National flags of China (R) and the United States.(Xinhua/Bao Dandan)

The U.S. side regarded the challenges faced by China as opportunities for its own development. This highlights its meanness and irresponsibility.

BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- As China makes its utmost efforts to fight the novel coronavirus outbreak, the U.S. side has recently released unfriendly comments and actions towards China, which are neither based on facts nor helpful at this particular time.

Taking advantage of other people's difficulties is the last thing we need in state-to-state relations. The U.S. moves are certainly not a gesture of goodwill.

The World Health Organization (WHO) commended China's timely and effective measures to control the outbreak and made it clear about its opposition to travel or trade restrictions against China. The United States has decided to act in the opposite way, as the U.S. Department of State on Jan. 31 raised its travel advisory for China to the highest level, the same as for Iraq and Afghanistan.

In the meantime, the U.S. secretary of commerce said the outbreak would help to accelerate the return of jobs to the United States. Some other U.S. officials suggested that China is not cooperating with the U.S. side.

The U.S. side regarded the challenges faced by China as opportunities for its own development. The U.S. moves highlight its meanness and irresponsibility.

In fact, China is doing its best to prevent and control the epidemic, and has released information and shared data with the United States and the rest of the international community in a timely, transparent and responsible manner.

People make protective suits at the workshop of a company in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, Feb. 2, 2020. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

The outbreak of the epidemic is unwilling to be seen by the whole world. In today's globe, many common challenges require countries to work together to respond.

As the saying goes, a friend in need is a friend indeed. In sharp contrast with U.S. unfriendly moves, many countries have spoken positively of and supported China's efforts to battle the outbreak through various means.

According to Chinese Foreign Ministry, several international organizations or countries, including the United Nations system, Belarus, and Japan have provided anti-epidemic materials.

Although the U.S. side is trying to create panic, people can tell right from wrong and widely recognize that only when China is good can the world be good.

China has the capacity, confidence and determination to win the final victory in fighting the outbreak, and it is hoped that the U.S. side refrains from making irresponsible decisions that cannot benefit the world and neither make itself great. ■