On February 3rd, the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee held a meeting for an investigation into the work of the Central Committee’s leading group on responding to the pneumonia outbreak caused by the novel coronavirus and relevant departments. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting and delivered important remarks.
On behalf of the CPC Central Committee, Xi expressed respect to those fighting on the front line of the battle against the epidemic, and extended greetings to patients and their families. Xi said, since the start of the outbreak, the CPC Central Committee has attached great importance to the issue and put people’s safety and health as the top priority. The Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee has held two meetings for the contagion. The Party Central Committee released the Notice on Strengthening the CPC’s Leadership and Political Guarantee for Winning the Battle against the Novel Coronavirus Outbreak. The central leading group on battling the virus has held an array of meetings to make deployment for the prevention and control of virus. The central guiding group proactively performed its duties. The Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council pledged intensified coordination in the handling of pressing problems in the prevention. The relevant departments performed their own functions and the military force assisted local regions in preventing the pneumonia outbreak. The governments at various levels have formed the leading group led by major local Party and political principals. The institutions in the Party, the government, the military and people’s organizations, and enterprises and public institutions took urgent actions to fight against the virus. The medical staff made huge sacrifice and the Chinese people, united as one, are working together to fight against the epidemic. The prevention and control of the outbreak has seen comprehensive mobilization, extensive deployment and all-out reinforcement across the country. With the centralized and unified leadership of the Central Committee, all work is progressing in full gear.
Xi stressed that the epidemic prevention and control efforts directly matter to people’s lives, health, overall socioeconomic stability and the country’s opening-up drive. Currently, the key to the issue is to execute the arrangements to the details. The Party committees and governments at various levels are required to strengthen consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core and keep in alignment, firm up confidence in path, theory, system and culture, and resolutely uphold General Secretary Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and resolutely uphold the Party Central Committee’s authority and its centralized, unified leadership. It is needed for the moment to implement decisions and deployment of the Party Central Committee intently, and give prioritized attention to the prevention and control of the contagion. Prompt and resolute actions should be taken with full confidence, concerted efforts, scientific containment and targeted policies to strengthen weak links, curb the spread of the epidemic and win the battle of the prevention and control of the contagion..
Xi required ensuring the whole country works together in the prevention and control of the contagion. Party committees and governments at all levels must firmly follow the unified command, coordination and arrangement of the CPC Central Committee, urging strict enforcement of orders and prohibitions. The departments at various regions must strengthen the consciousness of the need to think in big-picture terms and resolutely follow the guidance of the central leading group on battling the virus and the State Council’s mechanism for coordinated control and prevention. Meanwhile, they should take both the local needs of prevention and the impact on some key areas and the whole country into account when taking actions. The epidemic prevention and control is not only a health issue but comprehensive work which demands all-round support. It is crucial to keep close track, carry out analysis in a timely manner, take prompt action, firm up efforts and work tirelessly as new problems are rising along with the changing conditions of the prevention work. It is also required to resolutely oppose bureaucratism and the practice of formalities for formalities’ sake in the prevention work. Those who disobey the unified command or shirk off responsibilities will be punished. Party and government leaders supervising them would also held accountable in severe cases.
The meeting underscored giving full attention to the prevention and control work in areas hard-hit by the virus, which hold the key to reversing its spreading across the country in essence. Coordinated efforts are needed to allocate the resources of medical treatment and personal protective gear to the front line and priority should be given to medics and infected people. Hubei province, especially its capital city Wuhan, remained the top priority for the epidemic prevention and control work across the country. The measures of early detection, early reporting, early isolation and early treatment are to be undertaken to further promote the prevention. It is crucial to reinforce the monitoring of the epidemic, gathering the patients together for treatment, and conducting home-based medical observation for all close contacts. It is essential to ensure that local Party committees and governments shoulder their responsibilities. Targeted and effective measures are urged to be taken to prevent the spreading of the contagion in communities. At the same time, the local regions are required to gear up for the epidemic control and prevention in return peak after the Spring Festival by making clear their responsibilities for migrant moves, strengthening health monitoring for passengers and intensifying disinfection and ventilation of public transportation stations.
The meeting called for all-out efforts to treat the patients, ensure the supply of medical protection materials, improve the admission and survival rates, and reduce the infection and mortality rates. This is an urgent task for the moment. The hospitals accepting patients are to be built and put into use promptly and more medical workers across the country will be sent to assist Wuhan if necessary. In the meanwhile, it is vital to protect the physical and mental health of medical staff. Coordinated efforts are made to do a better job in the arrangement of personnel, of which the strong are summoned to conduct unified treatments for severe cases, as well as to make effective treatments universally available to other hospitals. It is required to ensure the safety of designated medical institutions and isolated space, and safeguard medical and isolated order. It also calls for greater efforts to strengthen mental prevention and express humanity for people in need.
