Donald Trump’s reference to ‘Chinese virus’ smeared our country, says Beijing

China has strongly condemned what it calls “smears” from the United States after Donald Trump blamed the Covid-19 outbreak on a “Chinese virus”, deepening the conflict between the two nations over the outbreak.

“Some politicians in the US associated the coronavirus with China, and smeared China. China expresses its strong anger and opposition to that,” foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Tuesday.

“We call on the US to stop finger pointing at China. The utmost priority is for the international community to cooperate on fighting the virus.

“The US should focus on its top priority, and play a constructive role in international cooperation on health security.”

In a series of tweets, Trump urged Americans 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!”

The disease, which was first reported in China and has now spread to more than 130 countries has damaged relations between China and the US and they trade accusations about the origins of the coronavirus that causes it.

Shi Yinhong, an international relations professor at Renmin University in Beijing, said the coronavirus outbreak is damaging Trump’s prospects of being re-elected.

“The election looks completely different to him compared with three months ago and has inflicted heavy pain on the economy,” he said.

“There have been ups and downs in US-China ties over the past year but the fundamental trend since 2008 has been downwards”.

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Pang Zhongying, a visiting senior fellow with the Singapore Institute of Southeast Asian Studies said Geng’s remarks were considered moderate compared with Zhao Lijian – another spokesman for the foreign ministry who promoted a conspiracy theory that the US army was behind the Wuhan outbreak.

“Overreaction from the Chinese side will only help Trump sell that term and add to the vicious circle. It won’t change his way of thinking,” he said.

“I don’t think it’s a politically calculated decision by Trump, he might be only repeating a term from the people around him. And it could be down to their economic nationalism”.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo clashed with China’s most senior diplomat on Monday over what he called Beijing’s efforts “to shift blame for Covid-19 to the United States” as accusations – and even allegations of conspiracy – flew between Beijing and Washington.

Some Chinese diplomats have been pushing a conspiracy theory that the US army was behind the outbreak in Wuhan, and Pompeo told Yang Jiechi in a phone call that “this is not the time to spread disinformation and outlandish rumours, but rather a time for all nations to come together to fight this common threat”, according to the State Department.

During the call, Yang, Beijing’s top diplomat, denounced US lawmakers’ criticisms of China’s disease control efforts, according to Chinese state media reports.

He said these comments had “denigrated” China’s measures and “aroused the strong indignation of the Chinese people”, he said.

Last week the US House minority leader Kevin McCarthy, referred to the disease as the “Chinese coronavirus”, while Pompeo has called it the “Wuhan coronavirus” – comments the foreign ministry denounced for stigmatising China.

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Since then, Zhao has promoted the conspiracy theory that the Covid-19 pandemic may have been linked to the US Army’s participation in the Military World Games held in Wuhan in October.

Zhao’s suggestion caused the US State Department to summon the Chinese ambassador to Washington, Cui Tiankai, to protest.

But other Chinese diplomats have rallied to Zhao’s support, with the embassy in Somalia tweeting that the source of the outbreak is “very likely not in Wuhan”.

“The outbreak first occurred in Wuhan, but after efforts, China defeated it. There have been outbreaks in so many parts of the world, which makes people understand the source of the outbreak is very likely not in Wuhan. Believe scientists can finally find it,”the tweet read.