Speech at a National Meeting Honoring Heroes of the Fight against the Covid-19 Epidemic

2020-12-26 17:12:15

Speech at a National Meeting Honoring Heroes of the Fight against

 the Covid-19 Epidemic

September 8, 2020

Comrades and friends,

Over the past eight months, our Party has united and led the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in fighting a fierce battle against Covid-19, and we have made it through an extraordinary test of historic significance. Through our enormous efforts, we have achieved major strategic success in fighting the virus and brought about a remarkable feat in humanity’s age-old struggle against disease.

Today, we are gathered at this solemn ceremony to award the medal of the Republic and national honorary titles to people who have rendered meritorious service and made outstanding contributions in the fight against Covid-19, to recognize individuals and groups that have played an exemplary role in this fight, and to carry forward the great spirit that we have forged throughout. This will spur us to work tirelessly toward securing a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and great success for socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

On behalf of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the State Council, and the Central Military Commission, I would like to pay high tribute to the exemplary individuals and groups honored today, and to all those who have contributed greatly to China’s epidemic response, including medical workers, disease control personnel, members of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), members of the People’s Armed Police Force, scientists and technicians, community workers, public security officers, first responders, journalists, employees of enterprises and public institutions, construction workers, government officials sent to work in communities, volunteers, and the many members of the public who have participated in the response. I express great respect to all Party members and officials working in enterprises, public institutions, and Party and government organizations at all levels. I would like to express sincere gratitude to other political parties, public figures without party affiliation, business federations, people’s organizations, and all sectors of society who have actively participated in the response, as well as to our compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, and members of overseas Chinese communities who have provided enthusiastic support and assistance.

Throughout our fight against Covid-19, many leaders, governments, political parties, and social organizations of foreign countries and their embassies in China, United Nations agencies, regional organizations and international institutions, foreign invested enterprises, and friends of China from around the world have extended their best wishes to the Chinese people and provided invaluable support to us through various means. On behalf of the Chinese government and the Chinese people, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to them.

Even as we meet here today, the virus is still wreaking havoc around the world. The Chinese people are pained by the suffering it has caused the people of other nations, and we mourn those whose lives it has taken. We offer our deepest respect to the people who are racing against the clock to fight the virus and save lives, and our best wishes for early recovery to all those infected who are undergoing treatment.

I would like to take a moment to mourn the loss of the heroes who gave their lives to fight the virus, and our fellow countrymen and women whose lives it has taken. Our thoughts are with them.

Comrades and friends,

Covid-19 is the most serious pandemic the world has experienced in a century, and the fastest spreading, most extensive, and most challenging public health emergency that China has encountered since the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949.

The virus took us all by surprise with its sudden and aggressive onset, posing a serious threat to the people’s health and safety. With a commitment to protecting the people and putting human life above all else, we raced against the clock with courage and determination and launched an all-out people’s war against the virus. In just over a month’s time, we largely contained the spread of the virus in China. In roughly two months’ time, we reduced the daily number of new local cases to the single digits. And in around three months’ time, we achieved decisive results in our efforts to protect the city of Wuhan and Hubei Province. After that, we stemmed a number of local outbreaks, thus achieving major strategic success in the nationwide fight against Covid-19.

Building on these efforts, we have coordinated our response with economic and social development, losing no time to get work and life back to normal and scoring notable results in this regard. This struggle against the epidemic epitomizes the spirit, strength, and sense of responsibility of the Chinese nation.

—In the face of this sudden and severe epidemic, the central Party leadership practiced decisive decision-making with the overall national interest in mind, and adopted extraordinary measures to tackle this extraordinary emergency.

We put the health and safety of the people before all else, and immediately exercised centralized, unified leadership. The Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and its Standing Committee held 21 meetings on epidemic response. We mobilized all sectors of society and all localities across the country in the nationwide fight, called for confidence, unity, and a science-based and targeted response, and set the overall objectives of curbing the spread of the virus and winning a decisive victory against the epidemic. We made meticulous plans for protecting Wuhan and Hubei and adopted major strategies in light of the evolving situation.

We set up a central leading group for coordinating the epidemic response, sent a central guidance team to Hubei, and established an interdepartmental task force under the State Council. In prevention and control, we set the requirement to detect, report, isolate, and treat cases as early as possible. With regard to treatment, we set the requirement to treat patients at designated facilities where the best doctors and medical resources are concentrated. Raising hospital admission and recovery rates and bringing down the infection and mortality rates were our top priority.

