Photo: VCG

Some Western media outlets, including the Voice of America, have claimed the Communist Party of China (CPC) has forced party members to donate money with no regard for their well-being. This allegation is utter nonsense and demonstrates some Western people's deep and ridiculous prejudice against China's governance system. The fact is, the CPC is the true mainstay of the country and is the core of China's governance system. It has played a core and pivotal role in handling the coronavirus outbreak and demonstrated its superior organizing ability amid the crisis.

As of March 26, more than 79 million CPC members across China had voluntarily donated 8.26 billion yuan ($1.2 billion) to help with the coronavirus outbreak. That is the equivalent of 105 yuan ($15) per member. If Westerners were told the clear facts, would they really think $15 is an exorbitant donation or blackmail, at a time of national crisis? 

When disasters strike, Chinese people, be they CPC members or not, are genuinely willing to do their bit to help the country out. As a CPC member, I voluntarily donated 100 yuan; my mother and grandma each made a donation of 200 yuan. And many friends of mine who are not CPC members also contributed money through various channels. This is a manifestation of the patriotism and solidarity that Chinese citizens feel for their nation, and CPC members play an exemplary role.

In addition to donating money, numerous CPC members hurried to the frontline of the epidemic without regard to their own safety. Some 42,000 medical staff, many of whom voluntarily, went to Hubei Province from all parts of the country to join the tough fight against the virus, a large number of them are CPC members.

Hundreds of thousands community workers throughout China have tirelessly delivered daily necessities to residents in quarantine and helped them through all kinds of difficulties. Hundreds of thousands of Chinese have been working tirelessly to produce medical supplies, and many are CPC members.

It is precisely because of the party's decisive measures, strong leadership and the dedication of all CPC members that the Chinese people have achieved such remarkable anti-epidemic outcomes.

The Voice of America praised the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill of the US, while accusing the Chinese government of not helping people in difficulty. This propaganda tool of the US government should stop making up stories. The CPC-led Chinese government is paying for all the treatment costs of COVID-19 patients in China. The average cost of treating a patient is 17,000 yuan, and for those in critical condition, the cost can be many times more. This policy alone has saved many families from economic disasters. We can read daily that the high cost of seeking medical treatment for COVID-19 in the US, which is preventing people from seeking the care they need and which is in turn helping the spread of the deadly disease.

In China, enterprises that have been impacted by the epidemic are receiving tax exemptions and financial subsidies that are aimed at helping them overcome their losses.

Some in the West have always seen China with their inherent and unenlightened prejudices. They are eager to link almost everything bad happened as a failure of China's political system and smear the country with some whimsical "evidence." Their words and acts are absurd in the face of the truth.

If the US government sincerely hopes to benefit its people, it should focus more on its own urgent and vital issues, such as how to curb the rapid spread of coronavirus, or how to fix the severe shortage of medical supplies, or how to stabilize its shaky economy. This would be a much better use of its time than manufacturing propaganda to attack China.

The author is a commentator with the Global Times. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn