National flags of China and Russia are seen in the Red Square, Moscow, Russia. Photo: Xinhua

China and Russia should stand firmly together and strengthen mutual trust amid Western rumors and attempts to discredit them, said Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui, citing recent attacks on China over COVID-19 as an example in an interview on Monday.

China understands the temporary restrictions that Russia has taken in order to prevent and control the spread of the epidemic, but hopes that everyone recognizes that the virus is not so terrible, completely preventable and controllable, and causes far less harm and losses than some influenza viruses to humans, Zhang said. 

The two countries will jointly celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Victory of the World Anti-Fascist War this year, in which Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, played a heroic role, Zhang said. During the World War II, the Chinese military and civilians and the Soviet Union worked together to fight the Japanese invaders and achieved major results. 

The Memorial of the Soviet Volunteer Air Force Martyrs has been carefully maintained by the people of Wuhan, and the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge is also a landmark of the Soviet Union's support for China and a symbol of its friendship, said the ambassador.

Regarding the rumors created and spread by some Western media, Zhang pointed out that "political virus" is more terrible than the coronavirus. Some Western media have distorted the facts, using their words to attack and discredit China, and curb China's development. 

The Chinese people are not afraid of any enemy, and any attempts to use the epidemic against them will fail, Zhang said. 

Since similar framing and smears often target Russia, the two countries should always remain vigilant, stand more firmly together, strengthen mutual political trust and cooperation and work together to cope with the obstacles encountered on the road to development, Zhang noted.

Since the epidemic outbreak, some Western media have used the century-old racist narrative of "sick man of Asia" and "Yellow Peril" to smear China, ignoring the country's efforts in containing the outbreak. 

Global Times