We made every effort to treat every patient, and saw to it that not a single infected person was overlooked. An integrated approach applying both traditional Chinese and Western medicine was adopted, and all treatment-related costs were borne by the state. As a result, we raised the recovery rate and lowered the mortality rate to the greatest extent possible. We paid close attention to coordinating scientific research with clinical treatment and prevention and control, speedily developed nucleic acid testing kits, and accelerated the selection of effective medicines and the development of vaccines, thus fully leveraging the role of science and technology in supporting our epidemic response.

We rapidly put in place nationwide information-sharing mechanisms and released epidemic information in an accurate and transparent manner. We maintained constant concern for Chinese nationals overseas, and did everything possible to protect their health and safety. Health kits were sent to Chinese students studying abroad and other Chinese groups, and assistance was provided to Chinese citizens that needed to return home.

As the situation evolved, we adjusted our strategy to preventing imported cases and a domestic resurgence, and shifted the focus of our response from emergency action to routine containment. We have developed routine mechanisms for rapidly detecting and handling cases, taking targeted measures to suppress resurgence, and providing effective treatment.

Party committees and governments at all levels, government departments, institutions, as well as all social sectors across the country immediately sprang into action when called upon, and villages, communities, enterprises, medical institutions, research institutes, schools, and military units nationwide all played their respective roles.

Under the firm leadership of the central Party leadership, the whole nation was quickly mobilized and multiple containment measures were taken. This made it possible for us to curb the spread of the virus and blunt its menacing advance, thus protecting the health and safety of the people to the greatest possible extent.

—In the face of this sudden and severe epidemic, the Chinese people have pulled together and put up solid lines of defense against the virus.

Wuhan and Hubei were the main battlefields in the fight to curb the spread of the epidemic. Victory in Wuhan was the key to victory in Hubei, which was in turn the key to victory nationwide. In this time of need, people across the country were eager to help. Mobilizing the entire nation, we launched an unprecedented life-saving effort.

In just over 10 days, we built the Huoshenshan and Leishenshan hospitals from the ground up. We speedily converted 16 venues into temporary hospitals and set up more than 600 quarantine centers. Assistance was provided by 19 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government to 16 cities and prefectures in Hubei other than Wuhan. The best doctors and nurses, the most urgently needed supplies, and the most advanced equipment were rushed to Wuhan and Hubei from afar. Thanks to these efforts, we were able to overcome shortages of medical resources and supplies within the shortest possible time frame.

People from all sectors stepped up to the plate. State-owned enterprises and public hospitals led the charge; over 4.6 million primary-level Party organizations took to the fore, and more than 4 million community workers kept watch around the clock in 650,000 urban and rural communities across the country. Private businesses and hospitals, charities, nursing homes, and welfare institutions pitched in; countless Party members and officials led by example; and members of the PLA and the Armed Police Force and public security officers fought bravely on the front lines. Scientists conducted research on treatment, several million delivery workers provided vital services, over 1.8 million sanitation workers worked from dawn into the night, and journalists covered response efforts on the front lines. In addition to these, there were hundreds of thousands more volunteers and ordinary people that were the quiet heroes of this nationwide effort.

The entire nation was rooting for Wuhan. People hoped that the city would recover soon, and looked forward to visiting the city in the spring to see the cherry blossoms. Covid-19 patients in Wuhan were deeply moved, and pledged to donate blood after their recovery. All across our vast nation, there was resounding confidence that Wuhan would prevail, Hubei would prevail, and China would prevail.

Putting the national interest above their own interests, the people of Wuhan and Hubei confronted danger head-on and fought tenaciously. Thanks to their great dedication and enormous sacrifices, we were able to stem the spread of the virus and turn the tide in the nationwide fight against the epidemic.

—In the face of this sudden and severe epidemic, medical workers across the country went to battle like warriors clad in white armor, risking their own lives to save the lives of others.

The millions of medical workers who fought on the front lines were like beacons of hope cutting through the darkness of the virus’s devastation, and our entire nation was moved by their valiant efforts to save lives. In Wuhan and Hubei, 540,000 local medical workers led the charge and fought toe-to-toe with the virus. A total of 346 medical teams with over 40,000 members sent by the central government rushed to the front lines, with many whisking away from Chinese New Year celebrations with their families. With their duty firmly in mind, military medical workers immediately answered the call to action, and gave their all to vanquish the virus.

