As COVID-19 spreads, the virus and the Sinophobia that follows threatens China’s Belt and Road Initiative and its goal of creating ‘a community of common destiny.’

Given the high stakes, both China and the United States have compelling reasons to put aside their differences and work together. This would set the tone for solving other challenges as well.

Many factors are aligning to dim the future, but it’s important to keep trying. While the two rivals are stuck in a mode of competition, suspicion and hard bargaining, the cliff can still be avoided.

The novel coronavirus outbreak in the lead-up to the 2020 Chinese Spring Festival has inflicted great pain on tens of thousands of patients and their families, involving countless courageous Chinese citizens, who otherwise would have spent the holiday with their families and friends, in an unprecedented anti-virus war.

US-China economic and technology relations are in an unexpected flux since the outbreak of the coronavirus.

As the Trump White House has sought to politicize the virus outbreaks, vital time has been lost and collateral damage is likely to haunt the administration.

Cooperation is required if supply chain security is to be assured in the face of a worldwide health threat. No country can afford to be an outsider. Attempts by some to go it alone pose a huge challenge to the spirit needed to resolve the problem.

While the timing of the coronavirus outbreak is awkward, given the China-bashing realities of an election year in the United States, bilateral and global cooperation remain the only answer.

Cooperation is needed now more than ever. Political stereotypes should be abandoned, joint research should be fostered and critical supply chains should be protected.

Just as the COVID-2019 epidemic appears to be under control in China, new and serious outbreaks have occurred in South Korea, Italy, Japan, Iran and elsewhere. The virus seems to be ubiquitous and unstoppable. While I am hopeful that the epidemic in China will be over by the end of March, I begin to worry about the possibility of overseas visitors to China bringing the COVID-2019 virus back, starting another episode of the epidemic again. China cannot afford to have its hard-won and costly victory over the COVID-2019 virus annulled by a few infected visitors from abroad.