“Facing the most dangerous infectious disease in a century, politicized criticisms help neither China, the US, nor the world to curb the spread of the virus.”
Dear American friends:
We are a group of 100 Chinese scholars representing diverse academic fields including philosophy, political science, economics, medicine, international relations, sociology, law, communication, military science, and technology. Our members include a number of university professors from Wuhan.
While our areas of expertise are diverse, as intellectuals we all share a common desire to express our concerns about the well-being of all people in China, the US, and every country on Earth.
Recently, we have heard many critical voices politicizing the COVID-19 pandemic. Facing the most dangerous infectious disease in a century, these criticisms help neither China, the US, nor the world to curb the spread of the virus. Political bickering does nothing to contribute to the healthy development of Sino-US relations, nor will it help the people of the world to rationally and accurately understand and cope with the pandemic.
We want to sincerely and frankly share our views with our American friends today.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a global public health crisis with a horrific scale not seen in generations; the effort to overcome both it and its impact will be nothing short of a long-term and arduous global war. Countries should be working together, not complaining, finger pointing, and blaming one another. The virus does not know any borders, but neither does love, nor friendship. As two of the great countries on Earth, cooperation between China and the US could, and should, be used to bring a more positive outcome for all humankind.
Respecting science, cherishing life, and protecting people from harm should be our shared goals in the fight against COVID-19.
The COVID-19 outbreak in China is now basically under control. Since the virus first emerged in early January, the Chinese people have made unimaginable efforts and sacrifices to achieve hard-won results.
We are grateful for the support of the international community, including donations from American friends, during the most critical stage of the fight. We respect the epidemic containment programs and policies implemented by other countries according to their own national conditions, and we are willing to share our experiences with other countries and provide all available assistance to them.
At this stage of the pandemic, the exact source and origin of COVID-19 remain undetermined, but these questions are unimportant and finger pointing is demeaning and hurtful to everyone. In the end we will all respect the final determination of scientists. Like many other countries, China is a victim of the virus, but also a success story overcoming it, and it is willing to work with people of other countries to stop the spread of the pandemic.
We sincerely hope to cooperate with the international community, including intellectuals and experts from the US that look forward to a brighter future. We look forward to the time when doctrines of international cooperation once again flourish around the world. We call on all nations to work together in sincere cooperation to defeat this common enemy of humanity.
Hopefully, we soon be able to celebrate the final victory over COVID-19 !
Signed by 100 scholars from ChinaMarch 26, 2020
Courtesy The Diplomat
The Diplomat is an international online news magazine covering politics, society, and culture in the Asia-Pacific region. It is based in Washington, DC.