Driven by their devotion to the people and reverence for life, China’s medical workers made every second count as they raced against the clock, even as they pushed their physical and mental limits. Many of their faces were covered in marks and blisters from tight-fitting masks, and many found that their hands would turn white from being drenched in sweat for long periods. Some even gave their lives in the line of duty. With their blood, sweat, and tears, our medical workers built an ironclad wall against the virus, and pulled one person after another back from the brink of death. By doing so, they demonstrated the boundless love and compassion of members of the medical profession.

China’s medical workers are people with an extraordinary sense of duty. Dr. Zhang Dingyu, who suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis said, “I have to be faster so that we can save more patients from the clutches of this virus.” Our medical workers are also extraordinarily humble. Dr. Zhong Nanshan said, “I am just a doctor who treats patients.” But the people saw them as a comforting presence and trusted their lives to them. These medical workers are our guardian angels, and the people most worthy of our respect in the new era. Their names and deeds will go down through history, forever inscribed in the annals of the People’s Republic, never to be forgotten by our country or our people.

—In the face of this sudden and severe epidemic, we have worked to make coordinated advances on all fronts, steadily promoting an economic rebound and getting work and life back to normal.

While keeping a close eye on how the epidemic situation developed, we also focused on the big picture, and made the timely and important decision to coordinate the Covid-19 response with economic and social development. We adopted law- and science-based containment measures and took a targeted approach to resume work and production in a phased way tailored to different localities, and we did everything we could to ensure people’s livelihoods.

We strengthened macroeconomic regulation, took solid steps to ensure stability on six fronts and fully executed tasks for maintaining security in six areas.  We adopted a series of policies to provide relief to struggling businesses, and launched multiple measures to boost employment on a priority basis, spur investment and consumption, and stabilize foreign trade, inbound investment, and industrial and supply chains. We encouraged the growth of new forms of business, and pushed forward the orderly resumption of business in the transportation, food and beverage, retail, and cultural and tourism sectors. We implemented a package of policy measures to support development in Hubei. Schools are reopening in a staggered fashion.

We have intensified the fight against poverty with even greater resolve. We have provided support for businesses involved in poverty alleviation to resume operations, given poor people priority assistance in finding jobs, and worked hard to prevent people from lapsing or relapsing into poverty as a result of the epidemic.

Thanks to these efforts, China has become the first major economy to resume growth since the start of the outbreak, leading the world in both epidemic response and economic recovery. This is a reflection of China’s resilience and vitality.

—In the face of this sudden and severe epidemic, China has worked with other countries to get through this difficult time and contributed China’s knowledge and strength to the global fight against Covid-19.

We have acted in an open, transparent, and responsible manner and actively fulfilled our international obligations. We reported the outbreak to the World Health Organization (WHO), relevant countries, and regional organizations as early as possible, released the genome sequence of the virus to the world as soon as it was determined, and promptly shared China’s diagnostic and therapeutic protocols and containment measures. We have organized over 70 seminars on Covid-19 response with experts from other countries and international and regional organizations, set up an online Covid-19 knowledge center open to all, and unreservedly shared our experience in prevention, control, and treatment with others.

Even under immense pressure in domestic epidemic response, China has done its best to provide assistance to the international community. China has pledged a US$50 million cash donation to the WHO to be delivered in two batches, dispatched 34 teams of medical experts to 32 countries, sent 283 shipments of medical supplies to 150 countries and 4 international organizations, and provided and exported epidemic control supplies to over 200 countries and regions. Between March 15 and September 6, China exported a total of 151.5 billion face masks, 1.4 billion protective gowns, 230 million pairs of protective goggles, 209,000 ventilators, 470 million testing kits, and 80.14 million thermometers. All this has provided powerful support for the global response to Covid-19. China has called for jointly building a global health community and put forward a number of proposals on international aid and vaccine use. Through these efforts, China has helped save countless lives around the world, and demonstrated its commitment to building a human community with a shared future.

Comrades and friends,

The younger generation represents the hope of a country and nation. In the battle against Covid-19, our young people have moved us through their outstanding work. Nearly half of the medical workers fighting on the front line were born in the 1990s or 2000s. They said that it was the elder generation who protected them during the SARS epidemic in 2003, and now it was their turn to step up and help others. This declaration moved the whole nation. To the elder generation, the medical workers, those guardian angels in white, were just kids in different clothes. In this world, there is no such thing as heroes sent down from above; there are only ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Without fear of hardship or sacrifice, the younger generation has taken on enormous responsibilities. They have inspired us with their courage, and shown us that there is great hope for the Chinese nation. Let us all salute them for their dedication!

