Some Highlights of the White Paper “Fighting the COVID-19: China in Action”

Chen Fang and Chen Cong, People's Daily

Fighting the Epidemic：China in Action

Some Highlights of the White Paper “Fighting the COVID-19: China in Action”

Chen Fang and Chen Cong, People's Daily

China's State Council Information Office releases the White Paper "Fighting COVID-19: China in Action" and holds a press conference to give briefing on the white paper on June 7. The White Paper is an important document recording the arduous course of China's anti-epidemic campaign, with about 37,000 words, including forewords, text and afterword. The text is divided into four parts, I. China's Fight against the Epidemic: a Test of Fire, II. Well-Coordinated Prevention, Control and Treatment, III. Assembling a Powerful Force to Beat the Virus, and IV. Building a Global Community of Health for All.

The COVID-19 outbreak afflicts humanity the most extensively unseen in a century. As a serious crisis and a daunting challenge for the entire world, the pandemic poses a grave threat to human life and health. The White Paper points out that this is a war that humanity has to fight and win. Facing this unknown, unexpected, and devastating virus, China has launched a resolute battle to prevent and control its spread. The Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese Government have addressed the epidemic as a top priority, and taken swift action. General Secretary Xi Jinping has taken personal command, planned the response, overseen the general situation and acted decisively, pointing the way forward in the fight against the epidemic. This has boosted the Chinese people’s confidence and pooled their strength.

The arduous course of China's anti-epidemic campaign is unprecedented, and worth an eternal remembrance. The White Paper stresses that The COVID-19 epidemic is a major public health emergency. The virus has spread faster and wider than any others since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, and has proven to be the most difficult to contain. It is both a crisis and a major test for China. The epidemic outbreak happened around China’s Spring Festival (a week-long holiday), with a routine large flow of people, the situation of epidemic prevention and control was extremely severe and complex. This unexpected virus attack led to a run on medical resources in Hubei Province and Wuhan city, and outbound traffic from Wuhan City closed down. The 60 million people were under great pressure physically and mentally, and there was a huge demand for epidemic prevention and control, medical treatment and daily necessities, the economy was facing a downturn as the quarantine measures were taken across the country. In the face of complex situations and severe challenges, under the leadership of the CPC, the Chinese people bravely fought against the epidemic, paid a huge price and sacrifice, achieved a decisive victory in the battle to defend Hubei province and its capital city Wuhan, and made major strategic achievements in the prevention and control of the epidemic. The arduous course of China's anti-epidemic campaign is a common memory of the 1.4 billion Chinese people, which will be forever remembered by the Chinese nation.

China's anti-epidemic struggles fully demonstrate the brilliant leadership and scientific decision of the CPC with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core. The White Paper emphasizes that the CPC and the Chinese Government have set the treatment and control of the epidemic outbreak as a top priority, and taken swift actions. General Secretary Xi Jinping oversees the general situation and acts decisively, and commands to launch an all-out people’s war against the epidemic. Faced with the serious threat of the rapid spread of the epidemic in Hubei and Wuhan, General Secretary Xi Jinping timely makes critical decisions on the close-down of Hubei province and Wuhan city. Having comprehensively strengthened the centralized and unified leadership of the epidemic prevention work, he chaired a dozen important meetings by the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee repeatedly, took inspection tours to Beijing, Wuhan and other places to investigate and get first-hand knowledge, put forward the major principles, overall requirements and major principles for prevention and control of the epidemic, and put forth major principles for the prevention and control of the epidemic and economic and social development as well as for routine epidemic prevention and control. General Secretary Xi Jinping has taken personal command, and planned the response, which has bolstered the Chinese people’s confidence and rallied their strength, pointing the way forward in the fight against the epidemic,

China’s State Council Information Office releases the white paper Fighting COVID-19: China in Action on June 7, 2020.

Facing the sudden onslaught of a previously unknown virus, China has put the people’s interests first – nothing is more precious than people’s lives. The White Paper points out that China has rapidly mobilized the manpower and resources of the whole nation and done everything possible to protect the lives and health of its people. A high-efficient commanding system is established to coordinate prevention and control and clinical treatment, to ensure no single case to be left out, to adopt measures to put four categories of people – confirmed cases, suspected cases, febrile patients who might be carriers, and close contacts – under classified management in designated facilities, and to implement a policy that all those in need are tested, isolated, hospitalized or treated. The most outstanding medical staff, the most advanced equipments and the most indispensible resources are mobilized to treat those serious cases, and to maximize the hospitalized rate and cure rate. By 31 May 2020, the accumulated cure rate reached 94.35%.

