February 16,2022

EVERY now and then, some Western media criticized China’s anti- pandemic approach of clearing COVID-19 infections in a timely manner, arguing it’s too rigid to sustain and detrimental to global recovery. 

Actually, the criticism has misinterpreted the approach and ignored its proven effectiveness and flexibility. As a matter of fact, by doing so, the world’s most populous country has not only avoided a formidable caseload and death toll, but also ensured a swift recovery and remained a powerhouse for the global economy. 

A PATH SUITABLE FOR CHINA 

China’s anti-pandemic approach is by no means equal to zero tolerance for any new infections. As Chinese health experts have expounded, instead of achieving zero infections, China’s regular prevention measures aim to ensure early detection, a swift response, targeted containment and effective treatment. 

If China were to follow the model of “coexistence with the virus,” it would be reporting “hundreds of thousands” of daily new cases “even in a highly underestimated outbreak scenario and under the most optimistic assumptions,” according to a study of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. In the face of the unprecedented health crisis, every response strategy comes with a cost. But for Chinese policymakers, saving people’s lives is their top priority. An effective control of the pandemic, they believe, serves as a prerequisite for reviving the economy, and that safeguarding people’s health and promoting economic and social development are not mutually exclusive, but mutually reinforcing. The strong domestic measures China has taken to control COVID-19 for the past two years have provided a solid basis to revitalize its economy, said Lawrence Loh, director of the Centre for Governance and Sustainability at the National University of Singapore. 

Last year, in defiance of the impact of the pandemic, China recorded an 8.1-per-cent growth year on year, outpacing other major economies. In its latest edition of the Democracy Index, the Economist Intelligence Unit, a research and analysis division of the Economist Group, said Chinese citizens seem to appreciate Beijing’s success in containing the pandemic. The aforementioned facts can explain why. 

A CHOICE BENEFITTING WORLD 

Globally, China’s approach of clearing COVID-19 infections in a timely manner has demonstrated its sense of responsibility as a major country. 

Should China take the rather laid-back approach seen in some Western countries, the resulting impact on the global pandemic fight and economic development would be grave. In this regard, the United States’ failed pandemic response is a reminder. 

What’s more, with its economic engines roaring, China has played a major role in stabilizing and energizing global growth. “COVID has created an uncertain world, and therefore any country or supplier which can remove the clouds of uncertainty with the sunlight of certainty is to be welcomed and supported,” said John McLean, chair of the Institute of Directors for the City of London. Despite isolationism and protectionism stoked by the pandemic, China continues to expand its opening-up and promote international cooperation. China’s foreign trade reached 6.14 trillion US dollars in 2021, up 21.4 per cent year on year and crossing the 6-trillion-dollar threshold for the first time. Exports rose 21.2 per cent, while imports went up 21.5 per cent. In the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, electrical appliance manufacturer Midea Group produces 47 per cent of the world’s magnetron, safeguarding the pandemic-battered global supply chain for microwave producers such as Panasonic and Bosch. 

“Amid the spread of the coronavirus, China is demonstrating abilities to rapidly restore business activities and economic growth,” said Yana Leksyutina, a professor at St. Petersburg State University. “With a high rate of economic recovery, China has become a driver of global economic growth.” 

A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF CHINA’S APPROACH 

China’s efforts to coordinate pandemic control and economic growth have convinced an increasing number of observers around the globe that China’s strategy best suits its own national conditions and also benefits the whole world. 

Over the past two years, China’s anti-pandemic measures have prevented a huge number of deaths at home and ensured that everything from iPhones and Teslas to fertilizer and car parts continues to flow to the rest of the world, said a recent article published by Bloomberg. “The alternative is a massive surge in infections and deaths that could bring global supply chains to a halt, sending inflation higher,” it said. SOURCE: Xinhua