China to 'optimise' epidemic control policies in 2023 - state media

China will "optimise" and "adjust" its epidemic prevention and control policies next year, state media reported on Friday, after the conclusion of the annual Central Economic Work Conference in Beijing attended by China's top leaders.

China will strengthen overall coordination of epidemic policies and implement them in an orderly manner, ensuring the "transition" during the current epidemic is smooth and social order is stable, state media reported in its readout of the conference.

That language of the readout marks a departure from the communique of the 2021 conference where the focus was to prevent an influx of COVID-19 cases from abroad and domestic rebounds. It is also in line with China's dismantling of most of its domestic COVID curbs earlier this month.