Xi: Nation cannot afford complacency

Key meeting stresses need to reform disease prevention and control system

A key Party meeting on Wednesday stressed the need to reform China's disease prevention and control system and bolster its monitoring and early warning capacities for outbreaks in a bid to close the gaps and strengthen weak areas exposed in the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the country's top political authority, approved decisions in the meeting to streamline the medicine and healthcare system and refine laws and regulations on public health and emergency management.

The Standing Committee heard a work report by the steering group sent by the CPC Central Committee to oversee the epidemic response in Hubei province, according to a statement released after the meeting.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, emphasized at the meeting that the steering group has fought alongside the people of Hubei and its capital, Wuhan, and prioritized efforts to contain the spread of the outbreak, treat infected patients and ensure the supply of resources.

It has made the utmost effort to stem the spread of the pandemic and striven to secure the first line of defense in the country's epidemic containment, which has showcased China's strength, spirit and efficiency, he said, adding that the group has made important contributions to winning the people's war against the pandemic.

However, Xi said huge uncertainties still linger over the pandemic, given that the momentum of its global spread has yet to be curbed and the country is still seeing infections among clusters of people in certain areas.