Editor's note: Huo Zhengxin is a law professor at the China University of Political Science and Law. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

The COVID-19 pandemic is the most challenging crisis the world has faced since World War II, and it "will forever alter the world order," as Henry Kissinger warned. After the pandemic was identified in Wuhan at the end of 2019, the Chinese government has taken immediate and decisive measures to contain the spread of the infection out of paramount concern for the life, safety and health of the Chinese people and the welfare of humanity. 

China's anti-epidemic strategy has proved successful. Within a month of the Wuhan quarantine, the rising spread of the virus was contained. Within two months, the daily increase in domestic COVID-19 cases fell to single digits, and in approximately three months, a decisive victory was secured in the fight against the pandemic. China has become the first major country that has largely brought the COVID-19 pandemic under control, and China is the only major economy in the world to return to growth since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Equally importantly, China has been at the forefront of the global fight, believing that COVID-19 knows no borders and cannot be defeated without working together. According to the latest data, China has donated and exported more than 750 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines overseas, which has provided more vaccines than all other countries combined. 

Moreover, China is the first country in the world to cooperate with the World Health Organization (WHO) to carry out a coronavirus origin-tracing investigation. In March this year, a joint WHO-China research group of a team of experts released the findings that looked into humans, animals and the environment in Wuhan. In the 123-page report, all the scientists involved unanimously agreed that there were neither grounds nor a shred of evidence to link the virus' origin to the Wuhan lab leak theory. 

The report concluded that the outbreak was likely caused by the virus jumping from bats to humans through an intermediary animal and labeled the lab leak hypothesis as "extremely unlikely." The report suggested it was important to investigate "potential early events" of COVID-19 cases reported in different countries. China's contribution to the global anti-pandemic campaign has won worldwide appreciation and respect.

In contrast, the U.S. has mishandled the crisis from the beginning to the present day. Since the first U.S. case of COVID-19 was confirmed on January 20 last year, the U.S. response has been defined by inadequate resources, failed leadership, confusing communication and blatant misinformation. The U.S.' mismanagement of the pandemic has serious consequences for the American people, as the country continues to lead the world in both COVID-19 cases and mortality since March 2020. COVID-19 has killed at least 617,273 people and infected about 35.8 million in the U.S. since last January, according to data from Johns Hopkins University on August 8, 2021.

Moreover, the "America First" vaccine strategy has weakened international cooperation in the fight against the pandemic. As with most of its policies, the former Donald Trump administration opted for an "America First" approach to public health, prioritizing domestic COVID-19 vaccination efforts over multilateral initiatives. Though one of Joe Biden's many promises when he assumed office was to put an end to the "America First" approach, the U.S.'s commitment to prioritizing its own vaccine procurement remains unchanged.

Unfortunately, the disastrous failure to respond to the COVID-19 challenge has not sparked any self-reflection in the U.S. government. From the Trump administration to the Biden administration, the White House has been trying to shift the blame from its own mishandling of the crisis onto China. The Trump White House repeatedly labeled the virus a "China virus" or "Wuhan virus," which fostered a perception that the virus was unleashed by China, despite the WHO's renaming of the virus to avoid further stigmatizing.

After Biden took office, he continued the policy of using China as a scapegoat to serve the purpose of describing the U.S. as the victim of external forces rather than its own mismanagement. 

When these deflection efforts failed to end the  public criticism of the administration, the Biden White House began to give fresh life to the lab leak theory, initially pushed by fringe groups, to stigmatize China. In May this year, Biden ordered U.S. intelligence officials to "redouble" their efforts to investigate the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the unlikely possibility that the origins of the virus trace back to a Chinese lab in Wuhan, adding that he will continue to press for China to participate in a full investigation.

China's rejection of politicized origin tracing is both justified and well-founded (II)

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com.)