UN envoy rebuts US claims on coronavirus, calls for cooperation

A Chinese envoy to United Nations on Wednesday called on the US government to focus on saving American lives instead of "blame-shifting" to serve its political purposes.

"We urge the administration of this country to take up its responsibility, make real effort, to save lives, to really care about the health and livelihood of the American people," Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, said during the Security Council's conference on the fight against COVID-19.

"As diplomats living in this country, we show our sympathy to the American people for their sufferings. They are the victims of the political maneuvering of this administration, and we wish the American people can defeat the pandemic and (go) back to normal lives as soon as possible," he added.

The 15-member UN Security Council gathered Wednesday for an open video conference to discuss the implementation of Resolution 2532, which called for a global cease-fire (exempting military operations against terrorist groups designated by the UN) to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Geng made the rebuttal in response to remarks by a US representative to the UN who attacked China for its "failures at the outset of the pandemic".

"Unfortunately, we might never know for certain how much of the pain and suffering caused by COVID-19 could have been avoided if the Chinese Communist Party had behaved like a responsible government and immediately warned the rest of the world of the virus that they uncovered in Wuhan," said Rodney Hunter, political coordinator of the US Mission to the UN.

Hunter also criticized the World Health Organization (WHO) for an alleged dependence on China and the organization's lack of "independence, transparency and accountability".

Geng said the US representative was abusing the Security Council platform to spread a "political virus" and serve his country's domestic political agenda.

"I think the purpose of today's meeting is to review the implementation of Resolution 2532. It's not about finger-pointing; it's not about blame-shifting. The tone of today's meeting should be unity and solidarity," the ambassador said.

Geng stressed that China has taken "effective, comprehensive measures to control the spread of the pandemic, in a timely, open, transparent and responsible manner", since the outbreak of the pandemic. Its contribution has been "well-recognized and well-acknowledged" by the UN and the WHO, as well as by the international community.

The US, however, as a country with the most advanced medical technologies and facilities, has the most confirmed coronavirus cases in the world. By "trying its best to shift attention and blame others", the administration does not focus on fighting the pandemic, he said.

The US not only attacked China but also the WHO during the pandemic, which runs against the common will of the international community, said Geng, adding, "On this particularly issue, the US is absolutely isolated."

He called on the international community to stand united in the fight against the infectious disease. The virus is the common enemy of people around the world, whether it's China, the US or other UN members, Geng pointed out.

"We are all victims in front of the virus, in front of the pandemic. We should be united and fight together, not fight against each other," he said.

Robert Kuhn, a leading China expert and chairman of The Kuhn Foundation, said the US and China should work together to curb the coronavirus and to prevent future pandemics.

"The two positions should run in parallel, although without the rancor. It is vital, for the sake of the world, that the US and China cooperate in containing and ultimately eradicating COVID-19," Kuhn said.

"At the same time, in parallel, under the aegis of the WHO, China and the world, including the US, should conduct a comprehensive analysis of COVID-19's origins and spread. Lessons should be learned to prevent or mitigate future pandemics," he added.