Chinese President Xi Jinping used his New Year’s message to say that China is now entering a “new phase” in its approach to Covid-19, acknowledging that the process so far has been marked by difficulties for the Chinese.
“At present, epidemic prevention and control are entering a new phase,” Xi said, according to Reuters. “It is still a time of struggle, everyone is persevering and working hard, and the dawn is yet to come.” The speech was delivered at the New Year meeting of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference; however, Chinese New Year is only celebrated on January 23.
The speech was delivered this Saturday, a day after Xi made his first public statements about the change in strategy of the Chinese authorities in the fight against the virus. In recent weeks, Beijing has relaxed its “zero tolerance” policy against Covid-19, after strong popular protests in several Chinese cities.
On Friday, Xi Jinping admitted that China had adapted the strategy “in light of the development of the situation.” “With extraordinary efforts, we have overcome unprecedented difficulties and challenges, and it has not been an easy road for anyone,” the president admitted, a “rare acknowledgment” of the harshness of the policy adopted so far of mandatory confinements, as classified. by the Bloomberg agency.
In this Saturday’s speech, the Chinese president went further by subtly referring to the protests of which he was the target, saying that “it is natural” that in a country with so many inhabitants (1.4 billion people) there are “different opinions”. . “What matters is that we build consensus through communication and consultation,” Xi decreed.
Source: Observadora
