“Living fossils of Cold War” never able to reverse trend of time

By People’s Daily

The challenges posed by the globally spreading COVID-19 pandemic are unseen in a century. According to statistics released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on May 3, more than 3.35 million confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported globally, with over 230,000 deaths, and the number is kept growing.

The virus respects no border, and the world is one in fighting it. To jointly defeat the virus with solidarity and carry out effective international cooperation remains the most important and urgent task for the time being.

However, there are always clowns who make inharmonious voices and stage political farces at crucial moments to validate their existence.

Stephen Bannon, known as a living fossil of the Cold War, has been acting dynamically lately to spread rumors that China covered up the pandemic situation, the virus originated from a Chinese lab, China seeks profits from the pandemic and the WHO is very “China-centric.” Besides, he instigated U.S. politicians to propose anti-China bills to the Congress, encouraged investigations on China, and even asked for compensation from China.

It’s hardly imaginable that such practices were done when confirmed COVID-19 patients in the U.S. exceeded 1.1 million with 66,000 deaths, and the U.S. economy encountered the largest slump in Q1 since the global financial crisis. Ignoring facts and laws, Bannon and the like are trying to shift responsibilities for the U.S. by stigmatizing China, which revealed their vicious intentions.

China’s anti-pandemic actions have always been open, transparent and responsible. The country, faced with the unknown virus, reported the disease to the WHO and shared the genetic sequence of the virus with the world at the first opportunity. Besides, it also immediately carried out epidemic control cooperation with international experts.

China is also doing its best to help countries with vulnerable health systems to better cope with the disease, as a way to fulfill its internationalism and humanitarian responsibilities. It dispatched medical experts to many countries, and offered them medical materials in dire need, such as masks and testing reagents.

China’s achievements in epidemic control have won wide applause from the international society. Since the outbreak of the virus, the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee with comrade Xi Jinping at the core made a general requirement based on thorough analysis of the situation, calling on the whole nation to be united, take science-based and targeted measures against the epidemic, and have confidence in conquering the virus. The CPC Central Committee also urged concrete efforts to race against time in combating the novel coronavirus and winning the battle of epidemic prevention and control. After strenuous efforts of the nation, decisive results have been achieved in protecting the province of Hubei and the city of Wuhan, and the whole nation has also made huge progress in preventing and controlling the disease.

China has built a solid line of defense in the pandemic, making huge sacrifices and contribution to the global anti-pandemic campaign, which is undeniable to anyone. The smears on China’s anti-pandemic efforts challenge international justice, as well as the 1.4 billion Chinese people. The stigmatization can never be tolerated by the international society or the Chinese people.

Facts speak louder than words, and truth will always be uncovered. Both the recent research results from international authorities and the professional conclusions reached by international organizations gave a powerful strike back to the remarks stigmatizing China.

When China and the U.S. properly handle each other's core and major interests, their relations will grow smoothly. Otherwise, they will be in trouble. This also applies to today’s pandemic situation. Only by joint efforts and cooperation can they conquer the current challenges. Any remarks and practices sowing discord would disturb the general picture of global anti-pandemic efforts, and any tricks denying facts and passing the buck would damage international cooperation to fight the virus.

What the world needs the most is confidence, coordination and cooperation. Only by enhancing global cooperation and pulling great strengths from the world can the major disease be defeated.

The global fight against the virus highlighted the value of cooperation and mutual assistance, and further demonstrated the importance of building a community with a shared future for mankind. The visionary now can see it more clearly that what Bannons are selling isn’t new, and no matter how hard they try on such anti-globalization and zero-sum games, they will finally be abandoned by the world.

Those who go against the trend of history and the world will never succeed, no matter what they aim to achieve through such ridiculous performance.