Comrades and friends,

The major strategic success we have achieved in the fight against Covid-19 is testament to the strength of the leadership of the Communist Party of China, our country’s socialist system, the Chinese people and the Chinese nation, our profound cultural heritage, and our sense of mission as a responsible major country. This success has significantly boosted the confidence, pride, unity, and solidarity of the entire Party and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups. It will inspire us to keep forging ahead through all obstacles on our journey in the new era.

Comrades and friends,

In the fierce battle against Covid-19, the Chinese people and Chinese nation have shown extraordinary mettle and fought courageously toward victory. While fighting the virus, we have forged a great spirit of putting life above all else, rallying the entire nation, braving danger, respecting science, and standing together through adversity.

—Putting life above all else embodies the Chinese people’s deep-rooted tradition of compassion and the people-centered philosophy of Chinese Communists.

As the ancient Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi said, “Compassion means loving and helping others.” Human compassion will prevail over the ruthless virus. Life is the most precious of all things, since we only live once; once lost, it can never be recovered. When lives are at stake, we must protect them at all costs, because the fundamental mission of our Party is to serve the people wholeheartedly, and because ours is a socialist country run by the people.

We took the decisive step to close outbound travel from Wuhan and Hubei, and put in place containment measures unprecedented in their stringency. This was a decision that required enormous political courage and responsibility for history, but we were prepared to do whatever it took to protect the lives of the people. From newborn babies just over 30 hours old to elderly people over the age of 100, and from international students to other foreign expatriates in the country, every life was fully protected; every life was valued and respected. All this best illustrates the people-centered governing philosophy of our Party, the moral outlook of Chinese culture that human life is invaluable, and the Chinese people’s reverence for life.

—Rallying the entire nation embodies the great strength of unity enabling us Chinese to stand together through thick and thin.

Despite the huge physical and mental stress caused by the mortal threat of the virus and long stretches of time spent under quarantine, our people refused to back down in the face of danger and risks. In their own ways, they bravely contributed to epidemic control, either rushing to the front lines or holding firm at their posts.

Our people across the country closed ranks with a single purpose in mind. We knew what was at stake: the wellbeing of every one of us, the honor of our communities, and the safety of our nation. Doctors and nurses in white coats, military personnel in green uniforms, police officers in blue gear, and volunteers in red vests all played their parts. Party members rushed to the epicenter, and their pledge to keep fighting until the virus was defeated has shown their loyalty to the Party and the people. The 1.4 billion Chinese stood together shoulder to shoulder, side by side, and illustrated an important truth: in unity there is strength.

—Braving danger embodies the indomitable will of the Chinese people to overcome whatever difficulties we encounter.

At the moment of crisis when Covid-19 struck, everyone responded heroically. People fighting the virus on various fronts put themselves in harm’s way and risked their lives to perform their duty and protected others with their own lives and compassion. Among them was a hospital director who gave up the chance to save himself so he could give patients hope for survival, a husband who could not give his wife the wedding he promised, and a mother who lost her life at her post saving others, never able to return home to her young child.

The Chinese have confronted the raging virus head-on, like explorers pushing into the mountains undaunted by the presence of stalking tigers, and together we have written a moving epic through this fight. The Chinese nation has gone through many trials and tribulations, but each time, we have emerged stronger. This is not because we have been rescued by one savior or another, but because hundreds of millions of ordinary Chinese have stepped up in the face of great calamity and bravely advanced forward.

—Respecting science embodies the Chinese character of being pragmatic and innovative.

Faced with a new and completely unknown infectious disease, we maintained a rational mindset and attitude, and followed the laws of science in all aspects and throughout the entire process of decision-making, treatment, research, and social governance. In the absence of proven, effective medicines, we used both Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine, and upgraded national diagnostic and treatment protocols eight times. We identified traditional Chinese and Western medicines and treatment methods that have proved effective in clinical treatment, and they have been adopted or used as reference by several countries.

All our efforts, from racing to build temporary hospitals to conducting vaccine research through multiple technical approaches, and from conducting nucleic acid testing on a massive scale, tracing infections with big data, and introducing health code verification to implementing differentiated response measures tailored to different localities and promoting the orderly resumption of work and production, have upheld our reverence for rational thinking, and equipped us with powerful scientific and technological tools to help us defeat the epidemic.

