On March 2nd, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the People’s Republic of China, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, inspected scientific research work on containing and mitigating the COVID-19 outbreak in Beijing. On behalf the CPC Central Committee, President Xi expressed sincere appreciation and cordial greetings to the professionals fighting on the front line of scientific research to defeat the epidemic. He stressed that science and technology are the most powerful weapon for mankind in the fight against the disease and that scientific advances and technological innovation are indispensable for humanity to prevail over major disasters and epidemics. Scientific research on COVID-19 is a pressing task. It must be advanced with concerted and coordinated efforts across disciplines. On the basis of science and security, the research efforts should be advanced as quickly as possible to tackle the key and thorny problems in epidemic control at an early date and provide strong scientific underpinning for winning this all-out people’s war against the epidemic.
On the afternoon of 2nd, March, Xi Jinping firstly came to the Academy of Military Medical Sciences where he listened to an overall report on scientific research work on containing and mitigating the COVID-19 outbreak and learned about the progress on the vaccine, antibodies, medicine and fast testing kit research and applications. In the building of facility testing, Xi Jinping inspected the medicine research room for major epidemic emergency prevention and control, and expressed cordial regards to the experts and researchers fighting the epidemic. He stressed that science and technology are the key to increase the recovery rate, decrease the fatality rate and finally defeat the disease. Xi noted that since the outbreak of COVID-19, the Academy of Military Medical Sciences has resolutely implemented the decisions and instructions of the CPC Central Committee and the Central Military Commission to make breakthroughs in epidemic emergency science and technology with some results, which have showcased an impressive people’s army that is faithful to the Party and the people, good and smart at winning the tough battle. Xi called for prompt efforts to develop safe and effective vaccines, drugs and testing kits to help fight the virus. It is crucial to make breakthroughs with a synergy in epidemic tracing, diagnosis, prevention, treatment and control. Moreover, it is urged to master more core technologies with own intellectual property rights and strong products after the tough battle against the coronavirus, and make greater contributions to the safety and health of the people and safeguard national strategic security.
Xi Jinping left for Tsinghua University School of Medicine. He visited the research center for global health and epidemic disease, and the biomedical laboratory for testing technology and facility in Beijing to learn from experts about the progress on the medicine, new-type testing kit and equipment research and applications, as well as watched an undergoing enzyme-linked immunsorbent assay (ELISA) test. Xi noted coordination between the frontline battle against the epidemic and scientific research and material production. He called for accelerating the development of new-type testing kits, antibody medicines, vaccines, and diagnosis and treatment plans. Xi underscored that for a country with 1.4 billion people, forestalling and diffusing major epidemics and public health emergencies is a matter of utmost importance over which we can never drop our guard. It is imperative to strengthen the national monitoring network for major epidemics, improve related laws and regulations, develop cutting-edge technologies and cultivate top-notch professionals with great efforts, so as to enhance China’s preparedness for public health emergencies as fast as possible.
Then, Xi Chaired a symposium at Tsinghua University School of Medicine to learn about the research and development work of the Ministry of Science and Technology on medicine and vaccine, and the report of the National Health Commission on applying effective clinical experience and treatments across the country.
After the report, Xi Jinping delivered a important speech. He noted that since the onset of the contagion, the scientific and technological front across the country has positively responded to the call of the CPC Central Committee, and some relevant departments have established the scientific and research panels engaging in five major directions, including clinical treatment and medicine, vaccine research and development, testing technology and products, virus etiology and epidemiology and animal model, with the progress made in just over a month. It has provided forceful support to epidemic prevention and control. In this great battle against the epidemic, the scientific and technological workers have fully demonstrated their hard work and professionalism. At the moment, winning the people’s war against the epidemic still requires hard work, and more efforts are required to seek solutions through science.
Xi underlined that it is of paramount importance for the moment to save more patients as possible. Efforts should be made to incorporate research and development on drugs and medical equipment into clinical treatment so as to cure more patients and reduce morality. It is also urged to support scientific breakthroughs and serve the deployment for treatment at the front-line. Coordinated efforts should be taken to purse clinical research and treatment with the prioritized application of scientific research results in clinical treatments. It is crucial to speed up the research and development on medicines through the combination of traditional Chinese and Western medicine. More drugs that have been tested with effective outcomes will be applied, calling for screening another set of effective medicines according to the needs of the front-line and exploring new way of treatment to prevent patients with mild symptoms from becoming severely ill. Advanced treatments using convalescent plasma, stem cells and monoclonal antibodies should also be applied to treat severe and critically ill patients.
Xi said that the vaccine, as a special product for a healthy person, is vital to epidemic prevention and control, with its safety the top priority. It is urged to speed up the vaccine research and development while closely tracking the progress of related research overseas. Xi urged early clinical trial and application of vaccines, as well as linking research and development with industrial-chain production. He also required building a national reserve system for vaccines in order to fully prepare for the prevention and control on a regular basis.
Xi stressed the importance of coordinating research on virus source tracing and transmission routes and evaluating whether some suspected animals are intermediate host. New technologies, including artificial intelligence and big data, should be applied to epidemiological investigation and virus source tracing to figure out where the virus comes from and how it will develop.
Xi Jinping also noted that it still needs time for patients to recover psychologically, and people with a long self-quarantine period in their homes may have various psychological problems. Families of the deceased patients also need psychological intervention. It is underscored to protect their psychological health and step up all-out efforts to enhance psychological intervention to help them recover.
Xi cautioned that major communicable diseases and bio-safety are serious risks and challenges to the country’s security, development and social stability. Bio-safety must be ensured as an important part of overall national security. Epidemic prevention and control and public health research system and capacity building must be enhanced to ensure good prevention and research at normal times and sound emergency response including treatment and mitigation during an outbreak. Strategic and preemptive planning and epidemic warning and forecast mechanisms must be stepped up to gather information in a timely and effective manner and take prompt responses.
Xi pointed out that major advances in science and technology concerning people’s life and bio-safety are of importance for the country, and the system of disease prevention and control and public health emergency response is an important part of the national strategic system. Efforts should be made to improve the new nationwide mechanism for breakthroughs in key and core technologies, assign research resources in population health, bio-safety and other areas more effectively, and put in place an integrated national framework of major research projects in life science, biotechnology, medical and health care, and medical equipment. A number of national clinical research centers need to be built, and the technology input in public health must be increased. Basic research in life sciences needs to be strengthen and greater efforts are required to seek breakthroughs in key and core medical health technologies. It is also important to enhance strategic research capabilities and expand strategic reserve in disease prevention and control. He also emphasized concentrating nationwide to double down on key and core technology research and urged breakthroughs in developing high-end medical equipment to accelerate fixing the country’s “weak link” in this sector.
Xi also called for a health campaign across the country to work on living environment, eating habit, social and psychological health and public health facilities, especially eradicating the bad habit of eating wild animals to promote a civilized, healthy and environmentally-friendly lifestyle.
Xi noted that public health security is a common challenge faced by humanity and all countries should join hands to cope with it. Currently, the COVID-19 outbreaks have emerged in many countries. It is important to step up communication and exchange with the World Health Organization and carry out scientific research cooperation on source tracing, drugs, vaccines, testing and other fields with other countries, especially those hit hard by the virus. They should share research data and jointly work out response strategies to contribute to building a community with a shared future for humanity.
Ding Xuexiang, Liu He, Xu Qiliang, Zhang Youxia, Cai Qi, Xiao Jie and other officials from Ministry of Science and Technology and National Health Commission attended the relevant activities.