The coronavirus is a 'major test' for China: Xi Jinping

In a Monday meeting with top Chinese officials, President Xi Jinping called the coronavirus outbreak a “major test” for China’s government, according to an article in state media outlet Xinhua.

The outbreak is a major test of China's system and capacity for governance, and we must sum up the experience and draw a lesson from it," Xi said, according to Xinhua.

The meeting resulted in a call to improve China's public health and emergency management system, an “overhaul of environmental sanitation,” and a “crackdown on illegal wildlife markets and trade.”

Some context: Activists and international experts have long called for greater regulation on China's wildlife trade, which has led to previous outbreaks as well.

This coronavirus is believed to have originated from wild bats, while the 2003 SARS epidemic began from civet cats, which are considered a delicacy in some parts of South China.

China has also faced criticism for its initial handling of the outbreak, with accusations of a coverup inside of Wuhan resulting in a slow response.