—Standing together through adversity embodies the Chinese people’s love for peace and commitment to looking out for others.

A noble cause is never a lonely pursuit; and compassion knows no borders. Guided by the vision that the world is one big family, China has not only fulfilled its responsibility to protect the health and safety of its people, but also strived to advance global public health. We launched the most wide-ranging and intense emergency humanitarian assistance campaign since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and have contributed to the global fight against Covid-19 on an ongoing basis. China has proved to be a responsible major country that honors its word, values friendship, and upholds justice, a country committed to pursuing a more harmonious world and building a human community with a shared future.

Just as inner strength is indispensable for people, it is also crucial for nations. Indeed, only with inner strength can a nation stand tall and firm while weathering the tide of history. The ability to overcome difficulties demands not only material strength but also tenacity and perseverance. The great spirit that we have forged in the battle against Covid-19 is deeply rooted in the character of the Chinese nation and our cultural DNA. It builds on patriotism, collectivism, and socialism, captures Chinese spirit, and enriches the ethos of both our nation and our time. We should promote this great spirit in our society and turn it into a powerful source of momentum for building a modern socialist country and realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Comrades and friends,

As an ancient Chinese adage goes, “To know the flavor of a thing, one must taste it; to know what lies ahead on a path, one must walk it.” In this great battle against the coronavirus, we have accumulated much important experience, and learned many profound lessons.

—The fight against Covid-19 has once again demonstrated that the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China is the pillar that the people can reliably lean upon when crisis strikes.

Our Party comes from the people and has its roots among them. Everything it does is for the people, and it relies on the people in everything it does. The Party has thus earned the wholehearted and unwavering support of the public, which provides a broad and solid foundation for its leadership and governance of the country.

When the virus struck, the central Party leadership immediately called on all Party members to rush to the front line, shoulder their responsibility, and keep the Party flag flying high on the front line of the fight against the virus. This fully demonstrated the sense of mission and strength of character of Chinese Communists. Throughout the fight, Party members across the country have kept the founding mission of our Party firmly in mind and lived up to their exemplary role. Over 25,000 outstanding individuals swore their oaths and joined the Party on the front lines.

It is thanks to the leadership of the Party and the support given to the Party by the people across the country that China has achieved the miracles of rapid economic growth and enduring social stability, something rarely seen elsewhere. It is thanks to such leadership and support that we have responded swiftly to emergencies such as floods, earthquakes, and the SARS epidemic and emerged victorious from the fight against the coronavirus. Our history and experiences have shown that as long as we uphold and strengthen the Party’s overall leadership, steadily enhance its ability to provide political leadership and theoretical guidance and to organize and inspire the people, and maintain close bonds between the Party and the people, we will be able to create powerful synergy that enables us to deal with all complex situations as well as risks and challenges.

—The fight against Covid-19 has once again demon-strated that the unyielding will of the Chinese people is the source of strength that enables us to overcome all obstacles and challenges as we move forward.

The hard time we have gone through has not only put us to the test, it has also tempered us and made us stronger. It is by acting in a spirit of facing all odds with tenacity and perseverance that we have been able to resist foreign aggression, fight to keep our country together when it was being torn apart, build the country up from a foundation of utter destitution, and move along with a changing world. This is why the Chinese nation now stands tall and proud among the nations of the world.

For centuries, the Chinese people have been known for our resilience, cohesiveness, tenacity, and creativity, and we are all proud to be called Chinese. Our history and experiences have shown that as long as we rely on the people, do everything with their interest in mind, and unleash their indomitable will and perseverance, we will be able to forge stronger unity and bring new glory to our nation.

—The fight against Covid-19 has once again demonstrated that the great strengths of China’s socialist system have made it possible for us to guard against risks, meet challenges, and enhance governance of our country.

An important criterion for judging the success and strength of a country’s system is whether or not it is able to mobilize the whole nation to respond to major risks and challenges. With China’s socialist system, we have great capacity to mobilize, coordinate, and take action, as well as a unique ability to pool strength behind major, difficult, and urgent undertakings. The fight against the virus is a vivid illustration of the strengths of China’s state system and governance system. Our history and experiences have shown that as long as we uphold and improve China’s socialist system, advance the modernization of China’s system and capacity for governance, and fully leverage the strengths of our system to respond to risks and challenges, we will be able to withstand the strain of the trials we face, turn challenges into opportunities, and emerge stronger time and time again.

