For the past nearly three years, President Xi Jinping has been leading China in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
Xinhua reporters recount some key moments and stories of how Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, led the country through its most challenging moments Is. Towards victory
Sleepless nights
In early 2020, Hubei province in central China bore the brunt of the epidemic. The provincial capital Wuhan was particularly hard hit.
On the eve of the Lunar New Year, the most important holiday for the Chinese people, Xi had a sleepless night, clouded by COVID-19 festivities.
The next day, January 25, Xi convened a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Epidemic Control. He told his six colleagues on the Standing Committee that the situation was serious and that they needed to study the issue together. Xi said, “I couldn’t sleep well on Lunar New Year’s Eve.”
“Let’s not shake hands”
On February 10, 2020, as the cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Beijing reached 342, Xi visited a residential community, a hospital, and a district center for disease prevention and control, wearing a mask.
They extended their wrists to check their body temperature as they entered each venue. Xi chatted with residents in a street and asked them about the prices of vegetables.
Xi said, “Let’s not shake hands at this unusual time.” “We must believe that we can overcome the pandemic.”
“We can absolutely beat it,” the residents replied.
Always concerned about the people of Wuhan
On March 10, 2020, Xi visited a residential community in Wuhan. That day, the daily number of new confirmed cases on the mainland dropped to 24, but Wuhan still had 14,514 COVID-19 patients. The task of prevention has been difficult.
Walking between apartment blocks, Xi looked up and waved to residents under lockdown, who stuck their heads out of their windows and balconies to greet him.
“Let’s keep it going! Wait a little longer!” Xi said.
Speaking at a symposium in Wuhan, he made a special request to the authorities to supply more fish, a favorite food of the people of Wuhan.
“I’m really impressed”
In May 2020, at the annual session of the National People’s Congress, Xi spoke about an interview with a local hospital president that impressed him.
Luo Jie, a national lawmaker from badly affected Hubei, told reporters how medical workers at his hospital saved an 87-year-old COVID-19 patient in 47 days.
Shea said, “So many people worked together to save one patient. It is, in short, the epitome of doing whatever it takes (to save a life).” “I’m really impressed.”
“Most Beautiful Angels”
In March 2020, Xi praised medical personnel as “the most beautiful angels” when he inspected the command center of Houshenshan Hospital in virus-hit Wuhan.
Xi said that after the outbreak of the epidemic, medical personnel, including military medical personnel, rushed to Hubei and Wuhan without hesitation and made important contributions to contain the epidemic.
Coordinating Epidemic Control with Economic Development
Xi has been stressing the need to balance epidemic control and economic development for years.
On March 29, 2020, Xi visited the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port when he inspected coastal Zhejiang province, whose production had returned to normal levels due to timely measures adopted to resume operations.
He called for efforts to blunt the adverse impact on cargo shipping brought about by the restrictive measures adopted by various countries to fight the coronavirus. He also urged for facilitation for smooth trade flow of the country.
During the pandemic, he traveled to many places, including Zhejiang, Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces, to oversee the resumption of production and poverty reduction.
In 2020, China was one of the first countries in the world to resume work and reopen schools and businesses. In 2021, China is set to register the fastest GDP growth rate of 8.1 per cent among the world’s major economies.
honoring heroes
A national meeting honoring heroes in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, September 8, 2020.
“Are you okay?” After taking a photo with the honoree, Xi stood up and greeted 84-year-old epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan.
“Great!” Zhong said, expressing his willingness to continue working on the front lines to combat respiratory diseases and deal with public health emergencies.
Zhong was among those who were personally awarded the Medal of the Republic or the title of People’s Hero by Xi for providing meritorious service and making outstanding contributions to the COVID-19 fight.
a series of leadership meetings
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Xi has chaired more than 30 meetings of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee or the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee to discuss virus response measures.
Under Xi’s leadership, the country became increasingly proactive and took numerous prevention measures according to different epidemic situations. This made it possible for China to stop the spread of the virus and to a large extent protect the life and health of the Chinese people.
Gold Medal for China’s COVID-19 Response
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc across the world, China has come under global spotlight with the fruitful results of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
Under Xi’s leadership, China has delivered on its promise to provide the world with an orderly, safe and spectacular sporting event.
At an appreciation meeting for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, Xi said China’s COVID-19 response policy has once again passed the test, prompting the world to fight the virus and host major international events. Contributed useful experience.
Xi said, “As some foreign athletes said, if there was a gold medal for its response to the epidemic, China deserves it. I would say this gold medal belongs to all the staff involved in hosting the Games.”
Contribution to global public health
In the tough fight against the virus, China is committed to safeguarding people’s life and health. Meanwhile, it has taken due responsibility for the public health of the international community.
Under Xi’s leadership, China launched the country’s largest global emergency humanitarian aid since 1949. It sent medical experts and anti-virus material around the world. It provided more than 2.2 billion doses of vaccines to more than 120 countries and international organizations.
Meeting with Xi in Beijing in February 2022, then Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed his gratitude to the Chinese side for helping his country fight COVID-19. “The vaccines introduced by China have not only saved our people but also our economy,” he said. (Xinhua)