More than a year has passed since the outbreak of Covid-19 epidemic in Wuhan. The epidemic has profoundly reshaped the world and changed people’s lives. The government has increased public investment in medical and health care, enterprises have paid more attention to the security of the supply chain, and people have also adapted to life under the epidemic. No one can tell for sure whether the Covid-19 will disappear suddenly like SARS in 2001 or it will coexist with human beings forever like AIDS.<\/p>\n
In China, most people tend to believe that Covid-19 can neither be eradicated nor have another large-scale outbreak. Schools across the country have resumed classes, and students no longer need to study online. Foreign students can also return to school, although nucleic acid testing and medical observation are required after their landing. Tourism, the most affected industry, is also gradually resuming work. According to the report of the China Tourism Research Institute, the number of domestic tourists in China will reach 4.1 billion in 2021, an increase of 42% over 2020. If the global epidemic is effectively controlled, the number of cross-border tourists will rebound in the second half of this year.<\/p>\n
The Chinese government has announced free Covid-19 vaccination for all citizens. Now, the authorities are accelerating the vaccination plan. By March 27, 2021, more than 102 million people in China have taken Covid-19 vaccine doses. It is hoped that China will reach 70 percent to 80 percent coverage of inoculation with the Covid-19 vaccine, basically achieving herd immunity by the beginning of 2022, or even by the end of 2021. Besides the vaccination, China also launched an \u201cInternational Travel Health Certificate\u201d system, offering a clue for how international travel would return to normal post-Covid-19. The certificate records the results of nucleic acid tests and serum antibody tests, as well as vaccination status and other information. This is an international version of the \u201cHealth Code\u201d system, which has been widely used in daily lives by Chinese people since February 2020.<\/p>\n
In China, a developing country, you can easily find more eye-catching news than Covid-19. For example, China’s “Two Sessions” meeting, the country’s most important political gathering of the year, was held in Beijing in early March. The meetings approved China’s 14th five-year plan (2021-2025) and long-term developing plan until 2035 – documents that will shape the political and economic landscape in China for the coming years. According to the plans, China aims to have CO2 emissions peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060, which has caused heated discussions. How to achieve the goal of reducing carbon emissions while ensuring rapid economic growth is a challenge for officials, entrepreneurs, and scholars.<\/p>\n
Covid-19 has also exposed weaknesses in the global supply chain. For security reasons, companies will relocate parts of their supply chains. If there is no effective communication and mutual trust, this is likely to lead to the reversal of globalization and the recession of the world economy. As the only country in the world to possess all the sections in the United Nations industrial classification system, China has been a staunch supporter of globalization. How to repair the global industrial chain and rebuild confidence in globalization is also a hot topic in China today.<\/p>\n
2021 is also an important political year for China, which marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. All party members are called on to study the history of the CPC. A series of exhibitions and celebrations will also be held in July. For a party with more than 91 million members, this is truly a big event.<\/p>\n
Author: Lang Kun, Ph.D. Candidate from Tsinghua University in Beijing<\/p>\n