Virus slur fits Washington way, analyst says

The United States' attacks on China over COVID-19 origin tracing are a manifestation of its habit of blaming others for harmful actions it is guilty of, a leading Bangladeshi foreign affairs analyst said.

"This is not new and the US is in the habit of blaming other countries for various reasons," said Munshi Faiz Ahmad, former chairman of the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies.

China's recent call for the international community to urge the US to assist the transparent investigation of the coronavirus' origin demonstrates China's "goodwill and positive intentions", he said.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said last month the US is in no position to blackmail or coerce China, nor does it have the right to represent the international community to attack and slander China over the coronavirus origin tracing.

Zhao also called on the international community to jointly urge the US to give support in the investigation and provide transparent data and channels.

"I think his remarks are quite apt," said Ahmad, who is also a former Bangladeshi ambassador to China.

The US grabbed as many vaccines as possible without regard for its inoculation capacity, its actual needs or the needs of other countries, Ahmad added.