Observer: US creates division in global fight against pandemic
By Zhong Sheng
People's Daily app
1627974342000

COVID-19 is still ravaging the world. Almost four million cases were reported to the WHO last week, and based on current trends, the total number of cases is expected to pass 200 million within the next two weeks. Facing the severe situation, international society must enhance solidarity and cooperation to prevent the virus from further spreading.

At this critical moment, US politicians finally started playing the "solidarity" card, saying solidarity is of vital importance for the international society. However, it's obvious that the so-called "solidarity" is to divide, and a deceitful strategy to gain support from some countries for the second phase of studies into the origins of COVID-19, which disrespect facts, runs counter to science and conscience, and manipulated by the US.

The WHO said that "The only way we will defeat this outbreak is for all countries to work together in a spirit of solidarity and cooperation." The arduous fight between mankind and COVID-19 over the past year proves that the world needs rationality, science and solidarity, rather than lies, blame game and division. Mankind must stand together, as only solidarity can build strength to defeat the virus.

However, the US has never stood together with the rest of the world. As the world battles the pandemic, Washington has been dividing the world. Last year, the US intercepted anti-pandemic materials of other countries, bought out medicines, and defunded and withdrew from the WHO. This year, it hoarded vaccines, restricted the export of vaccine raw materials, formed cliques, and supported pseudo multilateralism. It even coerced the WHO on some important agenda and projects.

The WHO warned that "The greatest enemy we face is not the virus itself; it's the stigma that turns us against each other." However, the US has always been spreading rumors and provoking confrontations by playing the stigmatization game, labeling the virus and politicizing origins tracing over the past year. It blatantly called COVID-19 the "China virus," and frequently hyped the so-called "lab leak theory." Such practices have built walls between countries, and instigated Asian hate in the US, which is not only hurting global solidarity in the fight against the pandemic, but also exacerbating the racial divide in the country.

Many objective scientists have faced personal attacks and verbal abuse from "origins tracing terrorism" advocated by the White House, and some research institutions even face defunding threats from the US government.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the US, who once received a death threat, said it's not a secret any longer that many issues are politicized in the US.

The US is extending its "black hands" to the science community. It hopes to cripple the efforts defeating the virus with science and hinder the process of origins tracing by oppressing and separating the international science community. This is irresponsible.

While the US government says "We're always better off at the table, not outside the room," the real purpose of going back into the room is to rally its allies and confront China instead of promoting international solidarity and cooperation.

According to data released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on July 30, the seven-day average of daily new cases, deaths and hospitalized cases increased 64.1 percent, 33.3 percent and 46.3 percent compared with the previous seven-day data. American public health experts fear that the number of new cases might keep surging if the government doesn't take effective measures.

When will the White House do as it says and really join the global anti-pandemic cooperation? When will it stop undermining solidarity and dividing the world?