This UN handout photo shows US President Donald Trump (on screen), as he addresses the general debate of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, on Sept 22, 2020 at the UN in New York. (RICK BAJORNAS / UNITED NATIONS / AFP)

The United States' accusations against China on COVID-19 at UN gatherings were baseless and politically motivated, foreign policy experts and academics have said.

They noted US President Donald Trump is dodging personal blame for his responsibility for the US' failure in face of the pandemic while using discriminatory language about the virus, blaming China for its spread at the General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly.

Such accusations against China were baseless and unfair, the experts said. However, they largely agreed that politicians in the United States usually try to win votes by "China-bashing", and this practice increases greatly before US elections.

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"Considering that Trump has been personally blamed for a failed policy and an abysmal response to COVID-19 domestically, his morbid behavior become very clear so close to the US presidential elections," said Aamir Ghauri, an Islamabad-based foreign policy expert and founder and director of the South Asia Future Forum. "He doesn't want his voters to see or know his failure. Hence blaming China is very natural. It's all politics."

Whatever the cause, China has behaved with great responsibility both in controlling the virus within its borders and in helping countries contain the virus by providing critical equipment. This fact has been acknowledged by WHO as well. 

Tasneem Aslam, Pakistan's former senior diplomat

"It's an election year in the US. China-bashing helps, so all is fair in politics," said Abdul Basit, a Pakistani diplomat who served as high commissioner of Pakistan to India and Pakistan's ambassador to Germany.

Tasneem Aslam, Pakistan's former senior diplomat who also served as Foreign Secretary for European Affairs, noted: "Whatever the cause, China has behaved with great responsibility both in controlling the virus within its borders and in helping countries contain the virus by providing critical equipment. This fact has been acknowledged by WHO as well.

"The US accusations, therefore, have little credibility."

More analysts emphasized the Trump administration's failure in handling the pandemic at home and failing international cooperation by withdrawing from the WHO at a most critical time.

"Trump is himself to be blamed for more than 200,000 deaths of Americans at the hands of COVID-19. He badly failed to devise a strategy to counter COVID-19," an Islamabad-based European diplomat said anonymously.

He added that a majority of Americans have turned against him for failing to protect the world's most powerful nation with its most advanced medical facilities. "His assertion against China will pick up pace in the weeks to come only to get political support. This is just a blame game. As a matter of fact he is trying to hide his failure by hurling accusations against China."

Contrary to Trump's accusations, Dr. Zafar Mirza, Pakistan's former Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health, said China had immediately informed the WHO after it detected the virus. Hence, Trump's accusations were false and unfair.

"To the best of my knowledge, China informed the WHO about the novel coronavirus in a timely fashion. It had undertaken exemplary measures to contain the virus. I believe Trump's allegations against China are baseless and politically motivated," he said.

The World Health Organization confirmed China had informed the WHO immediately after it detected cases of pneumonia of unknown cause in Wuhan.

China first detected cases in Wuhan last December. Three weeks before imposing the lockdown, Chinese officials started their virus identification work. The very next day, China began to inform the WHO and exchange information with the US regularly about the new virus.

Analysts found another reason for the US president's assertion against China: China's rising influence and dominance in almost every field, ranging from economics to defense and tourism which is making the US extremely worried

On the same day, the potential threat of the new virus began to be included in Trump's daily brief, according to US media reports, and Trump kept playing down the virus to the public.

Nasreen Agha, assistant professor of international relations at Quaid Azam University in Islamabad, said: "America is one of the hardest-hit countries by COVID-19. The virus has killed 200,000 Americans and counting.

"Honestly, it is not because of what has been alleged by some in the US of a Chinese 'cover-up'. Instead, it is because of the White House's delayed response when there were warning signs."

Analysts found another reason for the US president's assertion against China: China's rising influence and dominance in almost every field, ranging from economics to defense and tourism which is making the US extremely worried.

"Since the US now openly identifies China as its main competitor in global politics, Trump's incessant accusations are very understandable," Ghauri said. "But we need to see his remarks more closely."

Research has revealed China has emerged as a heavyweight during the last decade, following the vision of the Communist Party of China.

A report from the Kiel Institute, a German research group, estimates China's lending to the developing world at more than $520 billion. According to that institute's report, the US would be unable to match the scale of China's investment, making China a bigger lender than the World Bank or International Monetary Fund.

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"China's rise and global spending has given Trump sleepless nights. His statements against China are baseless. He's just trying to score points by 'China-bashing' ahead of general elections in the US," said Sohail Bhatti, Islamabad foreign policy expert and columnist for leading daily Roznama 92.

In sharp contrast, the analysts favor Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has called for the world to confront the COVID-19 crisis together and meet more challenges in the future.

Noting COVID-19 has ravaged the world and is resurging, Xi said countries should put people and life first and enhance solidarity. "COVID-19 reminds us we are living in an interconnected global village with a common stake," he said in a video speech at the UN General Debate, held virtually for the first time in the world body's 75-year-long history due to the pandemic. "This is why we should embrace the vision of a community with a shared future in which everyone is bound together."

The author is a freelance journalist for China Daily.