By Li Yigang
The year 2020 is difficult and challenging for the world. We have just experienced the past 2019, when the global economic growth has been the lowest since the financial crisis. However, starting from this year, the devastating COVID-19 disease has become a serious crisis and a global pandemic, which is the most extensive to afflict humanity in a century. It poses a grave threat to human life and health, and has a serious impact on the operation of world economy. Facing this unknown and unexpected disease, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Chinese people have fought a fierce war against the epidemic over the past 9 months. We have effectively controlled the epidemic within a short period of time, have quickly promoted the resumption of work and production, as well as business and market, and have taken the lead in realizing economic recovery.
On the occasion of celebrating the 71st anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, I would like to briefly introduce to local friends China’s achievements in fighting against the virus, and the experience and practices of coordinating epidemic control with economic and social development.
- Fight together against COVID-19 and gain major strategic achievements.
On December 31 last year, the Wuhan City Health Commission announced on its website 27 pneumonia cases of unknown cause, and on the same day, China informed the World Health Organization of these cases detected in Wuhan. Four institutions carried out parallel laboratory testing of the samples to identify the pathogen.
On January 7, 2020, the sequencing of the virus was completed, and China CDC succeeded in isolating the first novel coronavirus strain. China shared the genome sequence information with WHO and other countries, providing an important basis for virus testing and vaccine development in other countries. While there are still many unknowns about the virus, starting from January 3, China began sending regular, timely updates about the novel coronavirus to WHO and relevant countries. For instance, China sent such updates to the USA 30 times in the first month.
With the development of the epidemic and the discovery of person-to-person spread of the virus, on January 23, two days before the Chinese New Year, a complete lockdown was applied to Wuhan city, which is a domestic transportation hub in China. This measure was a landmark during this epidemic prevention and control. It sparked a lot of discussion in the international media at the time. Some reported that it was an attempt to contain the virus, while some believed there was no evidence to prove the lockdown would be effective. However, facts and practice have proved that under the strong leadership of CPC, with Xi Jinping as its core, China adopted the most thorough, rigorous and comprehensive prevention and control measures. As a result, the epidemic was controlled in around two months, and its spread to the rest of the world was slowed.
In the fight against the epidemic, Hubei province and Wuhan city enforced large-scale investigations, quarantine and isolation, as well as medical treatment in accordance with the policy of ensuring that all those in need should be tested, isolated, hospitalized or treated. The medical resources were mobilized across the country, two treatment centres with 2,500 beds were constructed and put into use within two weeks, and more than 40,000 medical workers rushed to Hubei and Wuhan to support the fight. Soon the “beds waiting for patients” were achieved and lives were saved at all cost.
With the joint efforts of the Chinese people, on March 18, for the first time, no new domestic cases were confirmed on the mainland. On April 8, Wuhan lifted its 76-day lockdown. In the following months, the Chinese government has continued to consolidate the gains in virus control following the principle of “preventing the coronavirus from re-entering the country to cause a new epidemic”. Currently, only sporadic imported cases were reported and the epidemic control has entered a “new normal”.
- Achieve economic recovery and win the battle against poverty.
Under the impact of the epidemic, China’s GDP growth rate in the first quarter of 2020 was -6.8 per cent, which was the first negative growth since the introduction of quarterly statistics in 1992. With the resumption of work and production in various provinces, China’s economy has recovered rapidly. The GDP in the second quarter increased by 3.2 per cent over the same period last year. At the end of July, the World Bank raised China’s 2020 economic growth target from 1 per cent to 1.6 per cent. China continues to be the largest contributor to global economic growth.
In terms of macro-economic policy, China stands to advance the stability on the six fronts and security in the six areas, which means to keep stable on employment, the financial sector, foreign trade, foreign investment, domestic investment and expectations, and to ensure security in job, basic living needs, operations of market entities, food and energy security, stable industrial and supply chains, and the normal functioning of primary-level governments. Consequently, the restoration of normal production and everyday life has been quickened.
The year 2020 marks the final year for China to achieve the goal of eliminating poverty and building a moderately prosperous society. The General Secretary of CPC Xi Jinping has pointed out that when defining a moderately prosperous society, the key is to observe the condition of farmers. To lift out of poverty all rural residents living below the current poverty line by 2020, and to bring to an end the extreme poverty that has shackled the Chinese nation for millennia, will tangibly change the lives of hundreds of millions of people. It also means that China will meet ten years ahead of schedule the poverty eradication target set out in the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and is of great significance to China and the world.
Over the past 71 years since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, more than 800 million people have been lifted out of poverty. Since 2012, the annual poverty reduction population has exceeded 10 million, contributing over 70 per cent of global poverty reduction efforts. China’s poverty elimination plans and achievements are widely recognized by the international community. It fully reflects CPC’s people-centred approach, and demonstrates the political advantages of the Chinese socialist system, which can concentrate efforts on major initiatives. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said: "Targeted poverty reduction strategies are the only way to reach those farthest behind and achieve the ambitious targets set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. China has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, and its experiences can provide valuable lessons to other developing countries."
III. Win-win cooperation and building a community of shared future for mankind.
COVID-19 reminds us that we are living in an interconnected global village, and risks respect no borders. Facing the unprecedented attack of the coronavirus, China has shared with other countries our control and clinical experience without reservation, and do what we can to provide aid in support of the international community's endeavours to stem the pandemic. China twice donated funds to the WHO totalling 50 million US dollars and sent 34 medical expert teams to 32 countries. China offered 283 batches of anti-epidemic material assistance to 150 countries and 4 international organizations, and provided epidemic prevention goods to more than 200 countries and regions. Between March 15 and September 6, China exported 151.5 billion masks, 1.4 billion protective suits, 230 million goggles, 209,000 ventilators, 470 million test kits and 80.14 million infrared thermometers to support the global fight against COVID-19. In the post-pandemic era, China will continue to promote international cooperation in epidemic prevention and control, firmly supports the WHO in playing the leading role in this global battle, and contributes to building a global community of health for all.
This year also marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. The 75th session of the UN General Assembly opened this month. Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered important speeches at the high-level meeting and the general debate. He stressed that China was the first to sign on the Charter of the United Nations. It is a founding member of the UN and the only developing country that takes a permanent seat on the Security Council. China will continue to be a true follower of multilateralism, and work as a builder of global peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of international order. China is the largest developing country in the world, a country that is committed to peaceful, open, cooperative and common development.
All countries, big or small, are equal members of the international community. To tackle risks and challenges, global affairs should be discussed by all members, governance systems built by all, and benefits of governance shared by all, so that every country can benefit from peace and development. The world now stands at a new historical starting point. We should work together to build a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind. Together, we can make the world a better place for everyone.
Li Yigang is Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Willemstad
