China’s Xi Takes Virus Victory Lap as Pandemic Rages Elsewhere
- President hands out awards to mark success against Covid-19
- Leader touts merits of one-party rule as democracies stumble
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President Xi Jinping hailed China’s success in suppressing the deadly pandemic first discovered on its soil, even as confirmed infections globally raced toward the 30 million mark.
In a pomp-filled ceremony in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Xi personally conferred medals on citizens deemed to have played instrumental roles in China’s fight against the virus identified in December in Wuhan. While other nations from India to the U.S. grapple with ever-expanding outbreaks, China hasn’t reported a domestic infection in 22 days and Xi has increasingly turned his attention to bolstering the battered economy.