Xi stresses law-based epidemic prevention, control

BEIJING - President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for greater legislative, law enforcement, judicial and law observance efforts to strengthen the capacity to carry out law-based infection prevention and control.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the statement when presiding over the third meeting of the Commission for Overall Law-based Governance of the CPC Central Committee. Xi is the head of the commission.

Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu and Wang Huning, who are deputy heads of the commission, attended the meeting.

Documents including the commission's guidelines on practicing law-based infection prevention and control of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus were adopted at the meeting.

While addressing the meeting, Xi said the infection prevention and control is at a critical moment and stressed the utmost importance of carrying out the work in a law-based, scientific and orderly manner.

Xi spoke of the need to improve legislation related to epidemic prevention and control, strengthen the building of supporting institutions and improve punishment procedures.

Laws and regulations on epidemic prevention and control and emergency response must be strictly enforced, risk assessment be improved and decisions be made prudently and in accordance with the law, Xi said.

He also stressed strict enforcement of law on prevention and control of infectious diseases and the regulation regarding its implementation, laws on wildlife protection and animal quarantine, as well as the regulation on public health emergency response.

Xi called for a severe crackdown on illegal activities and crimes ranging from resisting epidemic prevention and control efforts, assaulting medical workers, manufacturing and selling fake products, to rumor-mongering that undermines epidemic prevention and control efforts.

Donations and receiving donations should be carried out according to the law, Xi stressed, noting that all donated funds and goods should be used for epidemic prevention and control in a timely manner.

Xi also stressed timely and accurate release of the epidemic information in accordance with the law, as well as strengthened public legal education and legal services related to the epidemic prevention and control.

Xi told Party committees and governments at all levels to improve law-based governance through coping with major emergencies.

The meeting stressed implementing judicial reforms, strengthening rule of law in rural areas and reforming the system of administrative reconsideration.

Chinese socialist rule of law is the most basic, stable and reliable guarantee to the governance of systems, said the meeting, adding that law-based governance should be advanced to boost the role of rule of law in modernizing China's system and capacity for governance.