Experts say Xi's speech boosts confidence in global fight against COVID-19

BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping's speech at a meeting to commend role models in the fight against COVID-19 has demonstrated the country's tremendous achievements against the pandemic, and inspired confidence for world's final victory against the pandemic, experts said.

At the meeting held here on Tuesday morning, Xi said that China has made major strategic achievements in the battle against COVID-19, demonstrating the notable advantages of the Communist Party of China (CPC) leadership and the country's socialist system, the great strength of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation, the profound heritage of Chinese civilization, and the country's sense of responsibility as a major global player.

Wilson Lee Flores, a columnist of The Philippine Star newspaper, said that "Chinese people's decisive victory over the COVID-19 pandemic is inspiring, a source of hope."

"The world can learn much from China's hard-fought success made possible due to the respect for science, transparency, speed, pro-people policies and strong political will of the Chinese government, leaders and people; also the unity, the unconquerable spirit and sacrifices by the Chinese people," Lee said.

Christine Bierre, editor-in-chief of France's Nouvelle Solidarite magazine and an expert at Schiller France Institute, praised China for being proactive in putting "the life and health of the people first," noting that it has used its scientific and technical know-how in AI, 5G, research and production, to save all possible lives.

Bierre said she believes that China has acted in an exemplary manner in this crisis, in particular in terms of transparency, responsibility towards the international community and voluntarism in the face of adversity.

Saeed Chaudhry, director of the Islamabad Council for International Affairs, said that the Chinese leadership has taken a clear strategy to handle the pandemic, which features putting people's lives first.

"They made it exemplary," said Chaudhry, referring to China's achievements to save its people from the virus.

In addition, Indrananda Abeysekera, president of the Association for Sri Lanka-China Social and Cultural Cooperation, commended China's action toward building a community with a shared future for mankind, saying that fulfilling the vision "is the right way for the world."

"I remember the way China helped Sri Lanka during the pandemic," he said, adding that as a major country, China has shown the responsibility to jointly build a global community of health for all.

Abdul Ghafar Gardizi, a former professor at Marshal Fahim National Defense University in Afghanistan, said that as COVID-19 developed into a pandemic, China, while fighting to contain the virus on the domestic front, also provides much-needed assistance to many other countries.

"I totally agree with President Xi that people around the world could eventually overcome all kinds of problems and build a better world through solidarity and cooperation," he said.

Gardizi, also a local commentator, expressed the belief that the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative will help people in the region and the whole world to cope with common challenges facing mankind and build a more prosperous world.