Letter to the Presidents of the USA and China
China and America acting not very statesmanlike by blaming each other for the coronavirus Covid-19.
President Xi of China, there is nothing to be ashamed about, illnesses can originate everywhere with exactly the same outcome: at the start the infection rate is too small to notice until it hits sufficient numbers of people. Inform your people about this and about your adequate response of quarantining regions and even the country so new cases dropped to nearly zero. Indeed, also other countries are hit hard.
But, tell your diplomats to stop telling Chinese citizens that the virus was imported by the USA army (unless you show us evidence) as that may result in hate towards Americans.
President Trump of the USA, stop listening to people who tell you your response was inadequate and too late as you acted earlier than many European countries that were forced to act after you closed your country's borders which is now followed by Europe. Anyone in power would be powerless against such a disease while closing borders too early and people would call you a xenophobe. Ignore those remarks of your opponents about your actions in the past while concentrate on following scientific advise on what to do now and the coming period without an overreaction.
But, stop calling the coronavirus a Chinese virus as Chinese too are victims of this virus and thus they deserve our respect for the sacrifices they brought to slowdown the spread of the disease. Otherwise you are only a xenophobe who spreads hate towards Chinese and thus Asians in general as most people can't see the difference. We need collaboration that starts with calling the virus with its real name Covid-19 instead of referring in the name of the virus to the country where it originated from.
Therefore, please, this virus needs to be defeated and that is only possible when we unite instead of divide. This is a GLOBAL emergency. Blaming others may become uncontrollable when people start to panic and are looking to find a target they relate with the origin of the virus.
But, also prepare yourself that it is unlikely that the economy will return to normal in the second quarter and for as long as the virus affects (wealthy) regions because people will not buy as before when they continue to fear an illness. This is another reason not to stir up emotions towards other people in one or another direction or people may think the other country refuses to buy products because of the virus. And distrust will not help the recovery of the economy of any country, on the contrary.
The coronavirus is a crisis; proof the world you can handle this crisis without panicking, like a statesman who will be remembered in future.
President Xi of China, there is nothing to be ashamed about, illnesses can originate everywhere with exactly the same outcome: at the start the infection rate is too small to notice until it hits sufficient numbers of people. Inform your people about this and about your adequate response of quarantining regions and even the country so new cases dropped to nearly zero. Indeed, also other countries are hit hard.
But, tell your diplomats to stop telling Chinese citizens that the virus was imported by the USA army (unless you show us evidence) as that may result in hate towards Americans.
President Trump of the USA, stop listening to people who tell you your response was inadequate and too late as you acted earlier than many European countries that were forced to act after you closed your country's borders which is now followed by Europe. Anyone in power would be powerless against such a disease while closing borders too early and people would call you a xenophobe. Ignore those remarks of your opponents about your actions in the past while concentrate on following scientific advise on what to do now and the coming period without an overreaction.
But, stop calling the coronavirus a Chinese virus as Chinese too are victims of this virus and thus they deserve our respect for the sacrifices they brought to slowdown the spread of the disease. Otherwise you are only a xenophobe who spreads hate towards Chinese and thus Asians in general as most people can't see the difference. We need collaboration that starts with calling the virus with its real name Covid-19 instead of referring in the name of the virus to the country where it originated from.
Therefore, please, this virus needs to be defeated and that is only possible when we unite instead of divide. This is a GLOBAL emergency. Blaming others may become uncontrollable when people start to panic and are looking to find a target they relate with the origin of the virus.
But, also prepare yourself that it is unlikely that the economy will return to normal in the second quarter and for as long as the virus affects (wealthy) regions because people will not buy as before when they continue to fear an illness. This is another reason not to stir up emotions towards other people in one or another direction or people may think the other country refuses to buy products because of the virus. And distrust will not help the recovery of the economy of any country, on the contrary.
The coronavirus is a crisis; proof the world you can handle this crisis without panicking, like a statesman who will be remembered in future.
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