Both The Daily Beast and news agency Bloomberg reported Saturday that the US National Security Council had made some “talking points” on the coronavirus, alleging the Chinese government “had a special responsibility to inform the Chinese people and the world of the threat,” but instead “hid news of the virus.”
The Daily Beast further reported that the National Security Council had sent these talking points to State Department officials. “We’re being told to try and get this message out in any way possible, including press conferences and television appearances,” said an official quoted by The Daily Beast. It seems clear that the US is waging a public opinion war against China.
The current epidemic situation in the US is extremely severe. The talking points are obviously shifting the focus of public attention. We would like to ask a few questions of the US government.
First, is this really the case? Is asking China to assume responsibility this way the key national security concern of the White House and its National Security Council at the current stage? The coronavirus is the common enemy of mankind. Why is the US so eager to convict China? Will this do any good to the US fight against the virus?
Second, when and how the coronavirus infected people is a question to be answered by science. In the absence of a scientific conclusion, the US has launched a public opinion offensive against China and disregarded the appraisal of WHO on China’s epidemic fight efforts. This is beyond expectations. What’s the purpose of the US? Is it really, as people assume, an attempt to shirk the responsibility of the US government for its poor handling of the coronavirus epidemic so that favorable condition could be created for President Donald Trump’s reelection bid?
Third, the rapidly spreading coronavirus pandemic is destroying the international system and causing humanitarian disasters in many countries. Cooperation between China and the US will inspire the global virus fight while the current split between the two will only further undermine international cooperation. The US is also facing enormous pressure to cope with the epidemic. Looking forward, not a single country could win the fight alone. Why are the US ruling elites so fixated on excluding and suppressing China at this critical juncture and unwilling to put American people’s health above geopolitical disputes?
Fourth, Trump once praised China’s response to the epidemic and data sharing. Who is misleading the president to relieve himself by shifting the blame to and disparaging China? China has made great achievements in containing the virus, which has been widely recognized by the world. This is a fact that cannot be denied and Washington’s blame game could deceive nobody.
Fifth, during World War II, the US and the UK joined hands with the Soviet Union to fight the Axis powers despite deep ideological differences. The coronavirus is as ferocious as the fascist forces and has posed a major challenge to all humanity. Is inciting hatred and stirring up conflicts in the common interest of society? Will history forgive the US political elites for doing so? Can the probability of them being elected be increased? Washington needs to think about these questions.
The pandemic is growing beyond people’s estimates. The number of newly confirmed locally transmitted cases in China has almost reached zero, but the influx of imported cases has put the country under great pressure and has hindered the resumption of work in the country. China can never wall itself off from the global fight against the pandemic. We have to share weal and woe with most countries.
It is believed that the situation in the US should be the same. It is very immoral and irresponsible for the Republican Party to sacrifice cooperation and to intensify conflicts for winning elections. They are gambling with countless lives and the destiny of the entire human race.
We call on the US to immediately recalibrate its China policy, putting aside geopolitics and work with China to combat the fatal virus. China and the US, as the two biggest global powers, should contribute to inspire the global virus fight and save the world from the current plight.
Photo: AFP
