites, they also had a false sense of stability in the relationship that they attributed to the Sino-US economic interdependence. They also misunderstood Trump the individual, believing that he could be appeased and mollified by Chinese ‘buy buy buy’. As is clear by now, his administration has been ramping up more pressure on China across the board and there are China hawks across the political spectrum.

How did the Chinese leadership respond to Trump’s election victory?

Ahead of the 2016 US election, the majority opinion within the Chinese foreign policy establishment could be summarized as ‘anyone but Clinton’. Many held deep antipathy toward former secretary of state Hillary Clinton for her hawkish China approach and her stance on human rights and democracy. They preferred Trump, thinking that as a one-note politician he’d be much easier to deal with. The election result was therefore widely perceived as good news in China

Debating Ideas is a new section that aims to reflect the values and editorial ethos of the African Arguments book series, publishing engaged, often radical, scholarship, original and activist writing from within the African continent and beyond. It will offer debates and engagements, contexts and controversies, and reviews and responses flowing from the African Arguments books.

Credit: UN Photo / Elma Okic

Early this month, Tedros Adhanom, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), gave an impassioned speech during a press conference where he responded to the death threats he received and the racial slurs he was subjected to:

‘I am proud of being black or negro,’ he said. But ‘when the whole black community was insulted, when Africa is insulted, then I don’t tolerate, then I say people are crossing the line.’

In the meantime, there was also a campaign launched against him to step down from the leadership of the WHO. This was made in the form of protest petition, on Twitter, YouTube and mainstream media.

But why him and why now, especially at a time when his institution deserves support, and he should be coming out as a hero given the burden on his shoulders?

Tedros is an embodiment of hard work, untiring public service and valuable soft skills. Because of his strong background, he made it to the top undeterred by a modest beginning. He rose from being a middle-level civil servant in a health department of a region in Ethiopia to leading a UN agency. He is living evidence, rare as it may be, that individuals, with strong self-belief, could rise meteorically from little known places.

Tedros exemplified success as Ethiopian minister for Health from 2005 to 2012 as well as serving his nation as Foreign Minister from 2012 to 2016. By implementing health policies, which at the time focused on prevention and the training of ‘foot-doctors’ (deployed for health education, primary health care and sanitation), he delivered concrete results on various health metrics. (See also ‘Barefoot doctor and pandemics: Ethiopia’s experience and Covid-19’ by Mulugeta Gebrehiwot.)

In doing as such, he impacted the lives of millions of Ethiopians positively. The success has been acknowledged by country assessment of the Millennium Development Goals by the UNDP.

After a strenuous campaign, Tedros got the winning ticket to head the WHO in 2017. Through his election, the Ethiopian government was vindicated for its well-designed and implemented health policy. Africans felt reassured in his election, which no African had been able or allowed to achieve before. They were delighted to see him voted in as a director-general given his track record and the strong symbolism to be found in his rise.

In fact, it was also taken as proof that whoever works hard with a clear purpose, coupled with an attitude for strong public service, stands a good deal of chance to find himself in a position of global leadership.

Unfortunately, today, this symbol of hard work and perseverance is being challenged at a critical moment when the entire world should rally behind him.

The chief detractor of Tedros has been President Donald Trump, who, among other things, recently tweeted ‘The W.H.O. really blew it.’The President even decided to suspend US funding to the WHO, pending investigation of the conduct of the organisation.

Activists in the campaign against Tedros later backed Trump’s condemnation of the WHO. A preposterous article titled ‘The crimes of Tedros Adhanom’, which Trump has quoted without naming the writer, is being cited by different hateful speakers on different occasions. Interestingly, the article calls even for the trial of Tedros as a human rights criminal, and is replete with unsubstantiated accusations, fabrications and overly generalised statements, smacking of ideological attack.

One of the more prominent conspiracy theories against Tedros pertains to the relationship between the Tigrean People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and Tedros. There is no new revelation here except that the TPLF has retreated from power in the centre to continue to operate at the level of the regional states. In any case, that he was a high-profile politician from the TPLF and the coalition it belonged to, the EPRDF, until a few months before his campaign for WHO director generalship is no secret – in fact, that was his launching pad. Critical to remember is that the EPRDF had been the West’s ally, in the war against terrorism, despite the former’s left-leaning ideology. I would add that many saw Tedros as effective technocrat first, and a pragmatic politician second, partly because of his civilian background. As a politician, his joviality was well-known, markedly different from the austere manners of EPRDF politicians. Perhaps, this attribute and image of him was one reason for his success in establishing an international network of supporters, helping him rise to the top.

