Xi praises COVID role models in speech

President Xi Jinping attends a meeting to commend role models in China's fight against the COVID-19 epidemic on Tuesday. He presented medals to four outstanding individuals, and delivers a speech at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Here are some highlights from his address.

Heroic feat

- China has achieved another heroic feat in humankind's fight against disease.

- The Communist Party of China Central Committee had adopted extraordinary measures to tackle the extraordinary incident of COVID-19 epidemic. China had effectively curbed the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic and protected people's lives and health to the greatest extent.

- The Chinese people put up a strong defense with unity to contain the COVID-19 epidemic.

- Millions of medical workers fought the COVID-19 epidemic at the front line across the country. Nearly half of the medical staff involved in the country's fight against COVID-19 are young people no more than 31 years old.

- Chinese economy is steadily turning for the better as the country has coordinated epidemic containment with economic growth after the sudden outbreak of COVID-19.

China has become the first major economy to return to growth since the COVID-19 pandemic, and has taken the lead in the world in both epidemic control and economic recovery.

- The major strategic achievement gained from China's fight against COVID-19 fully demonstrated the remarkable advantages of the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and socialism.