U.S. accusations against China on COVID-19 totally immoral
By
Hua Yiwen,
Hypes
are recently being made by certain politicians and organizations in the U.S. to
claim compensation from China for the COVID-19 outbreak.
U.S.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is one of them that has repeatedly accused China
of covering up how dangerous the disease is and failing to share all of the
information it had.
He
also stigmatized China and claimed to hold the country responsible when the
time is righ. What he did not only is harmful, but also goes against
conscience.
Such
a theory is groundless and the accountability forced on China by U.S.
politicians barely hold water.
Some
questioned China’s epidemic data and information transparency, because they
either had not a thorough check or simply ignored the facts.
Some
complained that China didn’t take timely measures at the beginning of the
outbreak, because they either failed to see the huge difficulties posed by the
sudden outbreak of the unknown virus or were reluctant to admit the ignorance
and incompetence of the U.S. in dealing with the Pandemic after the country
acquired certain information.
China
has notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the epidemic and shared relevant
information in a timely manner, fulfilling its obligations according to the
provisions of the International Health Regulations. It has also set a good
example for other countries in fulfilling international duties, as pointed out
by the WHO.
With
concerted efforts of the Chinese people, the country has done a great job in
“early detection, early reporting, early isolation, and early treatment,” acted
promptly to track the source of infection and close contacts, and released
timely information to the society in all honesty.
The
theory about the so-called compensation is also unjustifiable. The
anti-pandemic practices of China or any other country are the practices of a
sovereign state, which, based on the principle of sovereign equality under the
international law, shouldn't be bound by the courts of other countries.
Even
the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of the U.S. has specified that the
American courts have no jurisdiction over foreign governments and affiliates
unless foreign affiliates have been prosecuted by the U.S. for engaging in
illegal commercial transactions.
China’s
offering of supplies for other countries was either humanitarian aid free of
charge or normal and reasonable market practice. The country has also fulfilled
its obligations according to the International Health Regulations.
If
the U.S. government winks at or even backs the accusations and compensation
calls against China, it will have to rewrite the international law first and
promise that such principles also apply to itself in the future.
After
all, to claim damages from a country for a public health emergency is without
precedent in history. The U.S., for example, has never compensated for the 1918
flu pandemic, AIDS or the influenza A (H1N1) virus that first emerged on its
homeland, or the subprime mortgage crisis that led to an international
financial crisis.
Besides,
the theory is morally unacceptable. It is immoral and shameless for U.S.
officials to ask China to take responsibilities for the novel coronavirus pneumonia
outbreak and apologize and pay for the damages, as such a request breaks the
bottom line of human conscience.
Despite
various backgrounds and motives, Pompeo and his fellow politicians, in essence,
are using the virus as a political tool to stir up troubles and suppress China.
When
China released timely information about the virus and launched an all-out and
people’s war against the epidemic, Pompeo and the like were busy downplaying
the risks of the outbreak, stigmatizing China and shifting blames.
When
China called for unity in the anti-pandemic fight and assisted other countries
out of morality and responsibilities, Pompeo and his colleagues were still
discrediting China and sowing discord between China and other countries.
Virus
is the enemy of all mankind and countries shall work together to defeat it. The
U.S. can’t become more immune to the virus or contain the pandemic by defaming
and slandering China, just like the injection of disinfectant can’t cure
COVID-19 patients.
Pompeos
are just being big mouths instead of making concrete efforts to contain the
pandemic.
(Hua
Yiwen is an expert on international issues)
(Source:
People’s Daily Overseas Edition
U.S. accusations against China on COVID-19 totally immoral
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