Despite the fact that the world has been plagued by COVID-19 for more than two years, this pandemic is far from over and we are yet out of the woods. There is no universal template for anti-pandemic policies for all countries, while each country has the right to choose one that suits its national conditions. Thus, I would like to elaborate on the feasibility and credibility of the dynamic zero-COVID policy adopted by China.
With a population of 1.4 billion people, the goal of “dynamic zero-COVID” is not to achieve zero infection, but to control the pandemic in the shortest time possible at the lowest social cost, while maximizing the protection of people’s health and normal work and life, thereby ensuring the safety and health of a large number of people in China.
The dynamic zero-COVID policy stands out in its emphasis on precision. Each locality should take into account their particular pandemic situation, the stage of the pandemic, and the local social and economic realities, and on that basis, take targeted actions that well balance pandemic control on the one hand and economic development and normal work and life on the other.
The process of balancing is a dynamic one, which requires sound coordination between the short term and the long term, between the specific and the overall, and between the individual and the collective interests. From the very beginning, sound coordination has been a central goal of the Chinese government, and the Chinese people have been working to find ways and means to this end.
Recently, this policy has again proved effective with the pandemic in Shanghai put under control. The metropolis frequently made international headlines and was criticized by western media in terms of its handling of COVID-19. However, the financial hub’s recovery has jump-started a strong momentum of the economic development by restoring the normal order of production and living across the city starting from June 1st.
The dynamic zero-COVID policy upholds the principle of “people first”. As a country with a large population, China faces the problems of imbalance in regional development and insufficient medical resources. If restrictions were relaxed, the virus was allowed to spread and a large number of people would be infected in a short span of time. This would cause a large number of severe cases and deaths, and medical and health resources would be put under severe strain.
The health of many patients with underlying diseases, and the elderly, children, pregnant women and other vulnerable groups would be seriously endangered, and the stability of economic and social development would take a heavy toll. It is reported that, according to new models by Chinese and American scientists, an Omicron wave would result in 112 million symptomatic infections, 2.7 million intensive care admissions (15.6 times the existing capacity) and almost 1.55 million fatalities between May and July in China without the country’s dynamic-zero-COVID policy.
The dynamic zero-COVID policy guarantees social-economic development in the long run. Indeed, strict prevention and control protocols will have a certain impact on economic production and people’s lives in some areas, but the disadvantage is temporary and secures an enabling environment for stability in the future.
Moreover, the overwhelming majority of the Chinese population in most parts of the country can enjoy normal life and production. China was the only major economy that achieved positive growth in 2020. In 2021, China’s GDP grew 8.1% year-on-year, with a two-year average of 5.1%, one of the highest among major economies in the world. In the first quarter of 2022, China’s GDP expanded by 4.8% year-on-year. The above data shows that the “dynamic zero-COVID” policy suits China’s conditions and is effective in coordinating pandemic control and social and economic development.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, since the outbreak of the pandemic, has been advocating for an early establishment of a community of common health for humankind, which requires mutual support, better coordinated response measures and improved global health governance. The fact that China is one of the countries with the most successful COVID-19 response in the world is witnessed by the international community—therefore, the dynamic zero-COVID policy embodies a sense of responsibility not only to the Chinese people, but also to the world, and those accusations against China, saying that China’s COVID-19 protocols are dragging down the global economic recovery, are simply baseless and out of ulterior motives.
By adopting robust and effective containment measures, China is able to maintain socioeconomic growth and, at the same time, make important contribution to keeping the world industrial and supply chains stable and smooth and sustaining world economic growth. The fundamentals sustaining China’s sound economic growth in the long run have not changed, China’s status as a vital locomotive for global economic growth has not changed, and the confidence of the international community in China’s economy has not changed. We are ready to strengthen cooperation with all parties as always to inject impetus into the sustained recovery of the world economy.
The Chinese government has formulated and implemented the dynamic zero-COVID policy based on China’s national realities and has been adjusting prevention and control protocols based on the changing conditions. In China, we have the foundation, the conditions and the capability to achieve dynamic zero-COVID. We are fully confident in winning the tough battle against the pandemic, thus making greater contributions to the global victory over the pandemic at an early date.
