Chronicle of Xi's leadership in China's war against coronavirus

On March 10, 2020, at Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan, Chinese President Xi Jinping -- wearing a mask -- spoke to a patient lying in bed by video link.

Xi Jinping speaks with a patient and medical workers by video link at Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 10, 2020. Xi went to Wuhan on March 10 to inspect COVID-19 prevention and control work there. [Photo/Xinhua]

"What you should do now is to stay confident. We all should be confident that we will win this war," Xi said. "Victory for Wuhan, victory for Hubei, and victory for China!"

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, appeared at a critical place -- Wuhan, the Chinese city hit hardest by the COVID-19 outbreak at the time.

Eight days after Xi's visit, the city reported no new cases for the first time. On April 26, Wuhan hospitals cleared all COVID-19 cases.

Over the past seven-plus months, China -- the world's most populous nation -- has gone through an extraordinary time. More than 80,000 Chinese were infected by the virus and about 4,700 people lost their lives. Epidemic control became the country's top priority.

During the Spring Festival holiday starting in late January, hundreds of millions of people abandoned their holiday plans. They stayed at home for weeks in a row. Cities were locked down, businesses were closed and public gatherings were canceled.

The annual sessions of the national legislature and the national political advisory body -- a key event on the country's political calendar known as the "two sessions" -- were postponed for the first time due to a public health emergency.

Xi said the epidemic was the fastest spreading, most extensive and most challenging public health emergency the country had encountered since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

"Life is of paramount importance," Xi said. He launched a "people's war" and personally took charge of the response, marshaling national resources to fight the "invisible enemy."

In little more than a month, the rising spread of the virus was contained; in around two months, the daily increase in domestic coronavirus cases fell to single digits; and in approximately three months, a decisive victory was secured in the battle to defend Hubei Province and its capital city of Wuhan -- a major achievement of strategic importance in the nationwide fight against COVID-19.

Though there were a handful of sporadic outbreaks over the past few months, the Chinese government -- with its experience and targeted measures -- managed to break the transmission routes quickly.

From a global perspective, China was among the first countries to resume work and reopen schools and businesses. The country is now racing against the clock to win its anti-poverty fight and achieve a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

Leadership in times of crisis

The COVID-19 epidemic changed Xi's schedule. People familiar with his work said Xi dedicated himself to leading epidemic control efforts and gave instructions every day at the height of the outbreak.

Xi devised a set of general principles to guide the fight against the virus, emphasizing "remaining confident, coming together in solidarity, adopting a science-based approach and taking targeted measures."

On Jan. 7, when Xi chaired a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, he underlined the importance of properly handling the epidemic -- known then as "an epidemic of pneumonia of unknown cause."

On Jan. 20, Xi gave important instructions on fighting the epidemic, emphasizing that people's lives and health must come first and resolute efforts should be made to stem the spread of the virus. He also called for the prompt release of information on the epidemic and enhanced international cooperation.

On Jan. 22, Xi ordered the immediate imposition of tight restrictions on the movement of people and channels of exit in Hubei and Wuhan. Xi said making the decision required enormous political courage. "But time calls for resolute action. Otherwise, there would be trouble," he said.

On Jan. 23, Wuhan suspended all urban public transportation and cut off outbound flights and trains. Putting a megacity with over 10 million residents under lockdown was unprecedented, but crucial.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, Xi has repeatedly stressed that cadres must have a strong sense of responsibility. "Stay loyal to the Party, strive for people's well-being, work hard..." These are the consistent tenets upheld in various Party endeavors.

Xi did not sleep well on Chinese New Year's Eve as he shouldered the heavy responsibility to fight the epidemic.

The next day, Jan. 25, Xi convened a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on epidemic control. He told his six colleagues on the standing committee that the situation was pressing and they needed to study the issue together.

Xi took the lead in making a donation to support epidemic control efforts. He said the principle of early detection, reporting, quarantine and treatment must be strictly observed. And he called for saving lives by raising admission and cure rates and lowering infection and fatality rates.

Xi made specific response demands at different stages of the battle. Since the start of the outbreak, he has chaired a great number of high-level meetings to devise containment measures. These included 17 meetings of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, four meetings of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and leadership meetings on law-based governance, cyberspace affairs, foreign affairs and the deepening of reform amid the epidemic.

He also instructed the military to join the fight and chaired a series of symposiums, including one with non-CPC members to hear their suggestions and another with experts on building a strong public health system.

Xi Jinping delivers an important speech at a meeting to advance the work on coordinating the prevention and control of COVID-19 and economic and social development, in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 23, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]

He convened large teleconferences, one of which was the largest held in China since 1949. It was attended by 170,000 officials from central leadership down to county-level units across the country.

Xi also carried out nine domestic inspections to guide epidemic control, economic development and other work: two in Beijing, one in Wuhan and the other six in Zhejiang, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Jilin and Anhui provinces, as well as Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Xi Jinping joins a deliberation with deputies from Hubei Province at the third session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, capital of China, May 24, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]

At the postponed "two sessions" in late May, Xi joined political advisors and lawmakers in four group discussions to plan epidemic control and economic development measures.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said when he was in Beijing, he saw President Xi lead China's efforts to mobilize the government and society and to make the response every citizen's business.

