US President Donald Trump Photo: AFP

US President Donald Trump has recently said more than once that death from the novel coronavirus is much higher in China than in the US. This is a huge lie and is different in nature from the other defensive excuses he made for himself.

For instance, he said if it weren't for his decision to ban travel from China and Europe, "we would have perhaps 1.5 or 2 million deaths." Those figures cannot be verified. He said a vaccine will be ready for public use in October. This is merely a prediction and the effectiveness of the vaccine will need to be tested. But the assertion, that China has more coronavirus deaths than the US, is a pure lie. Correspondents of US media, diplomats, businessmen, and students studying in China know this is nonsense.

However, the current atmosphere of US public opinion allows the president to tell such a lie. When Trump talked about the US epidemic in the same manner last weekend, US media outlets mostly focused on his prediction that the vaccine would be put into use soon, without paying much attention to disclosing or clarifying his rumors about China. In other words, even anti-Trump media outlets have indulged in his smears on China's anti-virus efforts. 

Political correctness has been shaped in US public opinion - people can defame China however they want. Some politicians have even created way out-of-line rumors about China, and that those rumors would not be looked into given the anti-China stance in the US.

When it comes to China-related issues, the spirit of seeking truth from facts in American society has been wiped out. Political elites and media outlets have been leading the construction of this iron curtain of US public opinion on China. This has led to the two parties' fierce competition over being tough on China, which in turn has squeezed out the last bit of potential for some Americans' objective understanding of China.

It would be totally beyond imagination if such a big lie was created in China. There would be a hundred ways to disprove it in Chinese society. If the liar is a politician or celebrity, he or she will definitely pay a heavy price for it. Nevertheless, in the US, Trump obviously believes telling lies like this will help him achieve re-election. No force in today's US can make him pay for doing so. 

It is difficult for the Chinese people to urge American society to restore an objective understanding of China. Things could be set right when American society starts to self-examine when conditions are ripe. We just want to tell the international community, except for the US, to stay rational, and to realize that much of the US' China policy is based on malicious lies. 

Washington has been claiming that Chinese tech giant Huawei is a so-called intelligence agency to help China monitor the world, and that TikTok was transferring Americans' private data to the Chinese government, yet without providing any evidence so far. Those are the same lies as "China has far more deaths from COVID-19 than the US." Thanks to the ruling elites in the US, who have successfully mobilized severe prejudice and hostility toward China, those lies could be spread in the US without a hitch. 

It is hoped Western countries, other than the US, will not fall into the same emotional mentality toward China, maintain their ability to spot lies, and not be kidnapped by Washington-promoted disinformation on China-related issues. 

On the other hand, it is hoped the US won't be confused by those lies when it comes to major US interests. While some are clamoring for a decoupling from China, they should know maintaining trade and cultural exchanges is in the interest of Americans. More importantly, if the US provokes a military clash with China, all sorts of misfortune will be waiting for it.