After three years of extraordinary experience in fighting pandemic, China has achieved a decisive victory in Covid-19 prevention. President Xi Jinping pointed out that culture is an important source of strength to overcome various risks and challenges on the way forward. China’s ability to create a miracle in which a large population country successfully emerged from the pandemic, and when the entire party and people united to fight the pandemic, cannot be separated from the strong spiritual strength in Chinese culture.

Tenacity and indomitability

The Covid-19 suddenly broke out, and the Chinese people bravely faced unprecedented difficulties and challenges: The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi as its core has made scientific decisions and unified command; medical and health teams have made every effort to fight the disease; party members and cadres have taken their responsibility, and the grassroots people have joined forces to fight the epidemic. Chinese people have successfully responded to the world’s most serious pandemic in the past century and a major public health emergency since the founding of the PRC.

From emergency response to regular control to comprehensive prevention, from the battle to defend Wuhan, Hubei to Shanghai, each struggle is breathtaking, and every victory is fraught with hardships. All the people worked together with tenacious spirits, and successfully defeated the pandemic.

Responsibility and mission

The sense of responsibility and mission of the Chinese people has been fully demonstrated in three years of extraordinary anti-pandemic efforts. The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi as the core have responded to extraordinary events with extraordinary actions; all levels of Party committees and governments and all aspects of the country’s rural areas, communities, enterprises, medical and health institutions, scientific research institutions, schools, and military camps have taken action upon hearing orders; grassroots party organisations rushed forward, and party members and cadres were taking the lead.

The sense of responsibility and mission of Chinese people is also reflected in their extreme emphasis on the people and their lives. President Xi pointed out that protecting people’s life and health would be done at all costs. This is China’s steadfast adherence to epidemic prevention and control for over three years. It mobilises and leads group actions, and demonstrates and drives individual actions, forming a strong joint force of the national unity.

Solidarity and mutual assistance

At the critical moment of Covid-19 outbreak, hopes of mutual assistance were quickly ignited across the country. In the battle to defend Wuhan, more than 340 medical teams and over 42,000 medical staff rushed to the frontline overnight. Nineteen provinces had divided responsibilities, clarified tasks, and provided targeted support to areas with severe epidemic situations, putting in all their strength with the determination to win. Mutual assistance is also a virtue of coexistence between countries, and China is doing its best to help countries combat the pandemic.

The Chinese government has provided hundreds of billions of anti-pandemic materials to 153 countries and 15 international organisations, sent 37 anti-pandemic medical expert teams to 34 countries, and supplied more than 2.2 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccine to more than 120 countries and international organisations. In the most challenging stage of global pandemic prevention, China has provided a large amount of pandemic prevention materials to the world and made important contributions to the global pandemic prevention.

Resolution and courage

Over the past three years, China has protected the safety and physical health of its people to the greatest extent possible, efficiently coordinated epidemic prevention and control and economic and social development. Faced with the triple pressures of demand contraction, supply shock, and weakening expectations, the Chinese economy has stabilised the market, withstood the pressure, continuously overcome difficulties, and embarked on a path of efficient and coordinated epidemic prevention and control as well as economic and social development.

From 2020 to 2022, the average annual growth rate of the Chinese economy was about 4.5 percent, far higher than the average annual growth rate of the world economy of about 1.8 percent, and also far higher than the average annual growth rate of the US, the Eurozone, and Japan. The grain output has exceeded 650 billion kilograms for consecutive years, and the annual employment increase in urban areas has remained above 11 million. In 2022, the consumer price index only rose by 2 percent against the backdrop of high world inflation. Multiple international organisations have expressed optimism about China’s economic growth prospects, believing that China is expected to become the engine of world economic growth in 2023.

Over the past three years, from accelerating the new development pattern to building a modern economic system, from promoting coordinated development between urban and rural areas and between different regions to further deepening reform and opening up, China has always firmly anchored the goal of high-quality development, prevented the epidemic, stabilised the economy, and maintained security, showing the world China’s steadfast determination.

After three years of hard work and refinement in epidemic prevention and control, the Chinese people have become even stronger in their determination to move forward bravely. They will respond to the risks and challenges with a more uplifted spirit, and promote China’s economic and social development to constantly reach new heights. China will also join hands with people all around the world to address various global challenges, promote global development, and create a better tomorrow for humanity.