As an unparalleled coronavirus outbreak swept through China in December, President Xi Jinping remained mostly silent on the health crisis in the world’s most populous country. But during an annual pre-recorded New Year’s Eve address broadcast by state television on Saturday, China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong finally made a call for unity while defending his handling of the pandemic. “Since the outbreak of the epidemic, we have always put people first and life first, adhered to scientific and precise prevention and control, optimised and adjusted prevention and control measures according to the time and situation, and maximised the…