Tao Wenzhao: The Chinese System Enduring the Trial of Pandemic Outbreak

The fight against the COVID-19, which started at the beginning of 2020, has posed severe challenges to China’s governance system and capacities. The battle has not only manifested the advantages of CPC leadership and the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, but also exposed their flaws. As a response, we should make efforts to address inadequacies and shore up points of weakness, making the socialist system with Chinese characteristics stronger through tough trials.

1. People-centered values

We should integrate the control of COVID-19 outbreak with social and economic development, as an effort to further promote the social and economic development targets. In the face of COVID-19 outbreak, we should keep a clear mind and maintain the momentum of development strategies. One the other hand, despite its negative impacts on the economies, the outbreak won’t change the long-term prospect of the Chinese economy due to great resilience and potential. To balance the two aspects, we have to adhere to new development approaches, deepen the supply-side structural reform, thus securing the victory in three major battles. At the same time, measures should be taken to stabilize the employment rate, financial market, international trade, investment sector and economic anticipation, while giving full play to the initiative, innovation and proactivity of various aspects of the society, so as to minimize the influences of the outbreak, achieve the goal of comprehensive social and economic development. Therefore, we may secure the grand victory of building a moderately prosperous society and concentrate the power to conquer the poverty, thus realizing the targets of the 13th Five Year Plan.

2. A Comprehensive Approach to Controlling Nationwide Outbreak

President Xi Jinping pointed out that we must take a comprehensive approach to controlling nationwide outbreak. The sudden attack of COVID-19 requires a comprehensive strategy with cooperation from all walks of life. It is also a war facing everyone that can only be won by mobilizing extensive social resources. Victory is never possible without the strong CPC leadership, widespread social involvement and active public supports.

The fight against the outbreak is essentially a general war that requires extensive supports from the country. It should be noted that the blocking-action is different from the sniping action. The former aims to stop or hinder the enemies with firepower and armed forces, while the latter is an operation that aims to conquer individual target in an accurate and sudden manner with hidden weaponry. The blocking-battle against the outbreak demands a systematic tactic, with sound coordination between patient treatment, scientific research, material supplies, information publication, direction of public voices and mobilization of resources. To combat the virus, we must ensure joint defense by mobilizing various resources, sustain people’s lives with ample market supplies, and guarantee the safety and protection of medical workers. Besides, efforts must be made to direct the public voices and address the psychological problems among the citizens. The control of the outbreak can never be achieved solely through the efforts of a single department or a single region, but needs a comprehensive deployment and overall participation from all walks of life.

3. Strengthening the System through Self-reflection

The system of socialism with Chinese characteristics has endured the trial of COVID-19 outbreak. Since its foundation, China has gradually established a socialist system and governance structure with Chinese characteristics, which provides a fundamental guarantee for its development. Practically, it turns out that the CPC central committee has made accurate judgment in terms of the outbreak situations, and responded with timely deployment and potent measures. These measures have been focusing on the people and CPC leadership, and concentrating the strength for greater achievements, which have brought system’s advantages into full play. In the meanwhile, it is also worth noting that improving and consolidating the system is a dynamic process, so is the modernization of governance capacities. These tasks cannot be accomplished with a single step, and defy once-and-for-all solutions. The COVID-19 is a major public health emergency that has faced China since its foundation with the fastest transmission speed, widest infectious magnitude and toughest measures to tackle. For China, it is both a crisis and a trial. In the face of the severe challenges posed by the outbreak to China’s governance system and capacities, we must seize the opportunity to reflect ourselves and draw lessons.