It is also being alleged that Tedros was party to a cover-up of cholera outbreaks in Ethiopia while he was a Minister of Health. In relation to this, his critics accuse him and his government of renaming cholera a ‘watery diarrhoea’ to make this epidemic look less threatening. The criticism is made without proof, apparently with the intention of scoring points against Tedros. The allegation is not factually supported, if consistently made, as far as one closely observes media invectives on this.

His past being what it is and well-known, what are then the justifications for the call of his resignation? Is his actual performance at the WHO any reason for that?

The tirade against the WHO by Trump and members of the US Republican Party is largely based on Taiwan’s assertion that the organisation downplayed the severity and spread of the virus despite the country’s attempt to alert it as early as December 31. Trump said that the WHO should be brought to account for hiding a global crisis in the making for pandering to China.

‘WHO ignored warnings from Taiwan and continued to reiterate China’s false talking points that there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission of the novel pathogen even as late as January 14, 2020,’ reads an article on the Fox News Channel website, citing Taiwanese authorities.

The WHO denied that Taiwan even alerted it to the potential spread of the virus. Granted Taiwan’s statement, and the organisation’s denial aside, the country’s charge is based on its enquiry to the WHO mentioning the occurrence as an ‘atypical pneumonia’, ‘reminiscent of SARS’, and what public health professionals could discern from these wordings.

Lawrence Gostin, an American professor specialising in public health law and a former critic of Tedros, has a salutary assessment about Tedros’s work. Stephen Buranye, contributing for the Guardian, cites him saying that the WHO only delayed ‘shortly’ in recognising that Coronavirus is a public health emergency of international concern and that he does not think ‘the timing had any impact on the trajectory of COVID-19’.

Gostin, in fact, praises Tedros for being ‘the symbol of leadership in the course of Coronavirus’.

It is true that Tedros’s praise for Chinese actions against Coronavirus, or the exchange of pleasantries with Chinese leaders should be unsettling to a US president. No conclusive evidence has been presented, however, to convince an independent jury that Tedros has been ‘pro-China’, save the niceties in public.

In response to this, Professor Gostin has stressed that Tedros’s strategy was to coax China to be transparent and cooperate internationally rather than criticising the government. Tedros’ praise of China, effusive as it may have looked at one point, underlines the fact that diplomacy is very much part of the game in bringing everybody around the table.

For that matter, Tedros is a leader of a global organisation with scarce funding, about two billion dollars in 2019, which is dependent on the good-will of political leaders, and the cooperation of big and small countries. He is required to be approachable and a good wisher to all who matter.

It is interesting that only recently, Tedros said positive things about President Trump’s response in the fight against the pandemic, which may be a bit over the top when it comes to Trump. This is despite the fact that the US accepted the outbreak as ‘pandemic’ a month after the WHO had declared it as such.

‘The WHO struggled to get these same nations [US & UK] to prepare for future pandemics. Now the pandemic is here, and they are at the centre of the crisis, the WHO has been unable to keep them following its advice,’ wrote Buranye in the Guardian.

Hence, Tedros’ honourable statements about Trump or Xi Jinping fall within the need to be as comforting as he could be to world leaders as the head of a multilateral institution.

Maybe Tedros is not steeped enough into the subtleties of global politics and the full import of what he thinks are diplomatic gestures. There is a clue to this in his attempt to appoint the late Zimbabwean president, Robert Mugabe, as a good-will ambassador of the WHO.

But, again, this is a relatively benign matter that should only be treated lightly in the grand scheme of things. First and foremost, he must be judged on the merits of his leadership; on how best he is at leading the WHO, how effective he is in the fight against the current global challenge, Covid-19.

For that, no one would be a better witness than Anthony Fauci (MD), head of the National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in America since 1984, and a well-known physician and immunologist. A couple of weeks ago, he appreciated Tedros for his leadership and good work at the WHO. In public, he all but gently brushed off the assessments of Tedros’ critics.

The final verdict on the WHO’s performance, and Tedros, on Covid-19 will be made months, if not years, later. But we at least know that Tedros and his team are pleading every day with the world, sounding out the alarm about dangers of the virus and insisting on precautions. It is only fair to compare this against the handling of Ebola virus in 2013/14 by Margaret Chan, the previous WHO director-general, which drew wide criticism short of a call for resignation. Tedros has been a strong hand in controlling the recent Ebola outbreak in the DRC.

This is not to mean that Tedros is without flaws. He is a human being, after all. But lack of serious attention and shortage of commitment are never those. There is no justification for starting a campaign against him, a man giving every bit of himself to international public service. This is more so when there is no evidence of lack of commitment or competence in the discharge of his duties. Only self-interest groups, those looking for a scapegoat and ideological extremists are making pleas for his ousting.

