By H.E. Ambassador Ma Jianchun
Covid-19 is a common challenge for all mankind. Over the past two years, countries around the world have been exploring ways to combat the pandemic based on their national realities. The Chinese government has been committed to the dynamic zero- Covid policy, adapted prevention and control protocols to the evolving situation and achieved major strategic outcomes in this battle.
Dynamic zero- Covid policy reflects the people-first philosophy
The Chinese government is committed to?the people-first and life-first philosophy, and always puts people’s life and health in the first place. According to an analysis published by The Lancet in March, global estimates of excess deaths indicate 18.2 million people may have died because of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the excess mortality rate estimated to be 120 deaths per 100,000 population globally, and 0.6 for China. According to a new model by scientists, China risks over 1.5 million Covid deaths if it drops the dynamic zero-Covid policy, with a large number of vulnerable populations such as the elderly, patients with underlying diseases, children and pregnant women facing the risks. In fact, the practice over the past two years has proven that the dynamic zero-Covid policy best fits China’s national realities and is best for defending the life and health of the Chinese people. It reflects the CPC’s purpose of “serving the people” and will stand the test of history.
Dynamic zero-Covid policy is supported by the Chinese people
China’s dynamic zero-Covid policy is not aimed at realizing zero infection, but rather at bringing Covid-19 under control at the minimum social cost in the shortest time possible so as to effectively protect the health, normal life and production of the 1.4 billion Chinese people to the maximum, which gains the understanding and support of the Chinese people. When cases were reported in Tianjin in January 2022, more than 10 million samples were taken within just 4.5 hours. Surgical lockdown was applied to the specific shops and residential building units concerned. With such kind of practice, China has accumulated a set of effective measures in pandemic prevention and control, which has not only kept the national rate of infections and mortality at the lowest level in the world, but also ensured the overwhelming majority of the Chinese population in most parts?of the country can enjoy normal life and production. At present, the global pandemic is still at a high level, the virus is still mutating, and there is still great uncertainty about the final result of the pandemic. So it’s far from the time to breathe a sigh of relief, on which the Chinese people have the broadest consensus. Regardless of the difficulties ahead, the Chinese government and people have the foundation, the conditions and the capability to achieve dynamic zero-Covid and have every confidence in winning this hard battle.
Dynamic zero-Covid policy boosts China’s economic development
To combat pandemic, any prevention and control measures will inevitably have a certain impact on the economy and society. but compared to the priceless and irreparable life, these costs are worthwhile and temporary. It is the pandemic and virus that are the culprits dragging down the economy, and only by controlling the pandemic as soon as possible can we guarantee the continued healthy development of the economy. China is the only major economy in the world to achieve positive growth in 2020, with GDP growth of 8.1% in 2021, a two-year average of 5.1% and 4.8% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2022. This trend has proven that the dynamic zero-Covid policy has balanced the relationship between pandemic prevention and control and economic development very well. It is thanks to the dynamic zero-Covid policy?that China has withstood the severest test in Covid-19 prevention and control since the battle to defend Wuhan and achieved effective results at the current stage, facilitating the resumption of production and the restoration of normal life.
Dynamic zero-Covid policy helps global solidarity against the pandemic
The pandemic has no national boundaries and the virus is the enemy of all mankind. China insists on the dynamic zero-Covid policy, which is not only responsible for the life and health of its own people, but also makes a great contribution to the global solidarity against the pandemic. China’s dynamic zero-Covid policy is equivalent to purchasing an insurance for the people to deal with uncertainties such as pandemic changes and virus mutations. Practice has proven that this policy not only protects the life and health of Chinese people and maintains the sustainable development of China’s economy, but also effectively avoids pandemic spillover to other countries and safeguards the security of the global supply chain, which is beneficial to both China and the world.
There is no one-size-fits-all template for the pandemic prevention and control policy. The Chinese government formulates and implements the dynamic zero-Covid policy based on its own national reality, which is aimed at controlling the pandemic as soon as possible and truly benefiting the people. Therefore, China will not waver in adhering to the dynamic zero-Covid policy and will surely make greater contributions to the global solidarity against the pandemic.