—The fight against Covid-19 has once again demonstrated that the robust strength our country has built up since the founding of the People’s Republic is what gives us the confidence to navigate stormy seas with composure.

Over the years, China has built up solid material foundations, a complete system of industries, strong scientific and technological capabilities, and abundant reserves of medical resources, which have together underpinned our epidemic response. After the virus struck, we took swift action to mobilize people and supplies, intensify research, and boost capacity for transporting needed resources. At the height of the epidemic, much of China’s economic and social development was put on hold, but people’s lives were not greatly disrupted and society generally carried on as normal. This is, at the fundamental level, attributable to the composite national strength that China has built up since the founding of the People’s Republic, particularly since the launch of reform and opening up, and to China’s ability to fully leverage this strength in times of crisis.

Our history and experiences have shown that as long as we continue to unleash and develop productive forces, enhance our economic strength, scientific and technological capabilities, and composite national strength, give people a greater sense of fulfillment, happiness, and security, and steadily boost the material foundation for upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics and realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, we will be able to ensure that the great ship of socialism with Chinese characteristics cleaves the waves and sails steadily toward distant horizons.

—The fight against Covid-19 has once again demonstrated that the core socialist values and China’s fine traditional culture are a powerful source of inspiration that galvanize our people.

Cultural confidence is the most fundamental and profound force that sustains the development of a country and a nation. A culture featuring the pursuit of excellence and virtue serves as a crucial bond allowing the people of a country and a nation to stand together as one. Throughout history, we Chinese have always been guided by the belief that one should do what is right for the family and the nation. We hold dear the values of putting one’s interests aside for the common good, of fulfilling one’s duties to secure the future of the nation, of standing together through times of adversity, of looking out for one another, and of respecting the elderly and caring for the young. We also believe that with freedom comes self-restraint, and with rights comes responsibilities.

In the fight against Covid-19, the 1.4 billion Chinese have acted with a keen sense of responsibility, self-discipline, dedication, and compassion, thus forging a powerful line of defense with unity and solidarity. Our history and experiences have shown that as long as we foster and live by the core socialist values and keep China’s fine traditional culture alive, we will be able to create a wellspring of inspiration for people of all ethnic groups across the country and strengthen the underlying moral foundations for the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation to forge ahead together.

—The fight against Covid-19 has once again demonstrated that the endeavor to build a human community with a shared future has great appeal, and it is the right approach for tackling humanity’s common challenges and shaping a more prosperous and beautiful world.

In a way, Covid-19 is a wakeup call for the world, reminding us that our fates are intertwined and that no country can afford to go it alone in the face of a major crisis such as this. What we should do is to work together as a team. Those who act selfishly, assign blame to others, or twist the facts and turn black into white will only end up harming not just their own country and people, but also people around the world. Our history and experiences have shown that as long as all countries are committed to building a human community with a shared future, uphold multilateralism, and boost unity and cooperation, the people of the world will be able to meet whatever challenges we face and make this planet a beautiful home for all of us.

Comrades and friends,

Momentous changes not seen in a century are gripping the world at an accelerating pace, and we face heavy tasks in pursuing reform and development and ensuring stability. As the timeframes of the Two Centenary Goals  converge, we must fully implement the Party’s basic theory, line, and policy, act on the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, and follow the new development philosophy. We must work hard to create a new pattern of development, pay sufficient attention to both domestic and international imperatives, pursue development while safeguarding security, and advance the modernization of our system and capacity for governance. This will enable us to continuously advance the cause of the Party and the state.

In the coming period, we must focus on the following tasks:

—We will unwaveringly implement routine containment measures and work to prevail over Covid-19.

The virus is still spreading around the world. In our country, the risk of sporadic cases and local surge still exists. Fully defeating this disease thus requires that we put in persistent effort. We must remain vigilant, work relentlessly, and take comprehensive and effective steps to prevent both imported cases and a domestic resurgence. We must both adopt routine and targeted control measures and be ready to address isolated emergencies. We must not, under any circumstances, let the hard-won progress we have made against the epidemic go to waste.

We need to step up efforts to develop medicines and vaccines, promote improvement of public health, upgrade public health facilities, and raise the level of civic-mindedness throughout society. We must ensure public health and epidemic control in all communities so that they will form a strong line of defense against the virus across the country.

