Editor's Note: The following article is taken from the Chinese-language opinion column "The Real Point."

A British right-wing neoconservative think tank has published a report accusing China of concealing bad news from the outside world and "patent breaches" of the International Health Regulations over its handling of COVID-19. The Henry Jackson Society further claims that the international community should pursue trillions of dollars in compensation from China through the international courts, which makes little sense and is nothing but absurd.

According to the International Health Regulations, member states of the WHO are obliged to report public health emergencies that may constitute an international concern and share information. Since a hospital in Hubei Province, the epicenter of the Chinese outbreak, first reported three unexplained pneumonia cases on December 27, China has been quick and transparent in sharing all information with international health organizations and other countries.

Many of its prevention and control measures, as the WHO has repeatedly stated, far exceeded relevant requirements for dealing with emergencies. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said, "In many ways, China is actually setting a new standard for outbreak response."

In the face of the virus, all human beings are victims. The claim that China should be held accountable and compensate for the pandemic is essentially immoral racist talk. If such a claim stands, then who should foot the bill for the 1951 influenza epidemic that originated in England and led to many deaths in countries including Ireland and Canada?

Some right-wing British Conservative politicians, such as Minister for the Cabinet Office Michael Gove, are also busy seeking scapegoats for the government's lousy response to the pandemic. An article carried by The Independent quoted Nick Lowles, the head of the Hope not Hate anti-racism group, who said, "Gove is quick to throw the blame at China over the lack of UK coronavirus testing." Richard Horton, editor-in-chief of The Lancet, also pointed out that, "We knew in the last week of January that this was coming. The message from China was absolutely clear, that a new virus, with pandemic potential, was hitting cities."

The underlying reason for the poor response of the British government to the pandemic is the drastic reduction of social welfare, including spending on the NHS, which has been advocated by the Conservative Party since the 1980s. In 2017, the number of hospital beds per 1,000 people in the UK was only 2.5, ranking it almost bottom among the major European developed countries. In comparison, the figures for Germany and France were 8 and 6 respectively.

The shortages of medical resources and indifference to the information provided by China have seriously undermined Britain's capacity in responding to public health emergencies. What should be really reviewed are those right-wing scholars and Conservative politicians who have been advocating improper policies.

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