Xi Jinping Chairs Three COVID-19 Response Meetings in a Month... "There Are Achievements"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Park Sun-mi] Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized the positive effects of the government's outbreak control efforts during a COVID-19 response meeting.

According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency on the 13th, President Xi held a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party Central Committee the day before to discuss COVID-19 countermeasures. President Xi presided over three meetings within a month: on January 25 during the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) holiday, on February 3, and the day before.

At this meeting, President Xi stressed that positive effects have appeared in controlling the COVID-19 outbreak. He said, "Through arduous efforts, changes have appeared in the spread of COVID-19. The prevention and control work has been effective. This is not an easy achievement, and the contributions of various sectors have been significant."

He added, "We have now reached the most difficult and critical phase in epidemic prevention and control," urging, "We must not relax but carry out key epidemic prevention tasks well, especially strengthening epidemic prevention activities in areas where outbreaks are severe or risks are high."

President Xi emphasized during the meeting that it is a time to increase the cure and discharge rates of infected patients, reduce infection and mortality rates, and devote full efforts to epidemic prevention activities. He also urged strengthening the supply guarantee of medical materials and encouraging enterprises to resume production.

Notably, President Xi mentioned during the COVID-19 response meeting that "this year is the final year for building a comprehensive Xiaokang society and the '13th Five-Year Plan' of China," urging that "the Party and government must strive to minimize the impact of COVID-19, maintain economic and social stability, and achieve the goals set by the Party Central Committee."

This appeal indicates that President Xi still adheres to the goal of doubling China's domestic gross product (GDP) size in 2020 compared to 2010, revealing the determination to maintain at least a 5.6% economic growth rate this year despite the economic impact caused by COVID-19.

Meanwhile, at the State Council Standing Committee meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on the same day, it was discussed that great attention will be paid to employment issues considering corporate bankruptcies and production stoppages due to the spread of COVID-19, and efforts will be made to prevent large-scale layoffs. The State Council Standing Committee decided to focus on COVID-19 prevention while sequentially promoting the normal resumption of enterprises. Additionally, to resolve the management difficulties of private and small-to-medium enterprises, measures such as lowering loan interest rates, tax reductions, and rent reductions will be promoted, and economic stimulus will be pursued through early commencement and construction of major projects.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.