Targeted approach key to containing pandemic

Over the past nearly three years, China has explored and adopted a largely different approach from some Western countries' laissez-faire system to contain the pandemic. This is because it has to take into account the country's more than 267 million people aged above 60, improve the stretched and unbalanced healthcare system, and meet people's high expectations in terms of public health.

But just as any debate on any subject relating to China, including the development model, the one on China's pandemic prevention and control measures, too, has sparked controversy abroad.

Despite such debates and criticisms, however, there is no denying that the seemingly harsh anti-pandemic policy has kept the numbers of confirmed cases and deaths relatively low, albeit at considerable economic and other costs. In comparison, the United States has reported about 100 million cases and 1.1 million deaths in spite of having a much smaller population than China's and the world's most advanced healthcare system.