The Chinese side expressed that since the outbreak of the COVID, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has adhered to a people-first and life-first philosophy, and taken multiple measures to deal with the impact of the pandemic, safeguarding the life of hundreds of millions of people to the greatest extent possible and minimizing the impact of the pandemic on economic and social development. Recently, we have adjusted and optimized the pandemic prevention and control measures in light of the evolving situation, actively shifting the focus of our response from stemming infection to caring for health and preventing severe cases, which is scientific, timely and necessary. This is also important from a strategic and long-term perspective for effectively coordinating COVID response with economic and social development. At present, we have been stepping up efforts in medical treatment, protection of key populations and key institutions, capacity-building for pandemic prevention and control in rural areas, and the supply of medicines and other materials. China has the confidence, ability and condition to cope with the impact of the pandemic by strengthening the defense line and better coordinating pandemic prevention and control with economic and social development.

The Chinese side introduced, given the Chinese and foreigners’ need to exit and enter China and the changes in domestic and foreign pandemic situations, China will improve its immigration administration policies and measures in accordance with the law to promote exchanges between Chinese and foreign personnel. China will continue to coordinate pandemic prevention and control with flight resumption, approve international flight plans in a timely manner, maintain the order of the transportation market, protect consumers’ rights and interests, and facilitate international travel and economic and trade exchanges. Meanwhile, China will continue to optimize the health and quarantine measures for people and goods entering the ports and resume border opening in a steady and orderly manner to ensure the unimpeded industrial and supply chains.

The Chinese side pointed out that China hopes that personages from the foreign business community can have confidence in China’s efforts to promote high-quality development and high-level opening-up. The fundamentals of China’s stable and long-term economic growth remain unchanged, as do China’s advantages of an enormous market, a complete industrial system and well-developed industrial and supply chains. China will advance a broader agenda of opening up across more areas and in greater depth, continue to promote the implementation of various policies and measures to open up to the outside world and stabilize foreign investment, and foster a world-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized. China’s new development will certainly bring new development opportunities to all market entities, including foreign investors.

The Chinese side responded to on-site questions from representatives of the foreign business community including the adjustment of China’s pandemic prevention and control measures, the monitoring of virus mutation, China’s policies to attract foreign investment, China’s efforts in stabilizing an unimpeded supply chain, changes in China’s inspection and quarantine policy, the optimization of immigration management measures, and direct flights from other countries to China. The Chinese side expressed that China has always been refining pandemic containment measures in light of the evolving situation and coordinating pandemic prevention and control with social and economic development. China will continue to ensure stable and friendly economic and people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries through various means, and promote global economic recovery with people from the business community of all countries.

The representatives present thanked the IDCPC for organizing this briefing, which made them more confident in China’s development prospects and more determined to develop in China. They expressed the willingness to strengthen cooperation with China in economy, trade, investment and other fields to achieve mutual benefits and win-win results and promote common development.

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