Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Aug 04, 2025

Coronavirus: former US officials implore Washington and Beijing to work together on pandemic

Statement urges setting aside frictions: ‘The focus should be on finding the resolve to work together to contain and defeat the virus’. Appeal follows weeks of recriminations between officials in US and China over origins of the virus and the two countries’ handling of the outbrea

A coalition of almost 100 former high-ranking US officials and scholars have called on Washington and Beijing to put competition and acrimony on hold while working together to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

“No effort against the coronavirus – whether to save American lives at home or combat the disease abroad – will be successful without some degree of cooperation between the United States and China,” the signers, including former cabinet secretaries, past US ambassadors to China and ex-senators, said in a statement released on Friday.

The appeal followed weeks of recriminations between officials in Washington and Beijing over the origins of the virus and the two governments’ handling of their countries’ outbreaks.

US President Donald Trump has accused the Chinese government of costing the rest of the world time to prepare by initially playing down the severity of the contagion, and this week endorsed accusations that China had under-reported its case figures.



While China had “much to answer for in its response to the coronavirus”, the 93 signatories of Friday’s statement said that a global review of the outbreak’s origins, as well as the conditions and institutional failures that allowed its spread, should come at a later date.

“For now, as the pandemic sweeps the globe, the focus should be on finding the resolve to work together to contain and defeat the virus at home and abroad,” they said. “Millions of lives in both countries and around the world will depend on it.”

Citing China’s capacity to produce medical equipment, the lessons learned by its medical workers and the potential for cross-border collaboration on the development of a vaccine, the statement contended that “the logic for cooperation is compelling”.

The letter was organised by the Asia Society’s Centre on US-China Relations and the 21st Century China Centre at the University of California, San Diego.

Among its bipartisan roster of signatories were numerous past cabinet secretaries, including Madeleine Albright, secretary of state during the Clinton administration; several former Trump administration officials; and three ex-US envoys to Beijing: Winston Lord, Jon Huntsman and Max Baucus.

The coronavirus pandemic, which has killed close to 55,000 people worldwide and infected well over 1 million, has become yet another flashpoint in a US-China relationship already strained by the trade war, quarrels over 5G technology and military chest-thumping.

Facing the prospect of a US death toll over 100,000 and a collapsing economy, Trump has deflected all criticism of his administration’s response, and for over a week last month insisted on calling the pandemic the “Chinese virus”.

He has since walked back from that language and this week – despite saying he believed that China’s official case numbers were “on the light side” – spoke effusively of a recent phone call with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.

“Even with all the distrust and disharmony, it is possible for the leadership in the United States and China to find the necessary common ground to combat the coronavirus,” said Kurt Campbell, former assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs and a signer of the statement. “The American people deserve no less.”



Friday’s plea came in the wake of a similar appeal this week from across the Pacific.

In an open letter published on Thursday in The Diplomat, some 100 Chinese scholars and former diplomats called for an end to “political bickering” and for a more focused effort by both governments to cooperate against Covid-19.

Susan Shirk, the chair of the 21st Century China Centre, said that global challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic required “global solutions, which must involve coordination between the world’s two largest economies.”

“Other nations will be hesitant to act unless they are convinced the United States and China are on the same page,” she said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
×