Political observer Eric Li wrote in an article posted on the website of Foreign Policy, a U.S. magazine, that the decision to lock down Wuhan and Hubei turned out to be one that saved the nation from a devastating catastrophe.

Namibian President Hage Geingob said Xi has led the Chinese people in waging an effective fight against COVID-19, which has demonstrated outstanding leadership and been highly appreciated by countries around the world, including those from Africa.

In a letter to Xi, 18 CEOs of the Global CEO Council said China, under Xi's strong leadership, has rapidly contained the coronavirus epidemic, taken the lead in resuming work and production, and played a positive role in supporting the global COVID-19 fight and maintaining world economic stability.

Institutional strengths given full play

Xi stressed that it is imperative to coordinate national response measures to fight the outbreak, adding that concentrating strength to accomplish big tasks is an advantage of China's socialist system.

Support was summoned from across the nation. All jumped into action after Xi, as the leadership core of the CPC Central Committee and the Party, issued his orders.

A central leading group on the epidemic response was set up on Jan. 25. Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, led a central guiding group to oversee work on the ground in Hubei for three months.

"Whatever situations it encounters or whatever needs it has, the group can directly phone me," said Xi, who made more than 100 instructions to the group.

Under Xi's leadership, more than 90 million CPC members and 4.6 million grassroots Party organizations joined the battle.

"The general secretary says the interests of the people come above all else. We, as Party members, must be at the forefront," said Xia Jian, secretary of a Party branch at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University.

Some lost their lives after they were infected on the front line while attending to patients. Liu Zhiming, president of Wuchang Hospital, and Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist at the Central Hospital of Wuhan, were among the fallen heroes honored as martyrs, a title given to citizens who bravely sacrifice their lives for the nation and the people.

Employees who are Party members also took the lead to work around the clock in fields closely connected with epidemic control such as building hospitals and producing masks.

Heeding Xi's order, the military sent its first group of medics to Wuhan on Chinese New Year's Eve. In total, three groups involving over 4,000 service personnel were dispatched. Supplies were airlifted to Wuhan by large transport aircraft.

China mobilized the best doctors, the most advanced equipment and the most needed resources to assist the all-out fight against the virus in Hubei and Wuhan, with all treatment expenses covered by the government, Xi said during the "two sessions."

Robert Kuhn, a leading U.S. scholar on China studies and chairman of the Kuhn Foundation, described China's mobilization as "unprecedented" in global health history.

Across China, over 42,000 medical workers, including academicians and top experts, were sent to Hubei. They endured tremendous fatigue and stress, and paid a heavy price. More than 2,000 medical workers were infected, and scores died in the line of duty.

In Wuhan, 16 exhibition halls and sports venues were converted into makeshift hospitals. Dozens of hospitals were repurposed. More than 600 venues were used for quarantine sites. All these measures helped add about 3,000 beds on a daily basis, easing the strain on hospital beds in the city.

"The key learning from China is speed," said Canadian epidemiologist Bruce Aylward, who led a team of WHO-organized international experts to China for a nine-day joint mission on COVID-19 in February.

Outside the hard-hit zone, the manufacturing of medical supplies was cranked up and "green passages" were opened. In a short time, everything from masks to life support equipment was rushed to the front line.

At the height of the outbreak, Hubei accumulated more than 100 extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machines, about a quarter of the nation's total of these sophisticated life support systems.

Xi ordered leveraging the country's institutional strength of "pairing" support. Nineteen provincial regions were "paired" with 16 cities and prefectures in Hubei to help them contain the outbreak.

Xi said science and technology hold the key to "eventually prevailing over the outbreak." He demanded research to be fast-tracked to solve key issues while meeting all safety standards.

Xi Jinping learns about the progress on the vaccine and anti-body research during his visit to the Academy of Military Medical Sciences in Beijing, capital of China, March 2, 2020. Xi inspected the scientific research on COVID-19 in Beijing on March 2. [Photo/Xinhua]

Universities, research institutes and businesses across the country joined forces to develop vaccines, medicines and treatment. A vaccine developed by Chinese researchers was the world's first to enter phase-two clinical trials on April 12. By July 23, nine enterprises in China had started clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccines. The emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines has also started.

In a country with a huge population of 1.4 billion, people acted orderly; they took the Party and government's advice seriously, staying at home for weeks and practicing social distancing.

Over 4 million community workers were mobilized to regularly disinfect public spaces, check body temperatures, and register visitors and take them to quarantine if necessary.

Grid management and neighborhood watches were initiated in some cities to detect and isolate suspected cases and their close contacts as soon as possible. Many volunteers showed up to help.

"Communities have made huge contributions in this epidemic response," Xi told community workers during a tree-planting activity in Beijing. "Looking forward, there are still formidable tasks ahead."

China's approach, truly mobilizing all of government and all of society, is estimated to have averted hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 cases, according to a report by the WHO-China Joint Mission on COVID-19.

International medical journal The Lancet said there are important lessons that presidents and prime ministers can learn from China's experience, highlighting the role of public health measures, such as surveillance and exhaustive contact tracing, in delaying the spread of infection.

China's COVID-19 fight offers three important pieces of experience to the world: talk to the public, slow the transmission of the disease, and prepare health systems for a spike in demand, according to the London-based magazine The Economist.