Infectious diseases usually create opportunities for international cooperation, and during the Cold War period scientists in the former Soviet Union and the United States jointly developed an improved polio vaccine. This cooperative spirit stirred a US-China response against the outbreak of the SARS epidemic in 2003. In September 2005, the two heads of state launched the “10 Basic Principles” of the global response to the epidemic, which had the support of 88 countries and organizations. On May 6, 2009, the then Chinese President Hu Jintao and former US President Barack Obama called to express "his deep condolences" over the deaths caused by the swine flu epidemic, and his desire "to maintain contact with the World Health Organization and the states United, and other relevant parties, with the aim of strengthening cooperation to reach a common agreement to meet this challenge to human safety and health. ”

It must be said that the outbreak of the Corona virus is an ideal opportunity for China and the United States to transcend their differences and confront a common threat together.

The two countries could combine their efforts to support the World Health Organization, with the aim of coordinating a global response to the epidemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States could have helped China search for the origin and nature of this mysterious virus, at a time when their Chinese counterparts were confused, and urgently needed more specialized experts in the field. As a leading and active manufacturer and exporter of pharmaceutical ingredients, China could have worked closely with the United States to reduce disruptions in the drug supply chain. And both countries have strong capabilities to make the vaccine against this virus. These capabilities could have been mobilized in collaborative vaccine efforts. Such efforts would reduce tension between the two countries and strengthen their relationship, which was damaged by strategic competition during the past three years.

In fact, the Chinese-American cooperation to combat the Corona virus was promising until the end of last January. China reported the disease to the United States on January 3, and provided the genetic chain of this strange virus, on 10 of it, which enabled the United States to develop Diagnostic test for disease and possible vaccine development. The Minister of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar, has offered us to send us a team of experts in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to monitor the spread of the virus and provide assistance if possible. The two presidents spoke on the phone on February 7, when the US president expressed his willingness to send medical experts to China to provide other forms of assistance.

But China ignored Minister Azar’s offer, and asked Margaret Brennan, from the US radio and television network CBS, the Chinese ambassador to Washington, Shui Tiankai, about the topic, but he dodged the response. On January 31, Trump signed an executive order banning all foreign nationalities that were in China, finally, entering the United States. On the same day, Economy Minister Wilbur Ross said that the outbreak of the virus in China could help accelerate the return of jobs to the United States.

powerful hit

China considered that what the United States had done was aimed at isolating China, which would cause a severe blow to the Chinese economy. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman did not hide her frustration with the steps taken by the United States. "The United States did not provide any important assistance to China, and was the first to withdraw its consulate from Wuhan," she said.

Four days later, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pledged $ 100 million in aid to China and other countries affected by the Corona virus. But the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said that "her country has not received a penny" from the United States government. In addition, China has its reasons not to trust Pompeo's words. After speaking of providing assistance, he described the ruling Communist Party of China as "the primary threat to the world of our time."

In fact, China was not angry at American officials, but also the American press, which criticized the Chinese government's handling of the Corona pandemic, which sparked Beijing's anger. On February 3, the Wall Street Journal published an article entitled "China is the man." The Real Patient in Asia. ”Although the article only spoke about the problems of governance in China, he recalled historical memories of China being insulted by Western powers. Shui said about the article that it was "insulting to all Chinese," and the Chinese Foreign Ministry described it as racist and malicious, and demanded the newspaper apologize. Prior to the newspaper article, the Trump administration banned nearly 60 Chinese reporters from working on its soil. After the article, China announced that it would expel three Wall Street reporters.

War of words

The two sides began a war of words, as Republican Congressman and Chairman of the Congressional Arming Committee, Tom Cotton, said that this virus may be the product of a Chinese biological warfare program, which Ambassador Choi considered "pure madness." For its part, the Chinese Foreign Ministry accused America of being The virus was sent to Wuhan.

On March 13, Harvard University President Lawrence Bacau wrote an email to the university saying that “the Corona virus will test our ability to be kind and generous, and to look beyond us and our interests.” He added: “Our mission now To present the best image for ourselves, and what we can do for a world more complicated and floundering than anyone would like in us. ”In the United States and in China, we saw a lot of people lending a hand to each other.

On January 17, the former CEO of Microsoft pledged $ 5 million in emergency support to China in order to support it in its war against the Corona Virus. On March 16, the first shipment of Chinese billionaire donations, Jack Ma, that included one million muzzle And half a million tests, to the United States.

Unfortunately, misleaders and spreaders of rumors impede such humane behavior. And when politicians and diplomats imitate each other, or exaggerate their reactions constructively, they constitute a spiral that pushes the world toward the abyss more than the Corona virus does.

Yangong Hong: Researcher in Global Health at Foreign Relation Council

On March 16, the first shipment of Chinese billionaire donation Jack Ma, which included one million muzzle and half a million tests, arrived in the United States.