London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 17, 2025

US and China should focus on common enemy, not politics

Conversation between leaders of two greatest powers following the G20 online summit has raised hopes they will cooperate in fighting the coronavirus pandemic

The Group of 20 online summit was an overdue attempt by the world’s major powers to lead a global response to the Covid-19 pandemic, comparable with their prompt action in the global financial crisis.

Just as importantly, it set the stage for presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump to speak later by phone in an attempt to ease tensions between China and the United States.

Finger pointing over the spread of the coronavirus has diverted attention and contributed to a fragmented and weakened global response.

Now that the front line of the pandemic has shifted to Europe and the US with increasingly devastating consequences, the world cannot afford the distraction of bickering between its two greatest powers.

It needs China and the US to cooperate and be seen jointly leading the international fightback.

Trust-building between the two is paramount if they are to set aside rivalry and focus on containment, finding a cure and developing a vaccine.

Xi’s call on the US to take steps to cooperate in containing the pandemic reflects China’s determination to play a key role in turning the tide.

An obstacle to cooperation is the stigmatisation of China with references by US officials to the “Wuhan virus” and the “China virus”. In this respect, complaints by the Chinese side about such remarks resonated with the official communique issued by the G20 nations.

In a veiled swipe at US officials, including Trump, over the virus labelling, Xi said: “the virus knows no boundaries and ethnicity, and it is our common enemy. The international community can only defeat it through working together”.

More obliquely, the G20 statement said: “We stress the importance of responsible communication to the public during this global health crisis.”

In a reaffirmation of multilateralism that echoed Xi’s remarks, the communique said the pandemic was “a powerful reminder of our interconnectedness and vulnerabilities”, and the virus “respects no borders”. G20 leaders pledged to do “whatever it takes” to minimise the social and economic damage, including investing in medicines and vaccines.

In a tweet, Trump said he had a good conversation with Xi and acknowledged that China had been through much and developed a strong understanding of the virus. “We are working closely together,” he wrote.

We trust that this means divisive rivalry will be put aside.

In a tweet, Trump said he had a good conversation with Xi and acknowledged that China had been through much and developed a strong understanding of the virus. “We are working closely together,” he wrote.

We trust that this means divisive rivalry will be put aside.

Trump may have his political agenda with an election later this year. China’s rise as a world leader may not figure in it. But a battle between all of mankind and its most lethal contagion for a century is no time for politics.

Indeed, the two sides share the bottom line. Neither stands to win if they don’t cooperate against a common enemy.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
China’s lesson for the US: it takes more than chips to win the AI race
Australia Faces Demographic Risk as Fertility Falls to Record Low
California County Reinstates Mask Mandate in Health Facilities as Respiratory Illness Risk Rises
Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Trump-Brokered Gaza Truce, Hostages to Be Freed
French Political Turmoil Elevates Marine Le Pen as Rassemblement National Poised for Power
China Unveils Sweeping Rare Earth Export Controls to Shield ‘National Security’
The Davos Set in Decline: Why the World Economic Forum’s Power Must Be Challenged
France: Less Than a Month After His Appointment, the New French Prime Minister Resigns
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Sarah Mullally Becomes First Woman Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
Mayor in western Germany in intensive care after stabbing
Australian government pays Deloitte nearly half a million dollars for a report built on fabricated quotes, fake citations, and AI-generated nonsense.
US Prosecutors Gained Legal Approval to Hack Telegram Servers
Macron Faces Intensifying Pressure to Resign or Trigger New Elections Amid France’s Political Turmoil
Standard Chartered Names Roberto Hoornweg as Sole Head of Corporate & Investment Banking
UK Asylum Housing Firm Faces Backlash Over £187 Million Profits and Poor Living Conditions
UK Police Crack Major Gang in Smuggling of up to 40,000 Stolen Phones to China
BYD’s UK Sales Soar Nearly Nine-Fold, Making Britain Its Biggest Market Outside China
Trump Proposes Farm Bailout from Tariff Revenues Amid Backlash from Other Industries
FIFA Accuses Malaysia of Forging Citizenship Documents, Suspends Seven Footballers
Latvia to Bar Tourist and Occasional Buses to Russia and Belarus Until 2026
×