US may seek damages from China over COVID-19 repercussions
US and China, the World’s biggest economic powers, are reportedly clashing over the outbreak and spread of COVID-19. Tensions begin to soar between these countries as Trump has suggested to seek damages from China over the outbreak of novel coronavirus from the Chinese city Wuhan. In response to this, Beijing has retaliated with an incandescent reply.
In a White House briefing on Monday, Trump stated that US is not pleased with China given the fact that it did not try to contain the novel coronavirus at the source. The US leader is of the view that the virus could have been prevented from spreading all over the World and that various options are being considered to hold China accountable for the same. Trump also commented on a recent German news editorial which demanded China to pay $165 billion to Germany in reparation of economic damage caused by the virus. Trump stated that the final amount to be sought as damages from China has not been decided yet.
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Trump and his Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo angered Beijing last month by referring to COVId-19 as ‘the Chinese virus’. However, later they apparently dropped the term.
Beijing retaliates to US allegations
Geng Shuang, a foreign ministry spokesman addressed a press briefing accusing the US politicians of telling ‘bare faced lies’. He alleged that the US leadership has failed to contain the pandemic in their country. They have shown poor administration in terms of controlling the spread of virus and are instead trying to divert public attention by blaming China. In addition to it, he ‘advised’ the US government to focus on the issues at hand rather than doing ‘blame game.’
China has also vehemently refuted US’s stance that the virus originated from a Virology institute in Wuhan. In response to this, the foreign ministry spokesman in Beijing suggested that it was the US military that brought the virus to the city of Wuhan.
As of now, millions have been infected in the US while 56,000 have died due to the virus. US’s economy has also been crippled due to the same. On the other hand, no new deaths have been reported in China for 13 days while the death toll remains at 4,633.