—We will take solid steps to ensure stability on six fronts and fully execute tasks for maintaining security in six areas so as to meet our goals of eradicating extreme poverty and building a moderately prosperous society.

We need to boost confidence and redouble our efforts to make up for lost time and overcome the damage caused by the coronavirus. We will put in place medium- and long-term coordination mechanisms for both conducting epidemic response and promoting economic and social development.

We will continue to carry out supply-side structural reform on a priority basis, further reform and opening up, and promote the expansion of domestic demand as a key strategic goal. We should protect and reinvigorate market entities, ensure that macro policies are fully implemented and deliver their intended effects, and enhance the stability and competitiveness of industrial and supply chains.

We will mobilize resources and intensify efforts to resolve prominent problems and strengthen weak links in our poverty alleviation. We will always bear the wellbeing of our people in mind, help them resolve difficulties they have encountered in employment, income, education, social security, medical insurance, and housing, and take solid steps to safeguard and improve living standards.

—We will move more quickly to strengthen weak links in our governing systems and provide sound institutional safeguards for protecting the health and safety of the people.

Covid-19 has posed a major test to our system and capacity for governance. We must speedily strengthen weak links, plug loopholes, and improve systems and mechanisms in different areas, with a focus on raising our capacity for responding to major public health emergencies.

We will build a robust public health system, improve our disease prevention and control systems, and establish major epidemic prevention, control and treatment systems that operate both under normal conditions and in emergencies.

We will strengthen legal safeguards and scientific and technological support for public health, upgrade our capacity for stockpiling emergency supplies to ensure their provision, and consolidate foundations for conducting interdepartmental and society-wide prevention and control at the community level.

We will improve the systems for both urban governance and urban and rural community governance, embrace a vision of urban health management covering all stages of life, and raise the overall performance of social governance. We should guard against biosafety and biosecurity risks and upgrade our country’s capacity to defend against such risks.

—We will uphold the vision of a human community with a shared future and work with other members of the international community to tackle increasingly grave global challenges.

China will continue to promote international cooperation against the coronavirus, support the WHO’s leading role in the global response, and share its experience in Covid-19 prevention, control, and treatment with other countries. We will continue to provide assistance to vulnerable countries and regions, exert our role as the world’s largest supplier of epidemic supplies, and advance the development of a global health community.

We will expand mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries, continue to advance economic globalization, uphold the multilateral trading regime, and maintain the safe and smooth operation of global industrial and supply chains, thus making our contribution to promoting the speedy recovery of the global economy.

We are ready to work with other countries to exercise more inclusive global governance, build more effective multilateral mechanisms, and engage in more active regional cooperation. We will work with others to address regional disputes and global issues such as terrorism, climate change, cybersecurity, and biosafety and biosecurity in a common pursuit of a brighter future for humanity.

—We must remain mindful of worst-case scenarios, stay vigilant against potential dangers, and effectively forestall and defuse any risks we may encounter on the road ahead.

Just as a rainbow appears after rain, opportunities are born out of challenges; this is an eternal dialectic law. In the close to 100 years since the founding of our Party, the over 70 years since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and the more than 40 years since the launch of reform and opening up, we have never experienced completely smooth sailing. Success and progress are reserved for those who face challenges head-on and persist rather than looking for an easy way out.

We must gain a full understanding of major domestic and international trends, strengthen strategic, systematic, and forward-thinking studies and planning, and be prepared, in both thinking and action, to face a fairly long period of change in the external environment. We need to foster new opportunities amid crises and open up new horizons on a shifting landscape.

We must maintain our fighting spirit, fostering the courage and skill to best whatever challenges we face. We should adapt our tactics to evolving circumstances, rally all forces we can, and mobilize all positive factors we can as we strive toward new victories in the great struggle with many new contemporary features.

Comrades and friends,

Our ancient ancestors believed that just as heaven maintains vigor through movement, greatness demands that one ceaselessly pursue self-improvement. A nation is great because it never gives up, never retreats, and never stops moving. No matter what setbacks it faces, it will keep fighting for a brighter future.

The Chinese people have experienced both hardship and glory in the course of over five thousand years of civilization, and we will continue to forge ahead on our great journey in the new era. There is no force or individual that can slow the pace of the Chinese people in our pursuit of a better life.

Let us close ranks, carry forward the heroic spirit of the fight against Covid-19, and forge ahead with resolve. Let us strive to reach our goals of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and winning the battle against poverty, and to make new historic achievements in building a modern socialist country.