Xi chairs leadership meeting on regular epidemic control, supporting Hubei development

Aerial photo taken on April 28, 2020 shows growers picking tea leaves at a tea garden in Shengzi Village of Hefeng County, Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, central China's Hubei Province. (Photo by Yang Shunpi/Xinhua)

BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Wednesday chaired a leadership meeting on regular epidemic prevention and control and supporting the economic and social development in Hubei Province.

The meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee analyzed the COVID-19 situation at home and abroad.

Xi said arduous efforts have brought a decisive outcome to the fight of defending Hubei and its capital city Wuhan, and the nationwide battle against the epidemic has gained major strategic achievements.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues its explosive growth overseas, Xi said, noting the mounting pressure to prevent imported infections and the growing complexity of stemming domestic epidemic resurgence.

He demanded no relaxation in epidemic control to safeguard the hard-earned achievements.

All regions and departments should implement in detail the regular epidemic control measures to provide a solid guarantee to the full recovery of economic and social order, Xi said.

Stressing epidemic prevention and control in key areas and groups, Xi asked Heilongjiang Province in northeast China to make particular efforts to prevent infections in hospitals and go all-out to treat patients.

Hubei, including Wuhan, should continue strengthening community-level epidemic prevention and control, Xi said, also urging Beijing to continue implementing key prevention and control tasks.

Xi also emphasized epidemic control at transportation facilities and tourist sites during the upcoming five-day May Day holiday and asked schools to reopen in an orderly manner.

The meeting demanded improving the accuracy and effectiveness of measures taken to prevent imported COVID-19 cases.

China will continue to help relevant countries to the best of its ability, step up quality supervision of anti-epidemic supplies and continue to make active contributions to international cooperation on fighting COVID-19.

Workers work at the construction site of Joy City building complex in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, April 28, 2020. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)

The meeting noted that people in Hubei, especially those in Wuhan, have made great contributions to and great sacrifices for epidemic control, and the province is facing difficulties in promoting economic and social development and ensuring people's livelihood.

The CPC Central Committee has discussed and endorsed a package of policies for supporting the economic and social development in Hubei, specifying measures in fiscal, taxation, financial, credit, investment and foreign trade aspects.

Party committees and governments at all levels in Hubei were asked to accelerate the return to normal work and life order on the precondition of regular epidemic control.

Residents' employment and basic needs should be guaranteed while policies supporting people most in need should be implemented, the meeting noted, adding that all poor population must be lifted out of poverty.

The meeting also emphasized the need to accelerate work resumption and business reopening, help companies especially micro, small and medium-sized enterprises address difficulties, and promote the recovery of pillar industries such as auto manufacturing, electronic information, new materials and bio-medicine.

A number of important projects must be launched, and the construction of traditional and new infrastructures such as 5G and artificial intelligence must be sped up, the meeting said.

It stressed accelerating farm production and expanding sales channels for agricultural products to boost income for farmers.

It also emphasized enhancing public health and other emergency response systems to better address major emergencies.