Medical team members pose for group photos before leaving for Hubei Province in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Feb. 28, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhou Hua)
To prevail over a disease that threatens us all, unity and cooperation are the most powerful weapon.
BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The number of new COVID-19 infections outside of China is rising, while the turning point of the outbreak in China has not yet arrived. It is too early to relax.
The number of new cases outside of China has outnumbered that reported inside China. Many Asian countries including Japan and the Republic of Korea have tightened quarantine measures after sudden increases of new infections were reported. More national governments have said they have plans to implement larger-scale quarantine if things worsen.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on the global community to be on heightened alert. The epidemic situation remains grim and complex. Any lax efforts at this crucial moment will cause huge losses, both for China and the world.
While unity and global cooperation are in urgent need to curb the spread of the virus, some U.S. politicians have continued their smear campaign against China. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently accused China and Iran of covering up the severity of the epidemic. His words neglect the basic facts and are unbecoming of a top U.S. diplomat.
China's transparency in the epidemic control should not be questioned. It updates the number of new infections, deaths and recoveries on a daily basis. China shared the virus's genetic sequence and other important information with the WHO, a significant move for other countries and multinational agencies to work out solutions for treatment.
Pompeo's comment was even contradicted by President Donald Trump who praised China for "working hard and smart" in response to the outbreak.
Such a groundless accusation reflects the ideological bias against China held by some U.S. politicians, who are obsessed with a Cold War mentality and zero-sum game mindset. It undermines their credibility as well as the mutual trust between people of both countries.
To prevail over a disease that threatens us all, unity and cooperation are the most powerful weapon. Countries should change their mindset, build up their response capacity, communicate more and learn from each other. The war against the virus is ongoing. U.S. politicians should stop making untenable and irresponsible comments. ■
