Xi Jinping speaks out as China faces jump in Covid-19 cases

China’s President addresses the Covid problem for the second time in a week as the country’s hospitals deal with an influx of elderly people.

Xi Jinping assured the Chinese population that ‘epidemic prevention and control is entering a new phase’ during a televised address. Picture: AFP

President Xi Jinping says the “light of hope is right in front of us” as China faces an ­explosion of Covid-19 cases after an abrupt lifting of restrictions.

“Epidemic prevention and control is entering a new phase … Everyone is working resolutely, and the light of hope is right in front of us,” Xi said in a televised address on New Year’s Eve.

It was the Chinese President’s second time in a week commenting on the outbreak after calling for measures to “effectively protect people’s lives” last Monday.

China on Saturday reported more than 7000 new infections and one death linked to Covid out of its population of 1.4 billion, but the figures appear to be out of step with the reality on the ground.

Chinese hospitals have been hit by a flood of mostly elderly ­patients, crematoriums have been overloaded and many pharmacies have run out of fever medications since Beijing began ditching its hardline containment policy known as “zero-Covid” early in December.

Authorities have announced they will end mandatory quarantine on arrival for travellers entering China from next Sunday and allow Chinese people to travel abroad, after three years of frustration.

In response, several European countries, some in Asia, and Australia, Canada and the US, have announced they will require negative tests from passengers ­arriving from China, mostly over fears of new variants.

Morocco went a step further, announcing it was banning all ­incoming travellers from China, regardless of nationality.

The precautionary measures taken by several states are “understandable” in view of a lack of information provided on the outbreak by Beijing, World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said.

However, the European branch of the International Airports Council – which represents more than 500 European airports – denounced the new Covid checks on Saturday.

“These unilateral actions are at odds with all the experience and evidence gained over the past three years,” it said.

“Imposing other restrictions for travellers from this country is neither scientifically justified nor risk based.”

European countries will meet this week to discuss a joint ­response to the issue, with incoming EU presidency holder Sweden saying it was “seeking a common policy for the entire EU when it comes to the introduction of possible entry restrictions”.

The WHO also called for data on vaccinations, in particular among vulnerable people including those over 60.

Beijing says its Covid statistics have been transparent since the start of the pandemic.

Its zero-Covid policy had largely protected the Chinese population since 2020 through mass testing, strict monitoring of movement and quarantine orders. But the strategy isolated the country from the rest of the world and dealt a severe blow to the world’s second-largest economy.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen extended an olive branch to Beijing on Sunday, pledging to offer help if needed.

“As long as there is a need, we are willing to provide necessary assistance based on humanitarian concerns,” Ms Tsai said in her New Year’s Day speech.

She hoped Taiwanese aid could “help more people out of the pandemic and have a healthy and safe New Year”.

Xi also said in a separate speech on Friday that Beijing “resolutely fought against attempts by separatists to seek ‘Taiwan independence’ and intervention of external forces in this regard”.

Relations between Taiwan and China have deteriorated, with Beijing ramping up military, diplomatic and economic pressure on the self-ruled island, which it claims as part of its territory.

Last year Beijing staged massive military exercises near the ­island to protest against a visit to Taipei by US house Speaker Nancy Pelosi in August.

Ms Tsai said on Sunday that the Chinese military activities around Taiwan were “unhelpful” for maintaining relations between the two.

“War has never been an option to solve problems. Only dialogue, co-operation, and the common goal of promoting regional stability and development can make more people feel safe and happy,” she said.

A shared task for Taiwan and China in 2023 was to “restore post-pandemic healthy and sustainable exchanges between the people on the two sides” of the Taiwan Strait, Ms Tsai said.

“We also have a shared duty to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the region,” she said.

AFP