先声夺人｜中国“动态清零”政策为“放开”奠定了坚实基础
编者按：《先声夺人》针对突发新闻发表即时评论，厘清新闻脉络，解读背后深意，以中国视角分析全球时事。
Editor'snote:CGTN'sFirstVoiceprovidesinstantcommentaryonbreakingstories.Thecolumnclarifiesemergingissuesandbetterdefinesthenewsagenda,offeringaChineseperspectiveonthelatestglobalevents.
抗疫三年来，中国政府坚持人民至上、生命至上，从自身国情出发，制定符合最广大人民群众利益的防疫政策。2022年12月26日，国家卫生健康委发布公告，将于2023年1月8日将新型冠状病毒感染从“乙类甲管”调整为“乙类乙管”，然而面对我国防疫政策的最新优化措施，部分西方媒体和政客罔顾事实，抹黑中国的防疫政策，无视中国的防疫成就，企图将疫情问题政治化。CGTN发表评论文章指出，中国不断调整优化疫情防控政策，统筹疫情防控和经济发展，中国的“动态清零”政策为当下的政策调整争取到了宝贵的时间和经验，奠定了“放开”的基础。在中国人民齐心协力、团结应对下，中国一定能迎来经济社会平稳有序发展的新阶段。中国将继续同国际社会团结合作，共同应对疫情挑战，推动构建人类卫生健康共同体。
ChinahasadjusteditsresponsetoCOVID-19preventionandcontrolinrecentweeks,keepingthemeasuresscience-based,targeted,andmoreeffectivefortheevolvinggroundsituation.
Inlinewiththisapproachandinyetanothermajorpolicyshift,ChinaannounceditwilldowngradeCOVID-19managementfromClassAtoClassBinfectiousdiseasewhileresumingpassport,visaissuanceandeasingborder-entrypoliciesstartingonJanuary8,2023.ItalsochangedtheChinesenameofthediseasefrom"novelcoronaviruspneumonia"to"novelcoronavirusinfection,"reflectingitsreducedthreat.
China'sdecision,basedonascientificassessmentofthegroundsituationandbuildingontheeffectiveCOVID-19managementoverthepastthreeyearsunderthecountry's"DynamicZero-COVID"approach,has,again,drawnwidespreadcriticismsfromasectionoftheWesternmediaoutlets,andalsotheWesternpoliticalandintellectualcircles,sameastheprevious"DynamicZero-COVID"policy.
ThisgroupstandsconsistentwithitscriticismofChina–"Comehailorstorm,Chinacanneverberight"seemstobetheirmotto.WhenBeijingpursuedthe"DynamicZero-COVID"policyoverthepastthreeyears,theywerecallingforChinatoreopen.Nonetheless,nowthatChinahasreopenedbyeasingitsCOVID-19measures,theyarequicktospreadpanicwiththeirsensationalcommentary,evenclaimingthatBeijing's"DynamicZero-COVIDpolicyfailed,whichisfarfromthetruth.
MediacoveragehasrangedfromcomparingChina'slatestCOVID-19surgetoa"catastrophe"thatcould"puttheglobaleconomyatrisk"toscaremongeringovertheriseof"newcoronavirusmutants."Theseclaimsareunfoundedandgoagainstscientificobservation.EvenbeforethecurrentCOVID-19surgeinChina,many variantsofthevirushaveemergedandspreadinvariouspartsoftheworldbutthathasn'tstoppedtherestoftheworldfromopeningup.
ManyreportshavealsoquestionedtheefficacyofChinese-madevaccines,withoutanyscientificevidence,ofcourse,blamingtheChineseauthoritiesfornotallowingthe"moreeffective"WesternmRNAvaccines.
ThecollectiveexperienceinmostcountriesincludingtheU.S.andEuropeannations,irrespectiveofwhichvaccinationshavebeenusedbytheirrespectivepopulation,hasshownthatvaccinationcouldn'tstopthespreadofnewmutantstrainsofcoronavirus.Whatithasdonethoughiseffectivelydilutedtheimpactofthevirusonpatients.
