Donald Trump refers to ‘Chinese virus’ as Washington asks Beijing to stop shifting blame for Covid-19 to the US
- Mike Pompeo tells top Chinese diplomat ‘this is not the time for disinformation’ after officials spread conspiracy theory that US troops took virus to China
- Yang Jiechi had called the US secretary of state to denounce American lawmakers’ comments about China’s handling of the outbreak
United States President Donald Trump described Covid-19 as a “Chinese virus” in remarks likely to trigger another backlash from China after top diplomats from the two nations clashed over the coronavirus outbreak.
In a series of tweets, Trump asked US people to “band together and support your neighbours by not hoarding unnecessary amounts of food and essentials”.
“Together we will stay strong and overcome this challenge!” he wrote.
“The United States will be powerfully supporting those industries, like airlines and others, that are particularly affected by the Chinese virus. We will be stronger than ever before!”
Trump’s tweet came after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo clashed with his Chinese counterpart on Monday over what he called Beijing’s efforts “to shift blame for Covid-19 to the United States” as escalating accusations – and even allegations of conspiracy – flew between Beijing and Washington.