The U.S. needs to cooperate with China to "find a global solution in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic," Malaysian news outlet The Star reported on Sunday, quoting Jeffrey Sachs, head of the Lancet COVID-19 Commission.

In an interview with The Star, Sachs said it is tragic that the global response to COVID-19 has not been adequate, "since China has done an excellent job of suppressing the pandemic, and the world could and should have learned a lot more from China's response."

He noted that the U.S. should "learn some good manners to work cooperatively with China, rather than trying to impose its will on that nation."

Sachs, also director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, said developed countries have not been generous in sharing their knowledge, especially in terms of vaccines.

"The global financing system has favored the rich countries, providing too little support to developing countries," he said.

Sachs cited putting personal behavior ahead of the social good in the U.S. as a reason for the country's failure to contain COVID-19.

"In the name of 'liberty,' Americans have failed to follow basic rules and protocols, and the disease has therefore been allowed to run rampant in the U.S.," he said.