ContrarytotherelentlessWesterndisinformationcampaign,China's"DynamicZero-COVID"policyprovidedmaximumprotectiontopeople'slivesandhealth,minimizedthepandemic'simpactonsocioeconomicdevelopment,andboughtprecioustimeforunderstandingthevirusbasedonscience,forresearchanddevelopmentofvaccines,anti-viraldrugsandtherapeutics,andforvaccinatingmorepeoplenationwide.
Accordingtothelatestofficialdata,Chinahasadministeredover3.4billiondosesofCOVID-19vaccinesnationwide,withover90percentofits1.4billionpopulationfullyvaccinated.Over87percentofpeopleovertheageof60fullyvaccinated.Meanwhile,Chinahasrolledoutthesecondboostershotwith13typesofCOVID-19vaccinesapprovedforthepurpose.
Beyonditsownborders,Chinahasalsoledpandemicpreparednesseffortsacrosstheworld,particularlyindevelopingcountries.ItfollowedapolicytomakeCOVID-19vaccines"apublicgood."
AsofMay,Chinasuppliedover2.2billiondosestomorethan120countriesandinternationalorganizations.Italsolaunchedjointproductionplantsortransferredvaccine-makingtechnologiestoover20countries,resultinginanannualmanufacturingcapacityofmorethanonebillionvaccinedosesoverseas.
ThisstandsinstarkcontrasttomanyWesterncountriessuchastheU.S.,UK,Canadaetc.,whichwereaccusedofstockpilingvaccinesleadingtheWHOtowarnofarich-poorvaccinedivide.
DespitetheirowndismaltrackrecordinCOVID-19preventionandcontrol,theWesthaspoliticizedthepandemictodiscredittheChinesegovernmentateverystageoftheoutbreak.Yet,thetruthisthereforeveryonetosee.
Thefiguresspeakforthemselves,withthenumberofCOVID-19deathsreportedinChina,afractionofthehorrifyingnumbersintheU.S.AccordingtotheWHOdatareleasedonDecember23,Chinahad31,585deaths,includingthedeathtollfromHongKong,MacaoandTaiwanregion,duetoCOVID-19.Incontrast,theU.S.,withaquarterofChina'spopulation,hasreportedoveramilliondeaths.
Overthepastthreeyears,theChinesegovernmenthasplacedpeopleandtheirlivesfirstinitsCOVID-19responseandformulatedthe"DynamicZero-COVID"policythatbestservedtheinterestsofthevastmajorityoftheChinese,basedonChina'snationalrealities.Chinahasachievedtheeffectiveresultsataminimumcost.Butasthenatureofthevirusandthepandemicchangedontheground,ChinawasalsoprompttoadjustitsCOVID-managementstrategiesbasedontheevolvingrealities.
AsChineseForeignMinistryspokespersonMaoNingsaidlastweek,"Currently,weareadaptingourCOVID-19responsemeasurestothenewdevelopmentsintheepidemic,soastobettercoordinateepidemicresponseandsocioeconomicdevelopment.Webelievethat,withtheChinesepeople'sjointeffortsandsolidarity,wewillusherinanewphaseofsteadyandorderlyeconomicandsocialdevelopment."
Chinahasmaintainedthatit'sreadytoworkwiththeinternationalcommunitytodeepensolidarityandcooperation,jointlyaddresstheCOVID-19challenge,makegreatereffortstoprotectpeople'slifeandhealth,promotesoundrecoveryoftheworldeconomy,andadvancethebuildingofaglobalcommunityofhealthforall.
TheWestistryingtoscorepoliticalpointsbyignoringthesuccessesofChina's"DynamicZero-COVID"policyandspreadingdisinformationaboutthelatestsurge,whichdoesn'thelpwiththeglobaleconomicrecoverythatwouldrequireChina'scooperation.Chinaiswillingtotakethefirststep.OnlytimewilltelliftheWest,andparticularlytheU.S.,seethelightandreciprocate.