BEIJING - China has suffered tremendously but has contributed generously to the global efforts to combat COVID-19, said a white paper released Sunday by China's State Council Information Office.

Its efforts should be duly recognized, and China should not be criticized groundlessly, said the white paper "Fighting COVID-19: China in Action."

Since the early days of the outbreak, China has informed the rest of the world of every development in clear and unambiguous terms, said the document, adding that certain countries ignored the information and now blame China for their own failure to respond to the epidemic and protect their people's lives.

The baseless accusation that China concealed epidemic information and death figures is a calculated slur on the 1.4 billion Chinese people, including those killed by the virus, and on millions of Chinese medical workers, it noted.

It is out of the kindness of Chinese people, the empathy they have with people of other countries suffering from the pandemic, the humanitarian spirit of helping each other amid disasters, and the sense of responsibility as a major country that China has offered help to other countries to the best of its ability, the white paper said, noting "China is not exporting its model, nor is it pursuing selfish geopolitical interests."