By Jun Sheng
For quite some time, certain American politicians have rampantly slandered China through politicization and stigmatization to deflect domestic problems and shirk responsibilities for the poor pandemic response at home, They have not only accused China of cover-up and delayed response, but also instigated other countries to claim reparations from China. Furthermore, they have even aimed their vicious tongue at the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), which has made important contributions to pandemic prevention and control.
While the PLA was actively supporting civil epidemic response and making all-out efforts to help fight the coronavirus in Wuhan and Hubei province, the American journal Foreign Policy published on its website an article concocted by a former US official titled “China’s Military Can’t Deliver on Humanitarian Promises”, which claimed that the PLA had been absent from the anti-virus efforts and reminded Asia-Pacific countries not to count on China’s help. The true intention behind the article was to sow discord between the PLA and the Chinese people, and deliberately disparage the PLA’s image during the anti-epidemic battle.
Nobody knows better the absurdity of rumors than the rumormongers. Contrary to what the article argues, the PLA is a staunch force in safeguarding world peace and has been at the vanguard in fighting the epidemic. Since the coronavirus broke out, Chinese service members took immediate actions upon orders and undertook the most difficult, dangerous, and arduous tasks on the front line. They arrived where they were most needed at a time of adversity and pulled out silently when victory was achieved. They practiced to the fullest the tenet of serving the people whole-heartedly, demonstrated their capabilities of fighting and winning battles, and wrote a new chapter of the close bond between the military and the people in the new era. An international observer commented that “the Chinese military’s performance in anti-epidemic response is worthy of all applause.”
In the meantime, the PLA has actively fulfilled its international obligations. As of May 15, it had provided material supplies or assigned anti-epidemic experts to the militaries of different countries, including Iran, Pakistan, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Lebanon, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei. China’s military medical experts shared anti-virus experiences via video conferences with their counterparts from other countries, including Pakistan, Singapore, Russia, South Africa, and Indonesia. The PLA focused on cooperation with foreign defense authorities and militaries to jointly weather through this difficult period and disperse the cloud of the pandemic with the sunshine of cooperation. They have safeguarded our common home through solidarity and delivered powerful positive energy to the world.