Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

Since China adjusted and optimized its epidemic prevention and control measures, Western media has continued to hype the epidemic situation in the country. For example, Bloomberg recently published an article titled "China Now Wants the World to Live with the Virus." It claims that "shifting overnight from full suppression to a let-it-rip approach was bewildering and illogical." This is neither true nor consistent with the logic of Western media.

Previously, when China followed the dynamic zero-COVID policy, they accused China of being "not open." But now, when China optimizes and adjusts specific prevention and control measures according to the time and situation, they begin slandering China for "spreading the virus." This is a typical double standard. Western media and politicians have never put themselves in Chinese people's shoes to understand China's national conditions, but have only politicized and weaponized the epidemic issue.

In fact, China has been striking a balance between maintaining social and economic stability and epidemic prevention and control, trying to minimize the negative impact of the epidemic on the economy, society, and people's normal lives. However, the Western media has always avoided talking about China's efforts over the past three years or China's contribution to the global industrial chain.

Tang Bei, associate professor at the school of international relations and public affairs at Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times that it is not surprising that the Western media has used the epidemic issue to smear China, as some Western countries have performed poorly in the fight against the epidemic. The truth is, it is precisely because some Western countries failed to fight the epidemic that the world has been more greatly affected.

China has given careful thought to the timing of the adjustment of its COVID measures. It is determined by taking into consideration multiple factors such as the understanding of the virus, the capacity of medical resources, and the gradual clarity of the public's awareness of the virus. Many regions are passing the infection peak smoothly. Judging from the current situation for more than a month, China's overall economic and social activities have not been greatly impacted.

The crisis-ridden situation in China, such as a large number of deaths and the disruption of industrial and supply chains, expected by some countries, have not occurred. As many areas of China have passed the peak of this wave of infections, returning to normal economic and social life is gradually becoming a new social theme. 

Some Western countries remain unaware of the objective reality that China's smooth opening benefits the world. The optimization and adjustment of epidemic measures have paved the way for the flow of goods, the exchange of people, and business trips, which not only help rebuild foreign investors' confidence in the Chinese market, but also provide new opportunities for global economic recovery.

Zhang Yiwu, a professor of Chinese language and literature at Peking University, pointed out that China's opening up is actually a good thing for the world, as the world needs China. If China's transition does not go smoothly, the whole world will feel it. Now, China is not in this kind of situation, which is actually a blessing to the world.

According to the General Administration of Customs China, from March to the end of December 2020, national customs authorities inspected and released a total of 438.5 billion yuan worth of major epidemic prevention and control materials, of which 224.2 billion masks were exported, equivalent to nearly 40 masks for every person in the world outside China.

China has made tremendous efforts in every aspect of the global fight against the epidemic. There is no doubt that if the epidemic in China had gotten out of control, the global epidemic would have been many times worse. Those Western people can enjoy many of China's contributions to the world, and actually enjoy most of them. Instead, they hate China the most, and even slander China at the expense of their own interests.

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