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"I have been personally commanding the disease prevention and control work," Chinese President Xi Jinping told Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on January 28.

Every political system has its strengths and weaknesses. China's strength has been its centralized top-down command and the ability to mobilize the entire country in times of crisis. In the current battle against COVID-19, this power has deeply impressed the world.

Despite the initial mismanagement by the local government, once the news of the disease emerged, the central government took swift action. It began with an unprecedented meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on the first day of the Lunar New Year, chaired by Xi, also secretary general of CPC Central Committee. A leading group was established at the meeting at the country's top level leadership to command the nationwide battle against the coronavirus.

President Xi saw that Hubei Province is the core of the problem. Winning the battle in the province meant the country wins the war against the virus. To that end, as the chairman of the Central Military Commission, President Xi mobilized the People's Liberation Army to join the fight. Military personnel were airlifted into Wuhan to provide support on the ground. They were given the authority over Huoshenshan Hospital, the facility in charge of caring for COVID-19 patients, and military medical staff stood on the front line against the disease.

A centralized command makes taking tough but necessary actions more efficient. President Xi was firm in his belief to isolate the source of the problem and take in all patients for medical care. Even as the country is on the path towards normalization and full recovery, strict travel restrictions and monitoring systems are still in place to prevent the recurrence of the outbreak. Medical supplies and daily necessities are in storage and ready to be shipped to places under lockdown in a quick notice.

As many countries are coming to realize now, a strong hand isn't excessive in combating the virus. The WHO has said that China's actions are the only ones with proven record of success in combating COVID-19 and has praised the country for the tough decisions it has taken. With cases surging across the globe, many countries are now following China's steps to centralize the command structure within their government and shutting down towns and cities to prevent the spread of the disease. 

But, ultimately, it is the system's strength that's been at work here. With President Xi at the top of the command structure, the government and the people worked together as a whole in fighting the epidemic. At times when hesitation and over-deliberation are detrimental to the response efforts, the Chinese government has been decisive in taking necessary measures. And now, with the infection numbers across the country decreasing, the end of the crisis seems to be in sight.

Script writer: Huang Jiyuan

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