China was gradually achieving results and was confident it could defeat the epidemic with no long-term consequences for economic development, Xi told President Donald Trump in a telephone call, according to state television.
The call to the White House, which China has accused of scaremongering over the epidemic, came as China’s central bank vowed to step up support for the economy to cushion the blow of the outbreak.
First-quarter growth in the world’s second-biggest economy could slow by 2 percentage points or more, from 6%, in the last quarter, analysts say, but could rebound sharply if the outbreak peaked soon.
Chinese stocks were heading for their worst week since May while elsewhere in Asia, financial markets slipped after several days of gains.
Xi had earlier declared a “people’s war” on the virus, saying China had responded with all its strength and “the most thorough and strict prevention and control measures”, state media said.
The rallying cry came amid an outpouring of grief and anger on social media over the death of ophthalmologist Li Wenliang.
Li, 34, was one of eight people reprimanded by police in the central city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the contagion, last month for spreading “illegal and false” information about the flu-like virus.
His social media messages warning of a new “SARS-like” coronavirus – a reference to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) which originated in China and killed almost 800 people around the world in 2002-2003 – triggered the wrath of police.
China was accused of trying to cover up SARS.
Li was forced to sign a letter on Jan. 3 saying he had “severely disrupted social order” and was threatened with charges.
“We deeply mourn the death of Wuhan doctor Li Wenliang … After all-effort rescue, Li passed away on 2:58 a.m.,” the ruling Communist Party’s People’s Daily said on Twitter.
DATA WATCH
Many social media users described Li as a hero, accusing authorities of incompetence in the early stages of an outbreak that has now claimed more than 400 lives in Wuhan.
“Light a candle and pay tribute to the hero,” one person posted on the Weibo platform.
Some media outlets described Li as a hero “willing to speak the truth” but there were signs that discussion of his death was being censored.
The death toll in mainland China reached 636 with 73 more deaths recorded as of Thursday, and 3,143 new confirmed infections, taking the total to 31,161 cases, the National Health Commission said.
