Liu Zaibo： Politicizing the Pandemic is a Tumor in Global War against COVID-19

As a rare major global public health crisis, COVID-19 has ravaged the world, posing serious threats to people’s lives, properties, and safety across the world, with significant impact on the economic and social development of many countries. Under such grim circumstances, the primary task of each country should be to safeguard the health and life of its people. Engaging in politicizing the pandemic will not help in containing the virus, but will become a “tumor” in global cooperation to fight against the disease, which is detrimental to such efforts.

China has accumulated extensive experience in fighting the virus, and as a major manufacturing country, it is producing large quantities of virus prevention materials. Suh experience and supplies are essential to other countries in combating the virus. While taking effective measures to contain the virus in the country, China is also actively helping other countries hard-hit by the virus by dispatching medical teams, as well as supplying virus protection materials on a daily basis. China’s actions are illustrative of the conduct of a responsible big power, which strives to define and put into practice the concept of Community of Shared Future for Mankind. Under these circumstances, if some politicians and media in Western countries insist on continuing to politicize the pandemic for national or personal interests, and using the pandemic to create political discords, such activities are not only unhelpful in containing the virus in their own countries, but will be scorned by the international community and people across the world.

Viruses recognize no border; cooperation is required in fighting a pandemic. No country can stand alone in the face of a pandemic, international cooperation is of paramount importance in combating it. Politicizing the virus issue will not only hinder the achievement of global consensus and solidarity, but also severely impede and ruin global cooperation in fighting the pandemic. Currently, the virus is spreading rapidly across the world, which requires all countries to work hard together and strengthen cooperation. This is the best way to win the battle against the virus in the shortest possible time. In this process, the international community must work hard together and resolutely oppose all voices and actions politicizing the pandemic. This will help to bolster global confidence, unite the power of the peoples across the world, and secure early victory of the global fight against the pandemic.

Liu Zaibo: Vice President of the National Academy of Development and Strategy, RUC