(By Chinese Ambassador to Liberia H.E. Ren Yisheng)

On December 26, 2022, China's National Health Commission issued an announcement to change the name of Covid-19 pneumonia to Covid-19 infection. Starting from January 8, 2023, the prevention and control measures for Covid-19 infection against Class A infectious diseases will be lifted, and they will no longer be included in the management of quarantine infectious diseases stipulated in the Frontier Health and Quarantine Law of the People's Republic of China. This is a major adjustment of China's epidemic prevention and control policy, which insists on effectively coordinating epidemic prevention and control and economic and social development, and adjusts and optimizes prevention and control measures according to the time and situation. 

With Omicron much less pathogenic and deadly and China’s treatment, testing and vaccination capacity steadily on the rise, China issued steps to treat COVID-19 as a Class-B instead of Class-A infectious disease, shifting the focus of our response from stemming infection to caring for health and preventing severe cases which means that we will focus on protecting the elderly with underlying health conditions, pregnant and lying-in women, children and other key groups, and made every effort to reduce severe cases and deaths. This shift is science-based, timely and necessary. The aim is to protect the lives and health of the people and reduce the impact of the epidemic on economic and social development to the maximum extent possible. This is also important from a strategic and long-term perspective for effectively coordinating COVID response with economic and social development and safeguarding the fundamental interests of the greatest majority of the people.

Recently, some Western media have discredited China’s COVID policy adjustment, alleging that China has changed its COVID response philosophy and no longer values people’s lives. This type of rhetoric is driven by bias, intended to smear China and politically motivated. There is no truth in such rhetoric, which simply misses the facts.  

Since COVID began, China has always put the people and their lives above all else. We have made the best effort to protect people’s life and health and poured all resources into treating every patient. Over the past three years, we have effectively responded to five global COVID waves and avoided widespread infections with the original strain and the Delta variant, which are relatively more pathogenic than the other variants. We have greatly reduced the number of severe cases and deaths, and bought precious time for the research, development and application of vaccines and therapeutics, and for getting medical supplies and other resources ready. The number of people covered by vaccination and the number of people who have been fully vaccinated account for 92% and 90% of the total population of the country respectively. Globally speaking, China has had the lowest rates of infection and mortality. Despite the pandemic, average life expectancy in China went up from 77.3 to 78.2 years.

In light of the latest COVID situation, based on scientific and rational analysis and assessment and with a prudent approach, the Chinese government has adapted and adjusted its COVID response measures and taken a series of measures to facilitate people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries. We believe this will significantly contribute to the recovery and growth of the world economy. 

Countries adjusting the COVID policy would invariably go through a period of adaptation. China is no exception as we shift gear in our COVID policy. China’s COVID situation on the whole remains predictable and under control. In response to China's relaxation of strict COVID measures, several places around the world have imposed curbs on travelers from China such as requiring them to take COVID tests. We believe that for all countries, COVID response measures need to be science-based and proportionate and apply equally to people of all countries without affecting normal travel and people-to-people exchange and cooperation. We hope that all parties will follow a science-based response approach and work together to ensure safe cross-border travel, keep global industrial and supply chains stable, and contribute to global solidarity against COVID and the world economic recovery.

Over the past three years, while we adapt the COVID response to the evolving circumstances, one thing has remained unchanged, which is our commitment to putting the people and their lives first and actively helping the international community overcome the epidemic. This is China's choice and action in the face of the epidemic of the century. China will effectively coordinate COVID response and socioeconomic development, steadfastly expand opening-up, and work with all sides to strengthen international cooperation against the pandemic, keep global industrial and supply chains secure and stable, and revitalize the world economy. We believe that with this commitment and with the concerted efforts of the people of all countries, victory over COVID will arrive at an early date and a brighter future is ahead of us.