H.E. Wang Xuefeng, Chinese Ambassador to Botswana*

Over the past three years, the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc around the globe and posed enormous challenges to all countries including China and Botswana.

Our two countries, putting the people and their lives above everything else, have made every effort to protect the lives, safety and health of the peoples.

In China, since the outbreak of COVID-19, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has always put the people and their lives above all else, and led the whole Party and people of all ethnic groups in concerted efforts in launching an all-out fight to stop the spread of the virus.

Significant achievements have been made in this three years’ fight against the epidemic with the health and safety of hundreds of millions of people having been protected to the greatest extent possible, and the impact on socio-economic development having been reduced to the minimum level. We can say with a clear conscience that over three years’ efforts have proved greatly effective and successful.

Because of the three years’ efforts, China managed to dodge the havoc of the more-deadly Delta and other variants, and reduced the rates of severe cases and mortality, protecting people’s lives and health to the greatest extent possible.

Because of the three years’ efforts, China bought precious time for vaccinating more people. As of January 4, 2023, a total of 3.48 billion doses of vaccines had been administered to 1.39886 billion people in China, of which 1.275855 billion had been fully vaccinated.

That means 92.9% of the Chinese population has been fully vaccinated, with more than 90% of people aged above 60 covered by vaccination. Such high coverage has effectively reduced the rate of severe cases.

Because of the three years’ efforts, China became the first major economy in the world to register positive economic growth in 2020. China’s average annual economic growth rate for the past three years stood at around 4.5%, higher than the global average.

China’s foreign trade for the year 2021 increased to $6.9 trillion, remaining top of the world. China’s total import and export of goods between January and November last year grew by 8.6%, with export up by 11.9%, making significant contribution to stabilising the world economy and driving the global trade.

Because of the three years’ efforts, China shared COVID-19 prevention, control and treatment protocols with more than 180 countries and international organisations, dispatched 38 medical expert teams to 34 countries, and provided over 2.2 billion doses of vaccines for 120 plus countries and international organisations, thus contributing to the global pandemic response and boosting hope and confidence for countries to overcome the pandemic.

Practice has fully proven that China’s COVID-19 policies are science-based and effective, which are compatible with the national realities. They have been recognised by the people and will stand the test of history.

The global COVID-19 situation has changed significantly nowadays. In the light of the marked decline of the pathogenicity and virulence in Omicron and the steady rise of China’s capacity for medical treatment, pathogen detection and vaccination, China has taken the initiative to refine its COVID-19 response measures.

We have adopted in an orderly fashion the 20 refined measures and 10 new measures, and decided to manage COVID-19 with measures against Class-B instead of the more serious Class-A infectious diseases, shifting the focus of our response from “stemming infection” to “protecting health and preventing severe cases”.

We aim to better adapt our response measures to the new development in the epidemic and features of new mutations, effectively coordinate COVID-19 response and socio-economic development, protect the safety and health of the people to the maximum extent possible, and restore normalcy to people’s work and life.

At the same time, China has been open and transparent in sharing relevant data and information with the international community including the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Following the recent adjustment of COVID-19 policies, relevant authorities in China shared COVID-19 genome sequence data from recent cases in the country through Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) at the first opportunity.

It is our hope that all sides take a science-based approach to ensure safe cross-border travel and keep global industrial and supply chains stable, so as to contribute to global solidarity against the pandemic and world economic recovery.

After the Chinese government adjusted its COVID response measures, heads of international organisations including the WTO and the OECD have expressed optimism about China’s economic prospects and confidence that this will shore up the world economy’s recovery and growth.

Recently, many international investment institutions have raised their 2023 growth forecast for China. Foreign chambers of commerce in China held the view that relevant measures will rebuild foreign investors’ confidence in the Chinese market and contribute to restoring optimism and reinstating China as a priority investment destination.

At present, China’s COVID situation is stable, under control and overall improving. Some provinces and cities have gone through the infection peak, where life and work are coming back to normal at a faster pace.

With demand picking up and new policies beginning to work, China will unleash more economic vitality and opportunities for the world, and be in a better position to help stabilise and boost the global economy.

Peoples in both China and Botswana are holding on with great fortitude, and the light of victory is right in front of us. China will continue to adapt its COVID response measures to the evolving epidemic situation and work with all sides including Botswana to ensure safe, unhindered and orderly cross-border travel and contribute to international solidarity against the pandemic as well as world economic recovery.