Xi hails unity of China’s 1.4b people in virus battle
Honoring heroes shows ‘burgeoning strength, confidence’
Faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, China, a major country that first emerged from it, has now claimed victory over what
Chinese President Xi Jinping called “an extraordinary and historic test,” and the hardfought triumph was hailed by observers as injecting much needed confidence for an upended world, where China is facing a complicated situation at home and a crackdown from certain hegemonic countries.
The nine-month fight against coronavirus, with more than 1.4 billion people involved, has made China the first major country to return to normal, and the first major economy to resume growth. As many countries continue to struggle with the pandemic,
Xi delivered a key speech to honor
China’s victory over the virus at a ceremony to commend China’s heroes in fighting COVID-19, and draw up what observers said was a blueprint for the nation’s rejuvenation despite ever-changing outside influence.
Outstanding representatives from fighters of coronavirus were invited to receive their award at the ceremony in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on Tuesday, during which Xi awarded the Medal of the Republic, the highest national honor, on renowned respiratory disease expert Zhong Nanshan, and national honorary titles to three other experts, including Chen Wei who made major achievements in COVID-19-related basic research and developing a vaccine, for their contributions to fighting COVID-19.
Xi said that China took just over a month to initially curb the spread of the epidemic, about two months to bring the number of daily new domestic cases to single digits, and three months to beat COVID-19 in Wuhan and Hubei. China then fought several battles to annihilate clustered infections in cities, eventually achieving a major strategic result in the national fight against the epidemic.
China’s phased victory over COVID-19 has infused confidence in the Chinese people in potential sporadic or partial clustered outbreaks, as the overseas epidemic continues to wreak havoc, and colder weather may bring a second wave, Wang Guangfa, a leading Chinese respiratory expert at Peking University First Hospital in Beijing, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
It also injected tremendous confidence in the country, which is on course to rejuvenation despite it faces challenges from a complicated situation at home, and extreme attempts from some hegemonic powers to crack down on its development, observers said.
People’s war
The ceremony was not only for heroes. It was watched by Chinese, and sparked mixed memories in them, whose life has been upended in the past nine months.
Ahead of the ceremony, China Central Television broadcast a video montage of Wuhan, the city hit hardest at the peak of the outbreak in the country, set to rousing music, including images of medical staff in hazmat suits and crowded hospitals.
A Wuhan doctor surnamed Wang said her hospital gathered medical staff to watch the ceremony on television.
“Most of the viewers shed tears. We won the battle, but we seldom look back at the process,” Wang told the Global Times.
The sweat-soaked clothes under protective suits during chilling winter; the panic triggered by coughing patients; the helplessness of doctors when patients died in front of them; and the fear of passing the virus to their loved ones… are all scars that Wang and her colleagues need time to heal.
Wuhan, the “city of heroes,” was also mentioned by Xi several times during the speech. He said that when Wuhan was plagued with coronavirus, the nation cheered them up with slogans “stay strong, reganmian” (hot dry noodles, the most popular noodle dish in this city), and people from Wuhan also made great contributions and sacrifice to pave the way for the national victory.
“We have passed the extraordinary test of history,” Xi said, praising the country for a “heroic feat” against the disease.
Together, stronger
Xi said no country is safe alone in this huge crisis. Any selfish moves, any buck-passing, and any deeds that confuse right from wrong will not only damage its own people, but also spread harm to other parts of the world.
Since the outbreak, China has been misunderstood in terms of its virus prevention measures, accuracy of reported cases, and by other accusations and speculation from some countries, Wang Guangfa said.
But China has gone through that.
A wall of the efforts of every Chinese crushes the outside hubbub of voices, Wang said.
The Chinese people have gained experience from the pandemic, which is the advantage of the Chinese system and Chinese culture.
Despite continuous provocation and smears by certain countries, “we won’t flinch. The courage, the spirit we gained from the virus battle boosted our confidence. We fought the virus, and we can also beat anything else,” Wang said.