I do not know exactly what they (China) planned from the start, but seeing from the quick handling they have done on Covid-19 patients has proven that they are the country that is most ready to deal with the Covid-19 virus. it's likely they had predicted this outbreak first..
First of all, they were the first and were hit by a coronavirus, what kind of prediction are we talking about? If we talk about why China has not suffered so much, then this is most likely the timely quarantine measures taken throughout the country. And it paid off - mortality from the virus decreased by 2 times.