WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump further hardened his rhetoric towards China on Thursday, saying he no longer wishes to speak with Xi Jinping and warning darkly he might cut ties over the rival superpower s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Tensions have ratcheted up between Washington and Beijing as they trade barbs over the origin of the pandemic — which first appeared in late 2019 in the Chinese city of Wuhan, and which Trump has dubbed the “Plague from China.”
“I have a very good relationship (with Xi), but I just — right now I don t want to speak to him,” Trump said of the Chinese president on Fox Business.
“I m very disappointed in China. I will tell you that right now.”
Asked how the United States might choose to retaliate, Trump gave no specifics but struck a threatening tone, saying: “There are many things we could do. We could do things. We could cut off the whole relationship.”
“If you did, what would happen?” Trump asked. “You d save $500 billion if you cut off the whole relationship.”
Trump has for weeks accused China of concealing the true scale of the outbreak, allowing it to spread unchecked across the globe — and claim the lives of 300,000 people to date.
Beijing strongly denies the charge, insisting it transmitted all available data as soon as possible to the World Health Organization.
But Trump doubled down, insisting: “They could have stopped it. They could have stopped it in China where it came from. But it didn t happen that way.”
“It s very sad what s happened to the world and to our country, with all of the deaths,” he said.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also took aim at Beijing on Thursday.
“While the United States and our allies and partners are coordinating a collective, transparent response to save lives, the PRC continues to silence scientists, journalists and citizens, and to spread disinformation, which has exacerbated the dangers of this health crisis,” he said in a statement.
China s ambassador to Britain, Liu Xiaoming, issued a rebuttal on Sky News.
“There s not any cover-up at all,” Liu said. “China is a victim. China is not a culprit.”
Trending
- AJK OBSERVES WORLD EARTH DAY : Experts call for raising awareness among masses to secure earth – the natural resources:
- Peace And Love For Palestine
- Unlock the doors of Laboratories, and Libraries and focus on students Skills in Sindh Province Schools
- Gaza war and middle east tension
- The Rainbow Propaganda and Children’s Animated Media
- Rising together:The promising horizon of pak-iran relations
- BJP’s Electoral Gambits
- Roadshow of Motorcycle Scheme for Students Scheme to be held on April 25 at RMC