【文匯網訊】5月13日，外交部駐香港公署特派員謝鋒在《華爾街日報》網頁版發表英文署名文章，針對一段時間以來國際上一些人抹黑詆毀中國抗疫的種種謠言，義正辭嚴闡明中方立場，強調人命關天，抗疫為先，病毒才是真正的敵人，「甩鍋」中國彌補不了失去的時間，拯救不了瀕危的生命。該文還將於5月14日在《華爾街日報》紙媒評論版刊登。
交部駐香港公署特派員謝鋒在《華爾街日報》網頁版發表英文署名文章
文/ 謝鋒
1666年，鼠疫席捲歐洲。在英國東米德蘭一個叫埃姆的小村莊，為保護鄰近城鎮不受感染，約800名居民選擇自我隔離。1667年11月隔離解除時，共有260名居民為阻止疫病擴散獻出了生命。
2020年初，新冠肺炎疫情突然來襲。中國武漢，這座千萬級人口的九省通衢之地，果斷封城76天，克服難以想像的困難，作出前所未有的犧牲，為中國和世界築起了遏制疫情的第一道堅實防線。
新冠病毒是一種全新病毒，不可能先知先覺。作為受到第一波衝擊的國家之一，中國率先參加「閉卷考試」，交出了令人鼓舞的答卷，為其他國家隨後的「開卷答題」提供了重要參考。
中國無意輸出自己的制度和模式，但在這場保衞生命的戰「疫」中展現出來的中國效率、中國精神、中國擔當有目共睹。然而，一些人無中生有地編造「新冠病毒是中國人工合成」的謠言，利用社交媒體散布。還有人將所謂「新冠病毒是中國製造」的謠言塞入日本諾貝爾獎得主、京都大學教授本庶佑的口中，老先生坐不住了，專門發表聲明闢謠。一些美國政客聲稱掌握「病毒來自武漢實驗室」的證據，卻始終拿不出來。包括福奇在內的多名美國政府科學家都批駁了這些歪理邪說。
病毒溯源是嚴肅的科學問題，應由科學家進行科學調查、基於事實和證據作出科學判斷。政客不應肆意插手，更不應搞污名化。
這場疫情在全球多點暴發，源頭不明，眾說紛紜，迄無定論。2019年晚些時候，一些國家曾暴發癥狀與「流感」相似的不明肺炎。倫敦大學學院遺傳學研究所的最新研究顯示，疫情可能始於去年10月6日至12月11日之間。越來越多國家發現目前確定的「零號患者」沒有去過中國，當地流行的病毒毒株基因也與中國並不相同。
中國發現疫情後，第一時間主動報告，第一時間確定病原體，第一時間與世衞組織和各國分享基因序列。但中國反而被污名為「隱瞞者」、「延誤者」，被推上被告席，而那些沒有及時檢測、報告、作為的卻成了審判者。何其荒唐!
隨着各國發現比中國更早的病例、時間線不斷前移，有些人首先想到的是「甩鍋」推責、嫁禍於人，而不是檢討自身失誤。究竟是技術不行，還是缺乏責任心?是漏報，還是瞞報?如果因為最先報告就要被扣上病毒源頭的帽子，就要被追責，就要替其他國家防控不力買單，今後還有哪個國家願意積極檢測、誠實報告?
更有甚者，有些人想錢想瘋了，居然打起了發「疫情財」的算盤，企圖向中國「索賠」，複製100多年前列強逼迫中國「庚子賠款」的歷史。「君子愛財，取之有道」。這樣赤裸裸的敲詐搶錢，與強盜何異?
還有人鼓噪趁着疫情對中國「斷供」、與中國「脫鈎」，人為製造全球產業鏈供應鏈「梗阻」，這不啻是對本已垂危的世界經濟致命一擊，給全球經濟復蘇雪上加霜。
人命關天，抗疫為先，病毒才是真正的敵人。「甩鍋」中國彌補不了失去的時間，拯救不了瀕危的生命。在這場與病毒的角力中，我們不是對手，而是隊友。各國之間無需攀比嫉妒，更不應指責埋怨、搞窩裡斗、找替罪羊。相反，我們應該發揚公平公正的體育精神和齊心協力的團隊精神，為表現出色的隊友點贊叫好，向需要幫助的夥伴伸出援手。因為，在這場較量中，沒有「你」輸「我」贏，只有「我們」共贏。
在人類遭受危難之際，埃姆和武漢人民作出了英雄的抉擇。他們勇於擔當、自我犧牲、團結互助的精神穿越時空，超越國家、種族、信仰和意識形態，激勵着國際社會放下偏見、擱置分歧、同心同德。他們的精神不僅點燃我們最終戰勝疫情的希望，也照亮人類美好的未來。
China Wants to Help the World Fight Coronavirus
By Xie Feng
May 12, 2020 6:30 pm ET
In 1666, as bubonic plague swept Europe, residents of the tiny village of Eyam in England』s East Midlands elected to quarantine themselves in hopes of protecting neighboring communities. When the lockdown was lifted in November 1667, 260 of the approximately 800 residents had died, but the self-isolation worked. The illness was contained.
