People wearing masks take a walk near the U.S. Capitol building in Washington D.C., the United States, April 11, 2020. Photo:Xinhua

The US President Donald Trump administration's strategy of scapegoating China for US failure at reining in the coronavirus has poisoned international opinion atmosphere China faces. But China has done a good job bringing its epidemic under control, while a large number of people in the US and Europe have died from the virus, which is not China's responsibility. This is a black and white fact that can't be denied.  

The fight against COVID-19 is a protracted war. The gap between China and the US in their response has just shown the difference. China's way will continue smoothly yet the US might mess up in the end if it continues its political infighting and scapegoating of China. This fact will eventually crush Washington's downright lies. 

US medical experts are predicting that the US may be heading for a second wave of the COVID-19 epidemic this autumn or winter, which would be fiercer than the first. This is a global challenge, yet the US will be the epicenter, not China.

China has learned its lesson from the outbreak in Wuhan. Its economy is recovering even as its epidemic prevention and control have not been relaxed. The prevention and control systems, established across China, can be activated any time to find out and snuff newly emerged infection chains. Even if severe infections occur again in certain communities, China has rich experience in dealing with the situation. 

But it is another story in the US. The country only achieved a minor mitigation of the outbreak with an economic shutdown no smaller than that of China. It can be asserted that unless the virus dies out suddenly due to some kind of miracle, the US won't realize the status of zero increase in coronavirus infections anytime soon with its current approach. 

New infection chains recently emerged in Northeast China's Heilongjiang and South China's Guangdong Province. The entire country attached great importance to them. China's prevention and control of the epidemic is getting increasingly precise and rooting deeply in people's hearts. In the US, however, how infections increase or reduce is basically an enigma. It has neither established the capability to fight for zero increase nor made arrangements to prevent the epidemic from rebounding after the outbreak is eased. 

The development of vaccines and any specific drug will be a difficult process. Even if they are developed, their effect will be limited in the face of such a severe pandemic. Herd immunity is unrealistic. The World Health Organization warned on Friday that no evidence can prove patients who have recovered from the coronavirus will not be infected again. From now on till next spring, COVID-19 prevention and control will to a large extent rely on governments' capability to organize societies and communities in handling the outbreak. In this regard, the US has obvious shortcomings, and has not yet made any adjustments.

No country's economic activities can be fully resumed without a fundamental alleviation of its domestic epidemic. The US will not be an exception. The restraints caused by the virus will not change for the Trump administration or for street protests against social distancing. 

It is hoped the US situation will stop deteriorating. Otherwise the cost will be more American lives. The coronavirus is the common enemy of humanity. If the US fails to contain it, the world will be affected. 

But the current US government is not cherishing lives, with all its politicians' minds pinned on election campaigns and scapegoating China.

A country's public image is ultimately earned by its efforts, rather than empty talk or lies. Chinese people should keep calm and maintain confidence and patience.