Medical staffs swear in as members of "assault team" in the fight against the novel coronavirus-related pneumonia in a hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, January 22, 2020. Photo: Xinhua

Thanks to the important role of China's governance system, China has been able to achieve a periodic success in the ongoing battle against the still-not-well-known coronavirus. 

When many other countries are badly battered by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), China on Sunday reported zero new locally transmitted cases outside of Central China's Hubei Province for the second straight day. China had 40 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections on Sunday, the lowest number since the National Health Commission started publishing nationwide data on January 20. 

Comparing the epidemic prevention operations of China and of other countries, we can clearly see the strong execution of the Chinese government. This capability of doing corresponds to the country's comprehensive, effective, and responsible governance, of which the accountability system is a very important part.

US political scientist Francis Fukuyama said in his 2011 book The Origins of Political Order that state building, rule of law, and accountable government are three pillars of the modern political order. It is the continuously reformed and enhanced accountable governance that drives China to keep up with the times and maintain vitality. 

The political systems of China and the West are different, and so are their accountability systems. Many Western scholars and media outlets often try to understand China from the perspective of a two-party or multi-party system. Hence, they regard China opposite to the West's liberal democracy, slandering it as autocracy. Such misunderstanding has blocked Westerners from comprehensive knowledge of China's governance system. 

COVID-19 first broke out in Hubei's Wuhan, where the city and provincial authorities acted slow at the start. However, China's accountability mechanism took effect - with immediate changes of personnel in local leadership - to assure the following of orderly epidemic prevention operations. 

The accountability system has been playing an important role amid China's epidemic prevention. A special working group dispatched by the central government to Hubei has rectified problems in time by taking in local peoples' opinion and thus guaranteeing the execution of policies. 

We believe Westerners can get more comprehensive knowledge of China's political system through the country's recent efforts in battling the virus. As long as Westerners keep an objective attitude toward what China has been doing, they would clearly see the importance of the political system in China's epidemic prevention and avoid putting China under tinted spectacles.

Modern governance should be continuously adjusted with the times and focus on practices as well as effectiveness. No single standard can measure all alternatives of governance. 

All countries face the challenge of keeping their governance up with the times, where an effective accountability system is crucial as the world is undergoing profound changes. The US is no exception.

The US government is blamed by local media outlets for mismanagement that "helped fuel the coronavirus crisis." We wonder what role the US' accountability system will play in this perspective. 

China has formed its unique political system out of 70 years of unremitting exploration, and is constantly improving it. There have been imperfections in China's epidemic prevention. Take Dr. Li Wenliang, who first raised the alarm of the coronavirus and was granted a title of advanced individual in epidemic prevention on Thursday. But Li's incident has also reflected China's positive attitude toward its own shortcomings and for self-correction. 

As the epidemic battle continues, we believe the Chinese government will further adjust to perfect its epidemic prevention system in accordance with the country's conditions.