General Secretary Xi Jinping chaired a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on March 27 to assess response to the COVID-19 outbreak and state of the economy in and beyond China and to discuss further plans to both defeat the virus and ensure economic and social development.

Reviewing significant developments in outbreak control and economic performance at home and broad, the Political Bureau underscored that the accelerating spread of COVID-19 outside China has seriously impacted the global economy and trade. It is also making it harder to prevent the importation of cases and putting greater strains on economic growth and particularly the restoration of industrial chains in China.

The Political Bureau underlined the need to fine-tune the existing approach and measures in light of the epidemic dynamics in and outside China. It called for intensified efforts to prevent both importation of cases and a possible domestic rebound to sustain the positive momentum already taking hold across the country.

The Political Bureau urged close monitoring and assessment of the global outbreak trajectory to swiftly pinpoint and manage underlying risks, ramp up health inspection at points of entry, optimize entry procedures, enforce quarantine requirements for inbound travelers, and provide for their daily needs while monitoring their health conditions.

The Political Bureau also stressed the importance of international cooperation and reaffirmed China’s commitment to deepening exchange and cooperation with WHO and providing further assistance to relevant countries.