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Joining the battle Xi: Nation Infection total can limit surges within impact of epidemic expectations By MO JINGXI [email protected]

Large rise in province’s cases due to can minimize the impact of the novel coronavirus pneumonia revised diagnosis criterion, experts say epidemic, maintain the country’s momentum of economic develop­ By ZHANG ZHIHAO for the National Health Commis­ ment and work to achieve the goals [email protected] sion, on Thursday. and tasks for this year, President Xi As of the end of Wednesday, Jinping said on Thursday evening. The sudden spike in newly con­ there were 52,526 confirmed cases He made the remark in a phone firmed cases of novel coronavirus on the Chinese mainland, he said. conversation with Malaysian Prime pneumonia in province on The sudden increase is due to a Minister Mahathir Mohamad, Wednesday is due to a revised revised diagnostic criterion, accord­ whom Xi described as an “old friend diagnosis criterion, and experts ing to the Hubei health authorities. Medical personnel from the People’s Liberation Army get off a military transport aircraft at of the Chinese people”. said the change, which is within On Feb 3, the National Health Tianhe International Airport in Hubei province on Thursday, marking the first civilian­related Mahathir’s phone call at such a expectations, can enable more Commission released the fifth edi­ mission carried out by the PLA’s Y­20 transport aircraft. The 1,400 military medical workers, critical period when the Chinese people to obtain appropriate medi­ tion of the diagnosis and treatment boarding 11 aircraft, will be joined by another 1,200 colleagues in the latest effort to fight the novel people are fighting the contagion cal treatment. plan. It required Hubei to count clin­ coronavirus pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan. CHEN XIAODONG / FOR CHINA DAILY See story, page 3 shows Malaysia’s friendly feelings Hubei had 14,840 additional con­ ically diagnosed patients as newly and support for China, Xi said. firmed cases on Wednesday, the confirmed cases so that more sus­ Xi stressed that the Chinese gov­ highest daily increase so far, Hubei pected patients can receive the same ernment has adopted the most com­ Provincial Health Commission said standard of treatment as confirmed prehensive, strictest and most on Thursday morning. ones, thus reducing the possible sweeping preventive measures Of these newly confirmed cases, spread of the virus and improving Hubei, Wuhan get new Party chiefs since the outbreak of the epidemic. 13,332 were clinically diagnosed, the treatment success rate. The fatality rate remains at a rela­ meaning suspected patients were On Tuesday, the provincial health By CAO YIN in province, started his career with tively low level, breakthroughs are identified as having the disease commission released the first figure and ZHOU LIHUA in Wuhan the industrial and commercial being made in treatment methods based on symptoms, medical his­ for clinically diagnosed cases, administration in Huangyan and the recovery rate continues to tory, and computerized tomogra­ which was 10,567 as of late Monday The top officials in Hubei prov­ county, , in December rise, he said. phy, or CT scans, rather than night, but it wasn’t added to the ince and the city of Wuhan were 1976. From 1984 to 1986, he stud­ Xi said that the Chinese govern­ testing positive for the virus using newly confirmed cases that day. replaced on Thursday, a move by ied law at the China University of ment will lead its people to win the lab kits, which accounted for 1,508 the central leadership to help the Political Science and Law. war of epidemic prevention and con­ of the new cases. See Surge, page 4 region better fight the novel coro­ Wang Zhonglin Since then, he has held office in trol with greater confidence, stronger The surge in Hubei pushed the navirus pneumonia outbreak. public security authorities and resolve and more targeted measures. new infections nationwide on Inside Approved by the Communist He said the country still faces a political and legal affairs agen­ Meanwhile, China will keep Wednesday to 15,152. Among the Party of China Central Committee, severe epidemic situation, and cies in the province’s cities of marching toward its long­term newly added 254 deaths, 242 were in • See more, pages 3, 5, 7, 11, 13 Ying Yong, mayor of , called on officials at all levels — Taizhou and . In 1995, goals with determination, he added. Hubei, said Mi Feng, a spokesman • Comment, page 8 was appointed Party secretary of the backbone and commanding he became deputy director of the Xi noted that China’s strong Hubei, replacing . officers in the battle against the Zhejiang Provincial Public Secu­ measures to curb the contagion not Wu Yuliang, deputy head of the disease — to meet the challenges rity Department, and 10 years lat­ only show its responsibility for the Organization Department of the head on and better undertake er he was named president of health of its own people, but also its Hard­hit cities told to scale CPC Central Committee, made their responsibilities. Zhejiang High People’s Court. contribution to global public health. the announcement to Hubei offi­ Thursday’s reshuffle was the In 2007, Ying was transferred This has been fully affirmed by cials at a conference on Thursday. latest move to inject fresh impe­ to Shanghai and became the other countries and the World up prevention measures He said the decision was made tus into the leadership in Hubei. president of Shanghai High Peo­ Health Organization, he said, adding by the central leadership after On Monday, Chen Yixin, secre­ ple’s Court in 2008. Five years lat­ that China will continue to strength­ By XU WEI medical treatment and isolation thorough and careful considera­ tary­general of the Commission er, he was promoted to the city’s en cooperation with the internation­ [email protected] measures on a par with those in tions, and is based on the needs for Political and Legal Affairs of leadership and started to serve as al community to fight the epidemic. Wuhan, the provincial capital. of the epidemic prevention and the CPC Central Committee, Shanghai