China maximumly reduces COVID-19's impacts on economic, social development

As China optimizes its pandemic response measures, regions across the country have resumed work, industrial production and commercial activities.

A tunnel of the Shenyang-Baishan high-speed railway in Baishan city, northeast China's Jilin province has resumed construction; in the Haikou International Duty Free City in south China's Hainan province, consumers are lining up in front of cashiers; an enterprise in Changde, central China's Hunan province recently received a 20-million-yuan ($2.87 million) export order…

People ski in a ski resort in Qingzhou, east China's Shandong province, Dec. 18, 2022. (People's Daily Online/Wang Jilin)

In 2020, China became the first major economy to attain positive economic growth; in 2021, the country's GDP topped 114 trillion yuan, with its two-year average growth standing at 5.1 percent; this year, the Chinese economy withstood pressure and kept consolidating the trend of recovery.

China has struck a balance between implementing COVID-19 response measures and stabilizing growth, between promoting development and keeping a red line in pandemic control, and between addressing short-term demands and pursuing long-term goals.

While safeguarding the lives and health of its huge population, the country has eradicated absolute poverty, built a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and got off to a good start in implementing the 14th Five-Year Plan, embarking on a new journey toward building a modern socialist country in all respects.

Practices proved that China has explored a path that well coordinates pandemic control and economic and social development. The country has to the maximum extent protected people's lives and health, and reduced the impacts from COVID-19 on economic and social development to the fullest.

A worker manufactures auto parts for new energy vehicles in a workshop of a company in Yuncheng, north China's Shanxi province, Dec. 19, 2022. (People's Daily Online/Zhang Xiufeng)

Coping with COVID-19 is a major test of the century, in which the most important thing is to ensure the safety of the people while advancing economy and livelihood. In the recent three years, China has constantly adjusted and optimized its prevention and control measures in accordance with the new features of the variants and the development of the pandemic. It has always been seeking a balance between COVID-19 response and economic development.

Over the recent three years, China has offered over a trillion yuan in tax relief for individual businesses and seen its annual grain output standing at more than 650 billion kilograms. It has launched a series of signature projects to promote high-quality development and released domestic demand through halving vehicle purchase tax and issuing consumption coupons.

China has coped with difficulties with science-based policies. It front-loaded and strengthened macro policies and accelerated the targeted implementation of micro policies, which boosted the confidence and relieved the burden of market entities. The country's efforts stabilized the general economic and social development and realized economic recovery.

Addressing both pandemic response and economic development, China has demonstrated its strategic composure in complicated situations, as well as its capability in effectively coordinating COVID-19 prevention and control and economic and social development.

Medicines are shipped from a distribution center of a pharmaceutical company in Lianyungang, east China's Jiangsu province, Dec. 18, 2022. (People's Daily Online/Geng Yuhe)

Now China has come to a new stage of pandemic response and optimized its control measures in accordance with the dynamics of COVID-19. It is earnestly implementing the new control measures, ensuring medical supply and services for the people, focusing on the control work for seniors and people with underlying diseases, ensuring people's health and preventing patients from developing critical symptoms.

By optimizing control measures, enhancing coordination, and ensuring organized implementation, the country will successfully cope with the currently rising infections and maintain a sound social order.

At present, the momentum for China's rapid economic rebound is being accumulated and released. The Chinese economy enjoys strong resilience, huge potential and strong vitality. The fundamentals sustaining China's long-term economic growth remain unchanged, and so do the factors supporting the country's high-quality development.

It is believed that as China further implements its new COVID-19 response measures and the country's policies to stabilize its economy continue taking effect, China's economic and social vitality will be released to the maximum extent, contributing to the country's economic recovery.