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China's Xi says 'light of hope in front of us' on Covid

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="EPA-EFE" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/03/10/xi_epa.jpg"/><figcaption>Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the closing session of the Chinese People&#x27;s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, China, on March 10, 2022. <em>Alex Plavevski, EPA-EFE</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>BEIJING, China - President Xi Jinping said Saturday the &quot;light of hope is right in front of us&quot; as China faces an explosion of Covid-19 cases after an abrupt lifting of restrictions.</p><p>Three years after the coronavirus first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan, Beijing this month began ditching its hardline containment policy known as &quot;zero-Covid&quot;. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/12/31/22/chinese-eye-border-reopening-with-both-fear-and-joy">Chinese eye border reopening with both fear and joy</a></li></ul><p>Chinese hospitals have since been hit by a flood of mostly elderly patients, crematoriums have been overloaded and many pharmacies have run out of fever medications. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/12/31/22/share-the-data-who-urges-china-at-covid-surge-talks">Share the data, WHO urges China at COVID-19 surge talks</a></li></ul><p>&quot;Epidemic prevention and control is entering a new phase... Everyone is working resolutely, and the light of hope is right in front of us,&quot; Xi said in a televised address for the New Year.</p><p>It was the Chinese president&#x27;s second time commenting on the outbreak this week. On Monday, he called for measures to &quot;effectively protect people&#x27;s lives&quot;.</p><p>China on Saturday reported more than 7,000 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.</p><p>Authorities have announced they will end mandatory quarantine on arrival for people entering China from January 8 and allow Chinese people to travel abroad, after three years of frustration.</p><p>In response, several European countries including France and Italy, as well as the United States and Japan, have announced they will require negative tests from passengers arriving from China. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/12/31/22/france-britain-impose-covid-tests-on-china-travelers">France, Britain impose COVID-19 tests on travelers from China</a></li></ul><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2397430" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><div><strong>&#x27;Understandable&#x27;</strong></div><p>The precautionary measures taken by several states are &quot;understandable&quot; in view of a lack of information provided on the outbreak by Beijing, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said.</p><p>&quot;In the absence of comprehensive information from China, it is understandable that countries around the world are acting in ways that they believe may protect their populations,&quot; he said. </p><p>Beijing says its Covid statistics have been transparent since the start of the pandemic.</p><p>The WHO announced on Friday evening that it had met with Chinese officials to discuss the outbreak.</p><p>&quot;The WHO again asked for regular sharing of specific and real-time data on the epidemiological situation -- including more genetic sequencing data, data on disease impact including hospitalisations, intensive care unit admissions and deaths,&quot; the UN health agency said in a statement. </p><p>It also called for data on vaccinations, in particular among vulnerable people including those over 60.</p><p>The &quot;zero-Covid&quot; policy had largely protected the Chinese population since 2020 through mass testing, strict monitoring of movement and quarantine orders. </p><p>But the strategy isolated the country from the rest of the world and dealt a severe blow to the world&#x27;s second-largest economy.</p><p>The draconian measures sparked nationwide protests last month in a rare display of dissent against the ruling Communist Party.</p><p>sbr/roc/am/axn</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2398501" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

President Xi Jinping said Saturday 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.