Chinese President Xi Jinping ‘confident’ coronavirus outbreak can be contained
- President makes first public appearance since January 28 to say that measures taken to control outbreak are working
- Xi also welcomes Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to Beijing, saying Cambodians stuck in Wuhan will be well looked after
In footage shown by state broadcaster CCTV, Xi said China had adopted strict measures and was achieving results.
“China is confident and capable of containing the outbreak,” he said, adding that the Cambodian students stuck in Wuhan would be well taken care of.
Xi also chaired a legal work conference on Wednesday, at which he said the nation’s legal system had a key role to play in helping to contain the virus. It was essential, he said, that laws covering the trade in wild animals and the management of public health incidents were strictly enforced.
Health authorities in China have recently identified a number of patients who have become carriers and transmitters of the coronavirus despite showing no outward symptoms of infection.
Li Xingwang, an expert in infectious diseases at Beijing Ditan Hospital, said most of the “dormant” carriers were related to and had caught the virus from patients with symptoms.
In more positive news, the Wuhan Institute of Virology has applied for a patent on an experimental drug it hopes could be used to treat the coronavirus.
The drug has not been approved or licensed for use anywhere in the world, but has been rushed into trials in China after showing positive results when given to coronavirus patients.
Chinese officials, however, advised against such a trip and a visit to Beijing was agreed as an alternative.
“My sudden decision to visit China at this special time is to show the great support to the Chinese government and people from the Cambodian government and people,” Hun Sen told Xi when they met.
The Cambodian leader also met Li during his brief stay.
Hun Sen’s Facebook post came after he was criticised by the Cambodian media for not arranging the evacuation of about two dozen Cambodians from Wuhan.
Several countries, including the United States and Australia, have banned people who have recently visited China from entering their territories, a move Beijing described as an “excessive reaction” to the WHO’s suggested measures.
As a close ally to China, Hun Sen criticised “some countries” that had imposed “extreme restrictions”, though he did not name any.
Cambodia, which has reported just one confirmed coronavirus case, would maintain proper exchanges with China, he said.