China Passed 'extraordinary' Virus Test, Says Xi

President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday the mainland acted in an open and transparent manner on the Covid-19 outbreak as he hailed the country's victory over the pandemic as "an extraordinary and historic test".

Xi, speaking at a ceremony honouring role models during the country's fight against the disease, said China is the first major economy to return to growth during the pandemic – a fact he said demonstrates the country's strong abilities and vitality.

The country had taken concrete efforts that helped save tens of millions of lives around the world during the pandemic, he said.

"We have passed an extraordinary and historic test," Xi said, praising the country for a "heroic struggle" against the disease.

"We quickly achieved initial success in the people's war against the coronavirus. We are leading the world in economic recovery and in the fight against Covid-19."

But the president warned that a sustained efforts are needed to achieve the complete victory over fight against covid-19 and that the country will continue to support those who are engaged in the fight against the pandemic.

Xi doled out gold medals to four "heroes" from the medical field in front of hundreds of applauding delegates on Tuesday, all wearing face masks and strikingly large red flower pins.

The four awardees included 83-year-old Zhong Nanshan – the country's most famous medical expert who emerged as the face of the mainland's fight against the contagion.

Three others were given the honorary title of "The People's Hero" – biochemical expert Chen Wei, the head of a hospital in Wuhan, and a 72-year-old expert in traditional Chinese medicine.

There was no mention however of whistleblower doctor Li Wenliang, who was among the first to be silenced for raising the alarm about the outbreak and later died from the disease.

Before the ceremony, state broadcaster CCTV showed a video montage of Wuhan at the peak of the outbreak set to rousing music, including images of medical staff in hazmat suits and crowded hospitals.

According to official numbers there have been 4,634 deaths on the mainland from Covid-19. The government has largely contained the outbreak through a serious of strict lockdowns and travel restrictions. (Reuters, AFP)