In a briefing, Hu Xiang from the National Health Commission’s disease prevention and control bureau, said that Beijing's rigorous containment measures, including lockdowns, quarantines and mass testing, were "completely correct" and "the most economical and effective," according to a report by Reuters news agency.The statement will put a damper on expectations that China might follow most Asian countries in easing its COVID policies, amid recent reports by Bloomberg that Beijing is making preparations to scrap penalties for airlines bringing COVID cases into the country.Asked whether a policy change is to be expected in the near term, Hu said that China would "adhere to the principle of putting people and lives first, and the broader strategy of preventing imports from outside and internal rebounds."Tuo Jia, a National Health Commission official, acknowledged that there have been complaints in some cities about the strict enforcement of the zero-COVID policy and said that local authorities need to balance epidemic prevention with economic development, the Associated Press reported.German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced during a one-day visit to Beijing on Friday that the Chinese government would soon offer the BioNTech/Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to expats in China."