China’s anti-epidemic struggles highlight its governance capacity and national comprehensive strength. The White Paper points forth that after the COVID-19 outbreak, the whole country was mobilized to support Hubei province and Wuhan city in their efforts to battle against the pandemic. In the ensuing period, a total of 346 medical teams composed of 42,600 medical workers and 965 public health workers from across the country and the armed forces were dispatched to Hubei and Wuhan. In order to guarantee medical supplies, enterprises in medical sector are on full production and capable factories conveyed their production to medical products immediately. All-out efforts are made to assure supplies of daily necessities to Hubei and Wuhan, and dozen million tons of epidemic prevention and control materials and daily necessities were transported to Wuhan and Hubei from across the country via railway, highway, waterway, civil aviation, and express postal services after the close down of the Wuhan city.

All citizens share a responsibility for the fate of their country. The White Paper says that the 1.4 billion Chinese people, irrespective of their gender, age, and occupation, have plunged themselves into the battle against the epidemic. Resilient and united, they represent a formidable force in front of the pandemic. The people of Wuhan and Hubei province, having taken the overall interests into consideration, worked together heroically; senior medical staff requested to be sent to the front line in spite of their ages, community workers, primary and community-level officials, were sent to work in communities; police, and customs officers worked day and night to protect lives and public safety; couriers, sanitation workers, transport employees, media workers, express delivery people, volunteers, and many people from other sectors of society also devoted themselves to the fight against the epidemic, demonstrating two defining values of Chinese culture – solidarity and mutual assistance and the profound love of the Chinese people for their family and their country.

China has released information in an open and transparent manner as required by law. The White Paper points out that while making an all-out effort to contain the virus, China has also acted with a keen sense of responsibility to humanity, its people, posterity, and the international community. It has provided information on COVID-19 in a thoroughly professional and efficient way. It has released authoritative and detailed information as early as possible on a regular basis, thus effectively responding to public concern and building public consensus. In an open, transparent, and responsible manner and in accordance with law, China gives timely notification to the international community of the onset of a new coronavirus, and shared without reservation its experience in containing the spread of the virus and treating the infected, and has done all it can to provide humanitarian aid in support of the international community’s endeavors to stem the pandemic. Its R&D of reagents covers nucleic acid testing, gene testing, and immunological testing.

China appreciates the understanding and support of the international community, which our people will always cherish. The White Paper stresses that the Chinese nation never forgets the help and generosity it receives, and always reciprocates with the same goodwill. Facing up the continuous spread of the pandemic across the world, China is now doing all it can in areas of cooperation and exchanges, sharing pandemic information and experience in controlling the disease, provision of some possible humanitarian aid within its capacity, etc. to support the international community in the fight against the novel coronavirus.

Unity and cooperation are most powerful weapon for the international community to overcome the pandemic. The White Paper emphasizes, currently, the novel coronavirus is still spreading and causing devastation all over the world, the international community will have to face even greater difficulties and challenges. Preventing and controlling the spread of the virus has become a fight for various countries to safeguard global public health, to secure the wellbeing of humanity, to maintain world prosperity, to work together and cooperate for mutual benefits and to build a global community of health for all. It is a fight that will determine the future of the human race, and we have no other choice but to overcome the pandemic. The international community must find resolve and forge unity. Solidarity means strength, and the world will win this battle.

Firefighters gather to prepare for disinfection works at the Wuhan Railway Station in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, March 24, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]

At the press conference on the White Paper “Fighting the COVID-19: China in Action” held by the State Council Information Office, a briefing was made by Xu Lin, Vice Minister of the Central Publicity Department and the Director of the State Council Information Office. He said this novel coronavirus outbreak is the most affected world-wide epidemic unseen in the past hundred years, and a serious crisis and severe test for the whole world. At present, the epidemic is still spreading around the world, and many precious lives are lost every day. We deplore those who are killed by the virus and died in the fight against the epidemic. We pay tribute to those who race against the time to save lives and contain the epidemic spreading, and we send best wishes to those who are unfortunately infected with the virus and undergoing treatment.

This war is the one between human and virus. In the face of this unknown, sudden and impetuous natural disaster, the CPC and the Chinese Government put people's life safety and health on priority, and resolutely adopt the most comprehensive, strictest and most thorough prevention and control measures. The people of the whole country worked together to overcome the difficulties, and real strategic achievements are made in the fight against epidemic prevention and control.

(Edited excerpts of the article in the People’s Daily, 8 June 2020)