BY Chinese Ambassador to Grenada, H E Wei Hongtian
China’s Dynamic Zero-COVID policy tried, tested and effective
Despite the fact that the world has been plagued by COVID-19 for more than two years, this pandemic is far from over and we are yet out of the woods. There is no universal template for anti-pandemic policies for all countries, while each country has the right to choose one that suits its national conditions. Thus, I would like to elaborate on the feasibility and credibility of the dynamic zero-COVID policy adopted by China.
With a population of 1.4 billion people, the goal of “dynamic zero-COVID” is not to achieve zero infection, but to control the pandemic in the shortest time possible at the lowest social cost, while maximizing the protection of people’s health and normal work and life, thereby ensuring the safety and health of a large number of people in China.
The dynamic zero-COVID policy stands out in its emphasis on precision. Each locality should take into account their particular pandemic situation, the stage of the pandemic, and the local social and economic realities, and on that basis, take targeted actions that well balance pandemic control on the one hand and economic development and normal work and life on the other.
The process of balancing is a dynamic one, which requires sound coordination between the short term and the long term, between the specific and the overall, and between the individual and the collective interests. From the very beginning, sound coordination has been a central goal of the Chinese government, and the Chinese people have been working to find ways and means to this end.
Recently, this policy has again proved effective with the pandemic in Shanghai put under control. The metropolis frequently made international headlines and was criticized by western media in terms of its handling of COVID-19. However, the financial hub’s recovery has jump-started a strong momentum of the economic development by restoring the normal order of production and living across the city starting from June 1st.
The dynamic zero-COVID policy upholds the principle of “people first”. As a country with a large population, China faces the problems of imbalance in regional development and insufficient medical resources. If restrictions were relaxed, the virus was allowed to spread and a large number of people would be infected in a short span of time. This would cause a large number of severe cases and deaths, and medical and health resources would be put under severe strain.
The health of many patients with underlying diseases, and the elderly, children, pregnant women and other vulnerable groups would be seriously endangered, and the stability of economic and social development would take a heavy toll. It is reported that, according to new models by Chinese and American scientists, an Omicron wave would result in 112 million symptomatic infections, 2.7 million intensive care admissions (15.6 times the existing capacity) and almost 1.55 million fatalities between May and July in China without the country’s dynamic-zero-COVID policy.
The dynamic zero-COVID policy guarantees social-economic development in the long run. Indeed, strict prevention and control protocols will have a certain impact on economic production and people’s lives in some areas, but the disadvantage is temporary and secures an enabling environment for stability in the future.
Moreover, the overwhelming majority of the Chinese population in most parts of the country can enjoy normal life and production. China was the only major economy that achieved positive growth in 2020. In 2021, China’s GDP grew 8.1% year-on-year, with a two-year average of 5.1%, one of the highest among major economies in the world. In the first quarter of 2022, China’s GDP expanded by 4.8% year-on-year. The above data shows that the “dynamic zero-COVID” policy suits China’s conditions and is effective in coordinating pandemic control and social and economic development.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, since the outbreak of the pandemic, has been advocating for an early establishment of a community of common health for humankind, which requires mutual support, better coordinated response measures and improved global health governance. The fact that China is one of the countries with the most successful COVID-19 response in the world is witnessed by the international community—therefore, the dynamic zero-COVID policy embodies a sense of responsibility not only to the Chinese people, but also to the world, and those accusations against China, saying that China’s COVID-19 protocols are dragging down the global economic recovery, are simply baseless and out of ulterior motives.
By adopting robust and effective containment measures, China is able to maintain socioeconomic growth and, at the same time, make important contribution to keeping the world industrial and supply chains stable and smooth and sustaining world economic growth. The fundamentals sustaining China’s sound economic growth in the long run have not changed, China’s status as a vital locomotive for global economic growth has not changed, and the confidence of the international community in China’s economy has not changed. We are ready to strengthen cooperation with all parties as always to inject impetus into the sustained recovery of the world economy.
The Chinese government has formulated and implemented the dynamic zero-COVID policy based on China’s national realities and has been adjusting prevention and control protocols based on the changing conditions. In China, we have the foundation, the conditions and the capability to achieve dynamic zero-COVID. We are fully confident in winning the tough battle against the pandemic, thus making greater contributions to the global victory over the pandemic at an early date.
BY Chinese Ambassador to Grenada, H E Wei Hongtian