In early 2020, caught in the Covid-19 outbreak, Wuhan, a transport hub of 11 million people in China』s Hubei province, locked itself down for 76 days. Making tremendous sacrifice against all the odds, it created a strong first line of defense for China and the world.
Covid-19 has thrust the world into uncharted territory. Among the countries hit by its first wave, China took a 「closed-book exam,」 with uplifting results that have informed other countries』 decision-making in the 「open-book tests」 that followed.
While China never intends to export its system or model, its efficiency, spirit and sense of responsibility in the lifesaving battle against Covid-19 should be obvious. But some have started rumors that the coronavirus was produced synthetically in China. Social media amplifies these falsehoods. Tasuku Honjo, a Japanese Nobel Laureate from Kyoto University, was forced to issue a public statement denying that he had claimed the virus had been 「manufactured in China.」 Some American politicians touted evidence—none of which has been produced—that the novel virus originated in a Wuhan laboratory. But even the Trump administration』s own scientists, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, have dismissed such theories.
Identifying the virus』s origin is a serious scientific issue. It is up to scientists to research and draw evidence-based conclusions. Politicians shouldn』t meddle in the process, much less stigmatize others.
Outbreaks have occurred world-wide, and there is dispute about where the virus first appeared. A pneumonia of unknown origin with flulike symptoms was seen in some countries in late 2019. According to recent research by University College London』s Genetics Institute, the pandemic may have started sometime between Oct. 6 and Dec 11. A growing number of countries have found that their assumed 「patient zero」 had not traveled to China and that the local dominant strains of the virus are different from those in China.
China was the first to spot and report the outbreak, identify the pathogen, and share its genome sequence with the World Health Organization and the rest of the world. Yet China has been accused of coverups and delays and put in the dock. At the same time, those who failed to test, report and act in a timely fashion are passing judgment on others. Isn』t it a bit ironic?
As the timeline changes and possible cases are discovered in other countries that predate those found in China, some are anxious to shift the blame instead of reflecting on their own failures in the virus』s early days. Was it because they lacked the techniques, or perhaps a sense of responsibility? Could there have been any undercounting or even coverup? Should a country be labeled as the origin of the virus, held accountable and made to pay for others』 inept responses simply because it was the first to report what it found? If so, what country will be willing to test people and honestly report the findings in the future?
Some are taking things further, trying to make a fortune out of the pandemic. They have demanded reparations from China, a chilling reminder of the Boxer Indemnity foreign powers coerced China into paying more than a century ago. As a Chinese proverb goes, 「A gentleman pursues wealth in a righteous way.」 Blackmail and plunder are surely not the correct response to a pandemic.
Some others have seen the crisis as an opportunity to cut off trade and decouple economically from China. This has caused bottlenecks in global industrial supply chains and will only set back the recovery of frail economies.
Fighting Covid-19 should be everyone』s first concern. The enemy is the virus. Scapegoating China will neither make up for the time that has been lost, nor save the lives that are at risk. We are teammates in this battle, not rivals. Countries need not compete with or envy each other, still less point the finger at or turn against one another. In fact, quite the opposite is necessary. We need to show sportsmanship and team spirit, give teammates who perform well a pat on the back, and lend a helping hand to those in need. After all, this is a fight nobody can afford to lose, one we must win together.
When disaster struck, people in Eyam and Wuhan made their heroic choices. They are the epitome of responsibility, self-sacrifice and solidarity. Such spirit defies time and space, transcends national, ethnic, religious and ideological boundaries, and inspires the international community to set aside prejudice and differences and unite as one. Not only has it kindled our hope of prevailing over the ongoing pandemic; but it will also light our way to a better future.
(Mr. Xie is commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong.)
責任編輯：glory