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BEIJING, Feb. 18-- China's measures to prevent and control the COVID-19 epidemic are achieving visible progress as the battle has reached a crucial time, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a phone conversation with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday. In the phone call, Xi expressed his gratitude to Queen Elizabeth II and Johnson for their sympathies with China's fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, noting that Britain has offered China supplies in support of the fight, which demonstrates the friendship between the two countries and the two peoples. Since the outbreak, China has always prioritized its people's safety and health, given full play to its institutional advantages, mobilized the entire country, and adopted the most comprehensive, rigorous and thorough prevention and control measures, Xi said. Thanks to those arduous efforts, the situation is witnessing positive changes, and China's prevention and control measures are achieving visible progress, he added. Now the battle against the epidemic has arrived at a crucial time, he pointed out, stressing that China will strive to reduce the impact of the epidemic while resolutely carrying out the prevention and control efforts. Noting that the Chinese economy enjoys strong resilience, broad space for domestic demand and a solid industrial foundation, Xi said that China has confidence and capacity to achieve this year's targets for economic and social development, especially such key tasks as securing a victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and in eliminating poverty. | 
