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BEIJING, May 1-- China-bashing is one of the most favorite campaign strategies used by U.S. politicians during presidential elections, perhaps even more so this year than before. With the continuous spread of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed over 60,000 people and induced a deepening recession in the United States, there are plenty of incentives for some U.S. politicians to shift blame to China, a convenient scapegoat in an election year. The high-volume attacks against China, including absurd and ill-disposed calls for inquiry, lawsuits and compensation to hold China liable for coronavirus damage, all stem from the desperate effort to divert domestic attention and shield their own incompetence and mistakes from scrutiny. The U.S. administration might thought it had a strong hand in this year's election before the outbreak of COVID-19, with an ostensibly strong economy and a booming stock market. Such confidence may explain some of the reluctance for the current administration to take the virus head on, which opted instead to sit on its hands, hoping the virus would blow over. Unfortunately, false hope is as dangerous as it is paralyzing. Over 1 million people have been infected with the virus in the country so far, and more than 30 million Americans have applied for unemployment benefits since the epidemic forced widespread business closures. As reality sank in, that aloofness turned into panic, prompting absurd suggestions that COVID-19 is similar to the flu, or that injecting disinfectant may be a cure for the disease. | 
