From the year of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc around the globe and posed enormous challenges to all countries including China. The Communist Party of China and the Chinese government, putting the people and their lives above everything else, have pulled through the difficult times when the virus was wreaking havoc and to withstand multiple global waves, the safety and health of the Chinese people have been greatly protected. 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, we have taken the initiative to refine our COVID-19 response measures, with the focus shifting from “stemming infection” to “protecting health and preventing severe cases”. The purpose is to better coordinate COVID-19 response with economic and social development, and ensure the normalcy of people’s life and work.

China’s COVID-19 policy adjustment is science-based, timely and necessary. What we have done to fight against COVID-19 in the past three years has laid the foundation and created necessary conditions for the latest round of policy adjustment. We are well-prepared for the possible scenarios ensuing these adjustments and are taking a host of measures to safeguard the lives, safety and health of the people. All countries go through a period of adaptation when shifting gear in their COVID-19 policies and China is no exception. Now, the overall COVID-19 situation in China is within expectation and under control. We in China are confident that we will have an accelerated return of normal economic and social life and secure a complete and final victory against COVID-19.

China’s latest policy adjustment will create new conditions for stronger international exchanges and cooperation. According to the recently released Notice on Provisional Measures on Cross-border Travel, from January 8, inbound travelers to China will need to show a negative nucleic acid test taken within 48 hours prior to departure; those who have no issues to report in their health declaration and have been given regular customs inspection and quarantine clearance will no longer be subject to closed-loop transfer and quarantine at designated facilities; China will resume outbound tourism for Chinese citizens in an orderly fashion, and will gradually resume entry and exit of passengers by land and water on the basis of comprehensive assessment. By doing so, China will better facilitate the safe and orderly cross-border travel of Chinese and foreign nationals. Meanwhile, COVID-19 response measures of all the countries need to be science-based and proportionate. They should not be used for political manipulation, there should not be discriminatory measures against certain countries, and measures should not affect normal travel and people-to-people exchange and cooperation.

Since the outbreak of the epidemic, China and Azerbaijan have stood by each other and overcome the difficulties together, providing each other with firm moral support, timely material assistance and sharing important experiences, and jointly promoting international cooperation in combating the epidemic prevention, demonstrating the high level of mutual political trust between the two countries and fully illustrating the profound friendship of “true love in times of trouble”. At present, the global epidemic has not yet ended. China is willing to work with all countries in the world, including Azerbaijan, to strengthen solidarity and cooperation, promote mutual learning among each other, so as to contribute together to protecting the health and safety of the people and promoting the building community of common health for mankind.

Guo Min, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Azerbaijan