Chinese Ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming stressed unity and cooperation in the fight against COVID-19 in an Evening Standard article entitled Don't blame China, we want to beat this together, and criticized some politicians in the United States and the UK for spreading lies and stigmatizing China. 

The ambassador used a Chinese saying – "the fire burns high when everybody adds wood to it" – in the article, published on Tuesday, to call on countries to join hands in the spirit of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Liu stressed China's comprehensive fulfillment of responsibility against the virus, China's transparent and open information-sharing during the outbreak, and that cooperation is the only right choice in the fight against COVID-19.  

However, some Western politicians have ignored China's tremendous contribution to global public health and the professional advice of the World Health Organization that the virus should not be linked with any specific country or region, Liu wrote.

"Their attempt to stigmatize China is a 'political virus' that is harmful to all mankind as it undermines international cooperation in the fight against the epidemic," he added.

"The world is fighting the scourge of COVID-19 together. There is no place for the scourge of arrogance, prejudice and discrimination embedded in the remarks of the above-mentioned politicians."

The ambassador also wished UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson a "speedy recovery."

"As Prime Minister Johnson fights a personal battle with the disease, I wish him speedy recovery and come back to lead the British people to overcome the current challenge."