BEIJING — In the current battle against the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), China has spared no efforts to protect its people and assume responsibility as a major country to contain its worldwide spread, setting a good example on tackling a major epidemic.
Confronting the sudden outbreak, China, under the strong leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping, has promptly established a nationwide prevention and control system and launched a people’s war against the virus.
The Chinese government also immediately set up a nationwide mechanism to mobilize resources.
In a very short time, medical teams, supplies, donations, and funds were all rushed into Hubei province, the epicenter, to control the situation.
Tens of thousands of medical workers from across the country joined the battle. Provincial-level regions paired up with cities of Hubei to provide aid.
To cope with a surging number of patients, workers built the specialty hospitals in record speed. Factories run around the clock to produce the badly needed masks, medical protective suits, and other control materials.
Meanwhile, researchers race against time to work on drugs, therapies, and vaccines. Community-based efforts effectively control the spread.
The unprecedented high speed, strong mobilization capability and massive scale of China’s moves fully demonstrate its unique institutional advantages.
The Chinese government vowed to leave no patient unattended and has taken the most comprehensive, stringent and thorough prevention and control measures, many of which are well beyond what is required by the International Health Regulations and Recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO).
China’s arduous efforts have paid off as the situation is changing for the better, with the number of newly diagnosed cases continuing to decline. The treatment plan has continuously improved and cure rate has significantly improved.
Fighting on the front lines, China is not just acting for the sake of its own people, but for people across the world.
China has wasted no time in identifying the pathogen and sharing the full gene sequence of the novel coronavirus with the WHO, earning valuable time for the world.
Meanwhile, the Chinese government is also communicating in a highly transparent manner via means like daily press briefings and sharing information with governments of other countries.
Its swift and decisive actions, as well as its commitment to transparency and cooperation, have won worldwide appreciation.
While declaring the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO, stressed that "the speed with which China detected the outbreak, isolated the virus, sequenced the genome and shared it with WHO and the world are very impressive, and beyond words".
"If it weren't for China's efforts, the number of cases outside China would have been very much higher," the WHO chief added, noting that China is actually setting a new standard for outbreak response in many ways.
Viruses know no borders. In the era of globalization, countries must work together to face a common adversary at this crucial time in order to win victory at an early date.
