[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Sunmi Park] As the number of confirmed cases of 'Wuhan Pneumonia' in China approaches 3,000, there is an analysis that President Xi Jinping's leadership is at risk of being undermined.
According to CNN on the 27th, many China experts, including Professor Adam Ni of Macquarie University in Australia, are viewing the current Wuhan Pneumonia outbreak as a test of President Xi's leadership.
In an op-ed, Professor Ni diagnosed that public evaluation of the Communist Party will be determined by how the Chinese government handles this situation, stating, "Currently, the Communist Party is pouring all resources into resolving the crisis, which reflects the recognition that this situation is very serious. There is a possibility that President Xi's reputation will be damaged, which will put considerable pressure on the current leadership."
He added, "China's centralized political structure means that if things go well, all glory goes to President Xi, but if things go wrong, President Xi cannot avoid blame. It is a matter of high risk and high reward for President Xi."
Wang Xiangwei, a China expert and former editor of the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP), judged the delayed response of China's local governments to this situation as a side effect of President Xi's process of consolidating power. He pointed out, "The system in which President Xi solidified his power and urged other officials to fully comply with the Party leadership has created an atmosphere where local governments cannot make important decisions on their own and only wait for instructions from the central government."
As the number of confirmed cases of Wuhan Pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus infection approaches 3,000 and the death toll surpasses 80, China is implementing the highest level of response by locking down concentrated infection areas and restricting people's movement. On the same day, three departments?the State Administration for Market Regulation, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and the National Forestry and Grassland Administration?announced a ban on wildlife trade. The State Council decided to extend the Lunar New Year holiday from the 30th of this month to the 2nd of next month for three days in response to the increasing spread of Wuhan Pneumonia.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, at President Xi's request, personally visited Wuhan, the virus outbreak site, to attend to public sentiment. Analysts suggest that Premier Li's visit reflects the highest national leadership's effort to take the lead in managing the situation amid concerns about public unrest as Wuhan Pneumonia rapidly spreads nationwide, signaling this commitment both domestically and internationally.
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