BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- While some countries have extended a helping hand to China as it is combating a pneumonia epidemic, some others have displayed a more twisted and self-serving mindset, seeking to profit from the Asian country's most pressing concern.
In a recent interview with Fox Business Network, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said the novel coronavirus epidemic in China could help quicken the pace at which jobs and manufacturing return to the United States.
Such a jaw-dropping and callous comment contradicts the very spirit of humanitarianism and tramples on the most basic of moral principles.
Already, some have come out against Ross. Noah Smith, an opinion columnist with Bloomberg, a U.S. news agency, described Ross's words as "spectacularly insensitive" and "heartless."
In fact, Ross's reaction is not just ethically erroneous, but also lacks common sense.
The global supply chain has been put together over decades based on the rational choices of companies worldwide, including those from the United States. No chance occurrence, such as the ongoing epidemic, can profoundly change it.
What is even more alarming is that Ross's statement offers a glimpse into the mindset of some policy-makers in Washington, who are obsessed with maintaining U.S. hegemony, unable to cope with a multilateral world, and panic about China's economic and social development.
Washington worships a zero-sum Cold War mentality, even at a moment when universal fraternity and solidarity are badly needed.
Those with such a twisted worldview will naturally see a world where an epidemic can be leveraged to boost its own domestic manufacturing industry.
China's development over the past few decades has been achieved through the hard work of several generations of Chinese people and the country's active engagement with the rest of the world.
As the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century and becoming increasingly interconnected, nations worldwide must come together to cope with their shared challenges.
Yet it seems that some in the U.S. are reluctant to embrace China's development, choosing instead the parochial vision of "America first."
They have no idea that in an era of globalization, a prosperous China and a thriving United States are important not only to each other but the world at large.
A friend in need is a friend indeed. In the face of the epidemic, people in many parts of world including the United States have provided help in various ways, an embodiment of the values of a community with a shared future for humankind.
China is fully confident and capable of winning the battle against the epidemic. When the battle is won, Ross's insensitive and heartless comments will be proven wrong.
