Customs workers check an inbound passenger's health information card in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province, on April 3, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]

As nation advances, pressures expected from global economy, pandemic spread

China should fully prepare to deal with changes from the external environment for quite a long time given the continued spread of COVID-19 globally and the downward pressure facing the world economy, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said on Wednesday.

While China is making further progress in pandemic control with acceleration in economic and social recovery, the country is still faced with growing pressure from imported infections and new challenges in resuming work and production, he said, urging that worst-case scenarios should be kept in mind.

Xi made the remarks while delivering a speech at a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

The meeting, the ninth of its kind since the start of the outbreak, analyzed the COVID-19 situation and economic performance at home and abroad, made new arrangements in the implementation of regular pandemic prevention and control measures and fully advanced work resumption, according to a statement released after the meeting.

Xi urged efforts to hasten the comprehensive recovery in work and life, solve difficulties and problems during the process and limit the damage caused by the pandemic to a minimum while adhering to regular prevention measures.

More targeted and effective pandemic control measures should be adopted in a timely way to guard against imported infections or a rebound in domestic infections, he said.

In Hubei province and Wuhan, efforts should continue to focus on saving patients in critical condition, Xi said, and control measures in communities should be further improved to guarantee safety.

Local authorities, especially in provinces bordering Hubei, should strengthen communication and sharing of information and boost coordination on prevention measures to ensure consistency in personnel controls and mutual recognition of health codes, he said.

Xi also instructed that consistent effort be made in controlling the pandemic in Beijing and paying close attention to asymptomatic carriers, saying any possible loophole should be closed.

Meeting participants decided that pandemic control measures in coastal and border ports will be strengthened and border cities will be guaranteed greater support in pandemic control personnel and materials, the statement said.

Noting that China is faced with increasing difficulties in economic development, the meeting instructed local Party committees and governments to have a greater sense of urgency in creating the conditions for work and production resumption by all means while improving pandemic prevention measures according to their local conditions.

Greater support should be provided to industries facing difficulties as well as small and medium-sized enterprises, it said, while calling for efforts to facilitate normal business in daily life service industries, expand consumption by residents and speed up the building of investment projects.

China has ample grain reserves and is fully capable of guaranteeing the country's supply of grains and staple agricultural produce, the participants said.

The meeting required strengthened monitoring and supervision of domestic grain market prices and consistent effort in production and distribution of foods such as pork, fruit and vegetables to ensure the basic stability of market supply and prices.

It was decided that a minimum standard of living for disadvantaged people will be further guaranteed and people in difficulties caused by the pandemic or due to infection will be covered by subsidies.

People in regions severely hit by the pandemic will be provided with temporary living allowances and unemployment insurance will be expanded to better guarantee the basic living of the unemployed, the meeting said.

Participants also underlined the importance of identifying all kinds of potential safety dangers, improve contingency plans and enhance rapid response capabilities to protect lives and property.