mayor in January 2017. In particular, the governments A meeting chaired by Premier Li The authorities in Hubei and control work as well as the reality returned to Hubei as deputy head Wang, the new Wuhan Party and people in neighboring countries Keqiang on Thursday called for the Wuhan must scale up control over of the leadership structure in of a central government group to secretary, 57, is a native of Shan­ with friendly relations with China, authorities in Wuhan, the epicen­ roads leading out of the province Hubei, according to a report by guide the local disease preven­ dong province. He began his including Malaysia, have taken posi­ ter of the novel coronavirus pneu­ and the city to prevent the spread of Xinhua News Agency. tion and control work. Chen was career at a public security bureau tive steps to provide timely assist­ monia outbreak, to accelerate the epidemic, said a statement On the same day, Wang Zhong­ deputy Party secretary of Hubei in the province’s city of Zao­ ance to China, he said. steps to offer treatment to con­ released after the meeting. lin, Party secretary of Jinan, capi­ and Party secretary of Wuhan zhuang in 1984 and joined the This is a vivid example of how firmed and suspected cases and It is important to focus on priori­ tal of province, from December 2016 to March CPC in the same year. countries in the region help each isolate close contacts in curbing tized areas, make coordinated replaced Guoqiang to be the 2018 before he was transferred to In 2013, Wang became mayor other in times of need, Xi said. the contagion. efforts and adopt differentiated top official of Wuhan, the epicen­ the secretary­general post. of Liaocheng, Shandong. Five He said China will continue to The meeting of the leading group strategies to resolutely win the bat­ ter of the ongoing viral outbreak. On Tuesday, Wang Hesheng, years later, he was named the enhance preventive cooperation of the Communist Party of China tle against the outbreak and There was no information former deputy head of the Party secretary of Jinan, the pro­ with member countries of the Associ­ Central Committee on coping with endeavor to meet the targets for about future arrangements for National Health Commission, vincial capital. ation of Southeast Asian Nations in a the outbreak also stressed the need social and economic development Jiang or Ma. was named director of the Hubei transparent and open way to jointly to enable Xiaogan and Huanggang, this year, the statement said. On Monday, , gener­ provincial health commission. Contact the writers at safeguard public health in the region. cities in Hubei province also hit al secretary of the CPC Central Both Ying Yong and Wang [email protected] China will continue to treat citi­ hard by the outbreak, to adopt See Meeting, page 4 Committee, said during an Zhonglin have had long working zens of Malaysia and other countries inspection in Beijing that offi­ experience with the political and Inside in China the same as Chinese citi­ cials could be better assessed in legal affairs departments. zens and take care of them, he added. Safe passage face of major challenges. Ying, 62, a native of Zhejiang Editorial, page 8 Xi also said that the profound friendship between the people of Chi­ na and Malaysia is unshakable although the epidemic has temporari­ INNOVATION HELPS CONQUER BOREDOM ly affected normal personnel ◆ exchanges between the two countries. While the two countries are join­ Restless residents become creative at home amid outbreak ing hands to deal with the challenge, Xi called on the two sides to contin­ By WANG QIAN ue to deepen bilateral ties especially [email protected] in cooperation on jointly building the Belt and Road to produce more ith plenty of time at outcomes that benefit both coun­ home on his hands tries and peoples. during the extend­ Mahathir, on behalf of the Malay­ ed Spring Festival He was unable to meet friends sian government, expressed condo­ break, Leng Yang came up withW over Spring Festival due to the lences to the Chinese government an innovative idea involving the novel coronavirus pneumonia and people over their suffering as a use of shells from popular Lunar outbreak, but chose to share his result of the epidemic. New Year snacks such as pistach­ work with millions of netizens on Malaysia greatly appreciates the ios and almonds, along with sun­ social media platforms such as efforts and positive progress that flower seeds. Sina Weibo and Douyin. China has made to deal with the con­ The 30­year­old designer Inspired by his efforts, many tagion, which is China’s contribution A worker passes through an automatic disinfection gate before he from Weifang, Shandong prov­ kindergarten children have been to maintaining global public security leaves a factory in on Wednesday. The local authorities ince, spent three days making a asked by their teachers to use as a responsible country, he said. have asked enterprises to step up epidemic prevention and control figure of Mickey Mouse. A video shells to create such figures. A man does exercise on his Mahathir said that as a sincere efforts before they resume production. LIU CHAN / XINHUA of him putting the artwork Leng is not the only person to balcony in Xining, friend of China, Malaysia has together has been viewed more come up with creative ways to pass province, on Feb 7. already provided a batch of medical than 100 million times online. the time during the outbreak. MA MINGYAN / CHINA NEWS SERVICE supplies and is willing to continue Leng said in the video: “Give Cheng Dadu, from Xi’an, to provide assistance. 国内统一编号: CN11­0091 国际标准编号: ISSN0253­9543 邮发代号:1­3 shells a new lease of life. Salute the province, who enjoys run­ Since Jan 30, he has run about 100 The Malaysian prime minister © 2020 China Daily Year of the Rat,” adding that he ning marathons, posted footage kilometers every day indoors. stressed that his country believes All Rights Reserved A member of the decided to make the figure in an on Weibo of himself running bare­ that China’s development can return Vol.40 — No. 12409 Asia News Network attempt to combat his boredom. foot for 10 hours in his living room. See Virus, page 2 to normal under Xi’s leadership.