Competent and hardworking Africans deserve a place of leadership in global institutions. Tedros has given hope to many well-meaning Africans that this is possible. Attempts to push him out must, therefore, be seen within a context; within the legacy of the age-old interest to see Africans playing second-fiddle roles at the global level.

This is not to diminish the fact that the WHO finds itself trapped in the rivalry between the two major global powers, the US and China. It also seems that Trump and the Republicans have chosen the WHO as good material for their re-election campaign, and to save face on their failure to effectively fight against Covid-19.

The WHO’s functions are to declare a disease pandemic, establish and promote standards, coordinate the global effort against health threats, develop protocols of disease treatment and management, release timely information about health, and sound out validated warnings and alarms. It is not the mandate of the WHO to repair malfunctioning health systems within countries. If anything, the new virus has exposed a fundamental weakness of health systems in some Western countries, not least in the US, which the WHO cannot do much about.

The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and other global leaders have added their voice in defence of the WHO and its director-general. Guterres says that the outbreak is ‘unprecedented’ and that any assessment about its handling should be deferred in the interest of not hurting the fight. Bill Gates has likewise expressed his concern over President Trump’s decision to suspend funding at this critical moment.

Dr Tedros has also received support from the African Union, with the current chairman and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa calling for ‘solidarity, unity of purpose and better coordination to ensure that we are able to overcome this common enemy.’

Everyone in favour of the prevalence of a merit-based international system should unite behind Tedros. A unified response is critical to fighting bigoted and ideology-laden campaigns against proven leaders from Africa

