Beijing has accused US politicians of “telling barefaced lies” over the coronavirus pandemic that has infected over 3 million people, after President Donald Trump threatened to seek damages from China for the outbreak. “They have only one objective: shirk their responsibility for their own poor epidemic prevention and control measures, and divert public attention,” said foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang at a press briefing Tuesday.
US President Donald Trump suggested he may seek damages from China over the coronavirus pandemic which began in the Chinese city of Wuhan and spread around the world, prompting a furious response from Beijing on Tuesday.
Beijing and Washington have clashed repeatedly over the pandemic as tensions have soared between the world’s two biggest economic powers over the origin of the virus.
“We are not happy with China,” Trump said at a White House briefing Monday. “We are not happy with that whole situation because we believe it could have been stopped at the source. “It could have been stopped quickly and it wouldn’t have spread all over the world,” he said, saying there were many options to “hold them accountable”.
Trump was asked about a recent German newspaper editorial which called on China to pay Germany $165 billion in reparations because of economic damage due to the virus. Asked if the US would consider doing the same, Trump said US could pursue the country for billions in damages because China “could have stopped” the coronavirus.
Trump has even accused the World Health Organisation of being ‘china-centric’ and suspended America’s funding to the international organisation this month.
US has emerged as the worst hit country due to the pandemic with millions losing their jobs and 988,469 cases of infections, over 56,144 deaths. Meanwhile, the total number of cases in mainland China now stands at 82,836, and deaths at 4,633.