US-China relationship worsens over coronavirus – By Olivia Beavers (The Hill) / March 19 2020
President Trump is blaming China for the coronavirus pandemic threatening lives and the economy in the United States, further testing a relationship with Beijing already stressed by a trade war.
While Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping praised one another earlier this year over their new trade agreement, both sides are now seeking to pin responsibility on the other for the COVID-19 disease.
Trump on Wednesday opened a press briefing by describing the coronavirus as a “Chinese virus,” echoing remarks by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other top cabinet officials.
The coronavirus is believed to have originated in a food market in Wuhan, China, and that country has suffered through more than 80,000 cases and 3,200 deaths, according to The New York Times.
Trump’s remarks have fueled criticism that the administration is stigmatizing the virus when it poses a threat to all people and all nations. CBS White House reporter Weijia Jiang also claimed that an unnamed administration official dubbed the virus as “Kung-Flu” to her, suggesting officials are taking Trump’s to make racist remarks about the virus.
Continue to article: https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/488311-us-china-relationship-worsens-over-coronavirus
