The skeptical stance of Western countries, especially the United States – who has gradually become deeply embedded in a frenzied hysteria toward China – is that the Asian country is in pursuit of something hideous at all times in its interactions with other countries.
China’s donation of face masks and myriad other medical supplies to many countries and regions was criticized and stigmatized as so-called "mask diplomacy" by the U.S.
"Now, China has taken the lead in the world's COVID-19 vaccine development as Chinese drug makers are responsible for three of the six global vaccine candidates in the final stages. And the U.S. is slandering it again for seeking to use access to COVID-19 vaccines for diplomacy."
For the people who deem that China has tackled the coronavirus crisis efficiently, there is this unprecedented admiration of what the Chinese can do, such as building hospitals within days and developing a reliable vaccine against COVID-19. For others, such as Western politicians, China is a threat to Western exceptionalism and dominance.
Such a scenario is not only predictable but also unveils the fact that many Western countries are vehemently entrenched in disappointment and fury owing to the deterioration of their international competitiveness.
Beyond a doubt, China became the very first country that was able to take the perilous pandemic under control and has managed to acheive almost a full recovery since then. This is solid evidence that China has enough financial power and can provide assistance to others so they can combat the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as engaging in mutual cooperation on vaccine research and development.
"Before allowing the use of a COVID-19 vaccine in humans, regulators should evaluate safety with a range of virus strains and in more than one animal model. They should also demand strong preclinical evidence that the experimental vaccines prevent infection, even though that will probably mean waiting weeks or even months and years for the models to become available,'' said Shibo Jiang, a professor of virology at Fudan University who has been working on developing a vaccine.
Russia has introduced the coronavirus vaccine "Sputnik V," claiming a breakthrough in the global race to a vaccine before final testing was complete. However, little is known about phase-three trial plans for the Gamaleya vaccine. “I simply haven’t managed to find any published details of a protocol,” said Danny Altman, an immunologist at Imperial College London. He hopes the trial is closely tracking the immune responses of participants and looking out for any side effects.
Six vaccines for COVID-19 have entered human clinical trials with many planning to commence human trials this year. While many countries have put their hope of recovering from the pandemic on the vaccine, a New York Times article recently blamed China, claiming that in the coronavirus vaccine race, China strays from the conventional paths. China is a large, responsible, developing country, willing to help other developing countries in the face of the raging pandemic. The western media should give up fueling Sinophobia and instead should promote unity and solidarity among all in combating the pandemic.
The Trump administration has spent recent months conducting an immense campaign to exacerbate tensions with China. Most recently, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order that put restrictions on transactions with the popular Chinese-based apps WeChat and TikTok, and he dispatched Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to Taiwan. These moves were followed by the closure of the Chinese Consulate in Houston, the ban on product imports from China’s Xinjiang region owing to forced labor and Trump’s perpetual delineation of COVID-19 as the “Kung flu” or "China virus."
Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, who serves on the armed services and homeland security committees, among others, spoke on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show. He said: "We have got to get this vaccine done. Unfortunately, we have evidence that communist China is trying to sabotage us or slow it down." The purpose of this statement is most likely to flare up Sinophobia, blame others for the administration’s own failings and make China for Trump’s 2020 campaign what Mexico was for his 2016 campaign. This is why many Western media outlets are asserting the false news that China is seeking to use the vaccine as a tool of diplomacy.
The Atlantic, an American magazine and multi-platform publisher, published an article titled "How China Is Planning to Win Back the World," in which it states that "As its global image takes a big hit, the Chinese Communist Party is using an arsenal of spin, obfuscation, hyperbole, and outright disinformation to win back its reputation." Another outstanding American news publication, Foreign Policy, also recently published an article with an eye-catching title, "It's Time for Western Universities to Cut Their Ties to China."
Fueling Sinophobia on baseless allegations brings no benefits to the Trump administration. On the contrary, it undermines the economy. A September 2019 study by Moody’s Analytics found that the trade war has already cost the U.S. economy nearly 300,000 jobs and an estimated 0.3% of real gross domestic product (GDP).
As the global emergency of the COVID-19 pandemic and the race for the vaccine are deepening the antagonism between China and the West, what should be the approach of western medical science to China? Science must unchain itself from political interests and pressure, and engage with China in terms of collaboration. At moments of geopolitical stress, it is surely better to avoid stoking tensions. It is surely better to ameliorate, not deteriorate, personal and institutional relationships. The present wave of anti-China sentiment has now evolved into Sinophobia that threatens healthy international relations.
A pandemic should be a moment for solidarity between people, not a confrontation between governments. Instead of accelerating a new Cold War between the West and China, medicine and medical science can function collectively to build a new understanding between nations.
*An independent journalist and a lecturer at Leeds University
