China Declares Practical End(?) to COVID-19

On the 8th, COVID-19 Quarantine Merit Award Ceremony Held... Live Broadcast via CCTV and More
Release of 'Complete Records of China's COVID-19 Control,' Equivalent to Declaration of End of Pandemic

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] An 'award ceremony' for contributors to the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in China will be held on the 8th.

At the event, top Chinese officials including President Xi Jinping will make a full appearance to commend the efforts of those who contributed to COVID-19 prevention and control.

Chinese state media are also reporting on the '2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS)' taking place in Beijing until the 9th.

Amid escalating US-China tensions, this is analyzed as a calculated move to showcase China's resilience and project an image as a country leading the global economic recovery.

The People's Daily and Xinhua News Agency reported on the 7th that at 10 a.m. on the 8th, an award ceremony will be held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing with the attendance of President Xi and other top Chinese officials.

Awards will be given to individuals and organizations involved in nationwide COVID-19 control, outstanding Communist Party members nationwide, and advanced grassroots Party organizations. Chinese state media reported that President Xi will personally present these awards.

According to the People's Daily, major central news outlets' online platforms such as China Central Television (CCTV), People's Daily Online, China Central News Network, and China.com will broadcast the award ceremony live from 10 a.m. on that day.

On the front page of the People's Daily on the 7th, a detailed day-by-day report was published on the process of the Chinese government and people fighting COVID-19 since December last year.

Under the title "The Virus We Must Overcome Together, A Complete Record of China's COVID-19 Control," the article reads like one that could only be written after the end of an epidemic. From the article alone, it is almost as if China has declared the end of COVID-19. China has not reported any new confirmed cases on the mainland for three consecutive weeks.

Chinese state media including the People's Daily and Xinhua News Agency also gave significant coverage to the '2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS),' which opened on the afternoon of the 4th.

As one of China's three major expos, the Service Trade Fair is the first offline event held in Beijing since the outbreak of COVID-19. It is a demonstration of confidence in COVID-19 control and, in fact, an event to showcase China's economic power to the world.

In a video congratulatory speech, President Xi emphasized, "Let us jointly create an open and inclusive cooperative environment" and "We must create a win-win cooperation phase." He also said, "Although the sudden COVID-19 has hindered our gatherings for a while, it cannot stop the progress of service trade development, cooperation, and mutual prosperity actions," and stressed, "Let us unite our hearts, cooperate, join hands, and move forward together to welcome a more beautiful future."

Standing Committee member Han Zheng, who attended the opening ceremony, said, "China has a large domestic market of 1.4 billion people and is forming a new development structure of dual circulation between domestic and international markets," adding, "I hope all participants seize the new development opportunities in China."

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