YOUR LOCAL NEWSLETTER | 23 April 2020 Council marks St George's Day - celebrating our very own heroes  The St George’s flag is being flown high outside Barking Town Hall today (Thursday 23 April), to mark St George’s Day. Due to the coronavirus lockdown, the usual festivities had to be cancelled but residents are being encouraged to mark the day from home. Show your support for the NHS, key workers and frontline staff  Don't forget to make some noise tonight at 8pm and clap for NHS, key workers and frontline staff who are working incredibly hard to keep us safe. Stand at your door or open a window and show your support! 👏👏👏 Enforcement officers and local businesses working together During this tough time it’s important that we all work together and that’s exactly what a large number of our local businesses have been doing with council enforcement officers. Together, they’ve been ensuring that the government’s social distancing rules are being enforced. Over the last couple of weeks, enforcement officers have been out and about giving social distancing advice and have so far worked with 130 local shops. However, since the lockdown started, enforcement officers have had to close 28 local shops, and issue 24 prohibition notices, to businesses that haven’t been playing by the rules – either by staying open, when they should have been closed, or by hiking up the prices of products. If you know of any shops doing this, please report them here. Young Mayor to raise money for domestic violence charity  The recently elected Young Mayor of Barking and Dagenham, Jessica Soares Paim, has decided to support and raise money for domestic violence charity Refuge during her term representing the young people of Barking and Dagenham. The members of the Youth Forum voted unanimously on who they would support and raise money for throughout the year, with several options available. The Young Mayor and her sub-group thought it right to support Refuge due to concerns that cases of domestic abuse could be on the rise because of the current lockdown situation. Jessica has already held a virtual call with a representative from Refuge to discuss creative ideas to raise money and how she can support them throughout her term as Young Mayor. The Young Mayor and the sub-group will aim to start raising money during the lockdown. Keep a lookout for their fundraising activities and how you can get involved. Using PPE? Dispose of it properly!  Residents are being urged to act responsibly and save lives by disposing of used face masks and gloves in a responsible manner. The appeal follows feedback from residents and street cleaners who are having to deal with discarded face masks and gloves that have been left on local streets and in parks. Not only does this pose a public health risk by leaving the items for someone else to clear up, it also litters our streets that we are all working hard to keep clean.   Supporting local businesses If you own a business in the borough, we know this will be a worrying time for you financially. We’re doing all we can to support local businesses to ensure they come out the other side of this pandemic strong and ready for business. From Business Rates Relief and grants of up to £25,000, hundreds of businesses across the borough have benefited and if you’re a local business owner, you could too. Find out what support you’re eligible for and get in touch with our team today. www.lbbd.gov.uk/coronavirus-support-for-businesses Help your local businesses by buying in advance   We all want to make sure that our local, small businesses stay afloat during and after the coronavirus crisis and the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has launched a new crowdfunding campaign ‘Pay it Forward', encouraging us all to buy goods and services in advance from small businesses. The new initiative will sit on Crowdfunder.com and is aimed at supporting businesses which are currently struggling in industries including hospitality, retail and leisure. The scheme allows you to pay for products or services which will be delivered once businesses return to normal. For more information, head here. Get help and support with your finances  We know that because of the coronavirus outbreak, some residents may be finding it difficult to make ends meet. This can be really stressful to deal with alone, so our friendly team at the Homes and Money Hub are on hand to offer financial support and advice to help you get back on track. So far, since the beginning of March, we’ve supported 360 residents including help with Council Tax and rent arrears. We’ve also helped families with over 170 food bank vouchers. This week we’ve also launched our Hardship Fund to help eligible residents with emergency living expenses including food, fuel (gas and electric for residents who pay via a key meter), travel expenses, and more. If you’re worried about your finances, get in touch with our team at homesandmoneyhub@lbbd.gov.uk or call 020 8724 2115 / 020 8227 2927, Monday – Friday, between 9am – 4pm. For more information, visit www.lbbd.gov.uk/coronavirus BD CAN - Helping our community Since we launched BD CAN (Barking and Dagenham Citizens Alliance Network) a month ago, we have seen so much great work going on, to help those in our community who need it most. It has been such a difficult time for everyone, but for some of our more vulnerable residents, this is when they need that extra help more than ever. Our response was to create BD CAN - a support network working with local voluntary and faith organisations to help those who may be self-isolating and need food or medicine, or just simply someone to talk to. BD CAN has helped with more than 1,100 requests for support so far and delivered almost 1,000 food parcels to local people. We’ve also reached out to nearly 9,000 of our most vulnerable residents and spoken to nearly 3,000 of our more vulnerable council tenants to make sure they’re OK. And so far, 361 people have stepped forward to volunteer to help. We would like to say a huge thank you to all of the organisations and volunteers that have helped us to support the most vulnerable in our community. You can still get in touch if you, or someone you know, might need this kind of support over the coming weeks. Email bdcan@lbbd.gov.uk or call 020 8215 3000 (Monday - Friday, 8am - 6pm) Remember, we can all do our bit by keeping calm, supporting each other and shopping responsibly so that there’s enough for everyone. Social distancing is working, but we must continue We’re in our fifth week of lockdown now and while social distancing seems to be helping reduce the spread of coronavirus, it’s something we all need to continue doing for the foreseeable future, if we want to get back to our normal lives. If we stop now, we risk increasing the spread of the virus. To ensure this doesn’t happen, the government has advised that social distancing rules will continue until they are satisfied that the five conditions below have been met:   Evidence that the NHS can cope across the UK A sustained fall in daily death rates Evidence that the rate of infection is decreasing Confidence that supplies of testing and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) are able to meet demand No risk of a second peak Together we will get through this as long as we follow the rules. Keeping our bin crews safe  Our bin crews are working really hard to keep the borough clean and safe during the coronavirus pandemic. For everyone’s safety, we’ve put up new signs on our refuse trucks asking people to keep two metres away from them at all times and not to approach the vehicles. The signs also remind residents of the need to show our staff the respect they deserve. While the majority of residents have been very grateful of the hard work our bin crews are doing, we’re aware of a handful of incidents where residents have been abusive. We take all of these incidents seriously and are reporting them to the police, to make sure our staff can work safely. Every Mind Matters We all have times where life gets on top of us, and now, more than ever, it’s important to look after our mind and body. During the lockdown you might feel frustrated and anxious, and be missing friends and family. To help us with our mental health the NHS have a great resource called Every Mind Matters, with lots of tips and advice. You can also create your own personalised Mind Plan at: www.everymindmatters.co.uk  Let's get moving  Getting active is the best way to keep our mind and body in check during the lockdown. When you exercise, your body releases chemicals called endorphins which trigger a positive feeling in the body. There are loads of online workouts available, and sessions for all ages and abilities! Check out Everyone Active’s online sessions on their Facebook page facebook.com/everyoneactive/. They have workouts for the whole family, so there’s no excuse not to get your sweat on. The NHS also have daily live interactive online exercise sessions for all ages and abilities. Find out more here.   Unleash your creativity in the Valence House poetry competition Calling all budding poets... Pen a poem for your chance to feature in a special museum display and win £20 of Amazon vouchers.  Valence House Museum is inviting poets of all ages to lay down some words about life in lockdown. They want to celebrate our community, friends and family with some poetry positivity. To enter simply email your poem to: valencehousemusuem@lbbd.gov.uk Don’t forget to include your age – there will be a winner selected from both the adult and child (under 16) entries. Entries close at 10pm on Friday 24 April and the winners will be announced on the Valence House website and social media channels on Monday 27 April. Winners will also receive an email to confirm they have won.   Coronavirus daily updates Every day we post videos about different aspects of coronavirus on our social media channels. For the latest information please follow us on Facebook and Twitter.