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HOME > Press and Media Service > Embassy Spokesperson
Embassy Spokesperson on China’s Covid Response Policy
2022-12-04 04:15

Question: Recently, a few British media outlets commented that China’s Covid response policy is “draconian”, saying that the policy measures will not only fail to counter the pandemic, but also undermine China’s economy as well as global economic recovery. What is the comment of the Chinese side?

Embassy Spokesperson: The reports you mentioned ignore the significant achievements China has made in coordinating its Covid response and economic and social development and China’s contribution to the stability of global industrial and supply chains, and distort and smear its Covid response policy. We firmly oppose their wanton accusations against China.

Different countries have different national conditions and face different Covid situations. The Chinese government respects the response policies adopted by other countries according to their national realities, and in the meantime, formulates and implements its Covid policy in light of its own conditions.

We are firmly committed to the principle of putting the people and their lives above all else, the general strategy of “preventing both imported cases and domestic resurgences”, and the dynamic zero-Covid policy.

The principle of putting the people and their lives above all else fulfills the solemn promise the Communist Party of China has made to the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people. It is the one constant in the country’s Covid responses as well. We have spared no efforts in protecting the safety and health of the people. From new-born babies to 100-year-old elderly, not a single infection case will be left behind and no patient will be abandoned. In the past three years, the Chinese government has made dynamic adjustments to its response measures in light of frequent changes and developments in virus mutations and outbreaks. Putting people and their lives above all else has always been the principle underlining all these adjustments. It is by following this principle that China has kept its Covid fatality and hospitalisation rates far below the global average, and protected public health and safety to the greatest extent possible.

The general approach of preventing both imported cases and domestic resurgences suits China’s national realities and has proved to be effective in practice. With the fast spread of the Omicron variant, our neighbouring countries and regions have seen a notable rise in cases. We are still facing the risks of imported cases and domestic resurgences, and it is critical for us to strengthen defence against the risks both at the border and in the country. Faced with constant virus mutations, we are working to guard against the import of cases, and in the meantime, taking more resolute measures to stem the spread of outbreaks at home as quickly as possible.

The dynamic zero-Covid policy is based on science and the country’s conditions. “Dynamic” means that China does not seek absolute zero infection. “Zero” means that cases detected will be swiftly tackled to prevent large-scale resurgences. The dynamic zero-Covid policy which emphasises quick response and targeted measures holds the key to China’s success in containing the virus.

As a populous country, China has 267 million people aged over 60 and more than 250 million children. There are imbalances in regional development, and medical resources are insufficient to cope with large outbreaks. Given repeated emergence of cases, any relaxation in prevention or treatment will pose serious threats to the health of large number of people with underlying health conditions, the elderly and children. Only by early detection and treatment, and measures with increased precision can we best protect public safety and health, and minimise Covid’s impact on the economy and society.

China’s firm commitment to the principle of putting the people and their lives above all else, the general strategy of “preventing both imported cases and domestic resurgences”, and the dynamic zero-Covid policy has been made after rigorous studies of outbreaks in the country and globally. They have been proved repeatedly to be the right choice by China’s practice in the past three years. And they are tested to be effective and suited to China’s national conditions, and well received by the vast majority of Chinese people.

In light of the new features of virus mutation and new changes in the Covid situation, the National Health Commission of China has underscored the importance of quick response and well-targeted and highly efficient measures, and of adhering to the ninth edition of China’s Covid response protocols. Twenty specific measures have been rolled out to further optimise the country’s response. This shows that China’s Covid policy is based on science and responsive to new developments.

From the perspective of results, China’s Covid response has been the most cost-efficient and effective.

First, the health and safety of more than 1.4 billion Chinese people are safeguarded effectively. China has the world’s lowest infection and fatality rates. According to Our World in Data, the Covid infection rate in China is 1,014 per million people, while in the US and the UK, it is 291,361 and 360,908 per million respectively. According to the BBC, the fatality rate is three per million people in China, and 3,000 and 2,400 per million in the US and UK respectively. In spite of the challenges from Covid, China has seen steady growth in people’s average life expectancy over the past two years, registering an annual increase of 0.63 years to 77.93 years in 2020 and further growth to 78.2 years in 2021.

Second, China has made major achievements in coordinating its Covid response with economic and social development. It was the only major economy in the world to have reported positive growth in 2020. The country’s share of global economic output exceeded 18% in 2021. When many economies are facing recession risks, China’s GDP rose by 3.9 per cent in the third quarter of this year, and the growth in the first three quarters of this year was 3 per cent. In the first eight months of this year, China attracted over 20 per cent more foreign investment compared with last year, and its imports and exports grew by 10.1 per cent year on year. China’s economy will remain on a positive trajectory over the long run, and this will provide sustained impetus to the stability of global industrial and supply chains and to global economic recovery.

These facts and data fully reflect China’s strong capabilities in epidemic prevention and control. They also speak volumes about the distinct advantages of the leadership of the Communist Party of China and systems of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

In face of the current complex and challenging Covid situation, China will stay determined and act more swiftly to deliver concrete results with more resolute and decisive measures, so as to preserve our hard-won achievements in Covid response.

China will continue to strengthen its response capabilities, make its Covid policy more science-based, targeted and effective, and reduce the time taken to contain outbreaks. At the same time, we will do our very best to provide services for people’s work and livelihoods, ensure that people's needs for medical treatment are well met, and increase care and assistance for the elderly, people with health conditions, the disabled and other special groups.

Recently, the Chinese government has released a work plan to ramp up vaccination among the elderly population, which involves accelerating vaccine uptake among people aged 80 and above and further increasing vaccination among people aged between 60 and 79.

Cities such as Beijing, Chongqing and Guangzhou have issued more targeted policies, including narrowing the scope of Covid risk areas to building units, prohibiting random expansion of groups subject to Covid testing, and limiting temporary lockdown time to no more than 24 hours.

Arrangements have been made to support the opening of supermarkets and e-commerce sites wherever possible, and the resumption of all courier services operation. Local governments have also implemented measures to make medical services more readily available to people living in risk areas, improve counselling services, and promote the resumption of production and other economic activities in an orderly fashion.

These efforts will minimise Covid’s impact on people’s lives, consolidate understanding, support and cooperation of the general public, and build up confidence in and strength for Covid response at the community level. China has full confidence in winning this battle against the pandemic on a regular basis.

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