The meeting stressed making breakthroughs in scientific research which is vital to win the battle of fighting against the epidemic. It stressed steeping up scientific research to discover the source and transmission mechanism of the novel coronavirus and keep close track of virus mutation. The scientific workers across the nation from universities, scientific institutions and enterprises are encouraged to make breakthroughs in the prevention and control of the contagion, and to share relevant data and patient’s medical documents. Besides, it is urged to accelerate the research of virus regarding its origin, transmission capacity and mechanism of transmission. It is also essential to develop effective medicines and vaccines, as well as to integrate the scientific research with clinic treatment and prevention.
The meeting noted that it is necessary to safeguard economic and social order. Efforts are to be made to ensure the normal life and production remain stable and orderly while bringing the epidemic under control. It is required to secure supplies of daily necessities, such as vegetables, meat, eggs, milk and grain, as well as carry out the system of city mayors taking responsibility for the “vegetable basket” (non-grain food supply) program. Efforts should be made to proactively promote the production of the non-grain food including vegetables, and to reinforce the dispatch of logistics and increase market supplies. The local regions should strengthen coordination in order to keep logistics and transportation unimpeded and guarantee safe and stable supplies of coal, power, petroleum and natural gas. Moreover, it calls for properly coping with conflicts and problems in the prevention to .improve social security. The meeting required strengthened measures to crack down criminal activities including using the epidemic as an excuse to inflate prices and selling fake or low-quality drugs and medical supplies.
The meeting underlined efforts to promote education and guidance on public opinion so as to boost confidence, warm people’s hearts and unite them. It is necessary to broadcast major decisions and deployment of the CPC Central Committee, and fully report on effective measures in the joint prevention and control. The touching stories of fighting against the contagion in the front-line are to be told to demonstrate the unity and concerted efforts of Chinese people, and to pool spiritual strength of the flight against the epidemic with one unity. It is crucial to strengthen public legal education on prevention and control of infectious diseases and act in accordance with the law. Moreover, it is required to face current problems and release authoritative information so as to respond to people’s concern in a timely, targeted and professional manner and guide them to strengthen and firm up confidence. Targeted efforts are to be made to carry out the education of spiritual civilizations and infectious diseases, thus guiding the public to improve their cultural etiquette and ability of self-protection. Besides, it calls for stronger control of internet and media to shoulder primary responsibilities of administration and supervision. It also calls for continuing to communicate and coordinate with the World Health Organization and relevant countries and regions to promote information sharing and policy coordination.
The meeting noted that Party committees and governments of various levels were urged to achieve the targets of economic and social development this year. The hard-hit regions should step up main efforts to prevent the contagion. While strengthening measures in the fight against the virus, coordinated efforts should be made in other areas to promote reform, development and stability, particularly the key task of attaining the goal of completing the building of a moderately prosperous society and winning the battle against absolute poverty by the end of this year. It is crucial to monitor economic performance and give full attention to the impact of the epidemic on nation’s economy. It is urged to gear up for tackling various difficulties in order to keep employment, the financial sector, foreign trade, foreign and domestic investments, and expectations stable. Meanwhile, it is required to fully support production resumption by enterprises while bringing the epidemic under control. Efforts are undertaken to support finance, fulfill the needs of labors for enterprises to restore production, implement the policy of stabilizing and supporting employment, develop new investment and advance undergoing projects. It is underlined to adjust and optimize the investment structure, and the central budgetary investment should give preference to the baldly needed projects for the prevention and control of infectious diseases in hard-hit areas. It is underscored to break the last bastion of poverty. Drawing on the strategies of rural vitalization, the prevention and control of the epidemic are to be enforced as a starting point to strengthen rural environmental protection and public health system. It is required to promote stable consumer spending and unleash the potential of emerging consumption to better meet people’s need for a healthy life.
The outbreak is a major test of China’s system and capacity for governance, and we must sum up the experience and draw a lesson from it.
It is vital to take targeted measures to tackle weak links and shortcomings in responding to the epidemic, as well as improve the county’s emergency management system and capacity of handling urgent, difficult, dangerous and important tasks. An overhaul of environmental sanitation conditions is to be conducted to strengthen the areas of weakness in public health. Besides, it is urged to intensify the oversight of market and resolute efforts are to be made to combat illegal wildlife markets and trade to address major public health risks at the root. It is necessary to reinforce law-based governance and strengthen the rule of law for public health. It also underscored the need to systematically review the areas of weakness in the national reserve system, enhance reserve efficiency and capacity, and improve the production capacity for essential supplies.
The meeting also discussed other issues.