Editor's note: In this new series, we share stories and experiences showing how expats are dealing with the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak.
In spite of the novel coronavirus outbreak, Yukitaka Ito, chairman of Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance (China) Co Ltd, returned to Shanghai from Japan as scheduled in early February. And one day later, all the company's seven Japanese managers returned to their posts in Shanghai.
"My family had second thoughts about my trip to Shanghai at that moment. But I have witnessed the growth of the Chinese branch from scratch, like watching my child growing up. I had every reason to return," he said.
Ito first visited China in 1991 to study Chinese in Beijing. In 1998, he was appointed the chief representative of Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance in Shanghai. Three years later, the Shanghai branch was set up.
In April 2012, Ito became the chairman and president of the Japanese insurer's China branch. Ever since then, he has spent 11 months in the country every year. In 2018, Ito obtained permanent residence in China.
In late September last year, he received the Shanghai Magnolia Gold Award, which recognizes foreigners who have made outstanding contributions to the city.
Uneasy journey
But Ito's latest trip back to Shanghai was not easy. Only about 50 people took the same flight with Ito from Tokyo to Shanghai. Upon landing, they stayed on board for an extra hour as the previous flight took longer than expected to finish safety checks. At customs, Ito spent another hour waiting in line for a temperature check and filling in all kinds of forms.
"The epidemic control and prevention is very strict in Shanghai, with infrared temperature checking equipment installed in all public places and residential communities, and regular disinfection applied almost everywhere. But at the same time, supplies are sufficient. It gives people the feeling that the city is well managed and its residents can thus feel safe and sound, even at such a critical moment," he said.
Ever since Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance China resumed its operations on Feb 3, the insurer has provided online settlement of claims around the clock.
Claims related to the epidemic have all been settled within 24 hours. For clients who have bought overseas travel insurance but are stranded overseas due to the outbreak, the insurer has offered to extend their insurance without any extra charge.
'Continuity planning'
According to Ito, such quick response can be largely attributed to the "business continuity planning" that the company has practiced for years. With this, the company will organize drills annually to simulate emergency scenarios. During the first few years, they practiced how to serve clients normally if the Shanghai headquarter was hit by an emergency. But in November, they stepped up to practice how to provide services if both the Shanghai headquarters and branches all over the country were beset with a crisis.
Such drills, as he explained, are quite common among Japanese companies as the country is quite often hit by natural disasters such as earthquakes.
"As an insurance company, we should set up a good example in terms of risk prevention and crisis management," he said.
It was a pity to Ito that the face masks purchased by the company's headquarters could not be delivered to China in early February due to the shortage of logistics resources at that time.
But the insurer's China company still managed to donate 2,000 bottles of hand sanitizer to the hospitals in Shanghai with the help of Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.
"The outbreak of the novel coronavirus is undoubtedly unfortunate. But the example of Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance has proved the close ties between China and Japan, not only at the national level, but also between their peoples," said Sha Hailin, the association's director.
