Trump lashes out at China again: 'They could easily have stopped the plague'
US President Donald Trump launched another verbal attack against China, saying that Beijing could have "easily" contained the pandemic and is now waging an information war to escape responsibility.
Sputnik - Trump attacked China in a flurry of tweets, apparently in response to a recent statement by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, who accused the American leader of "trying to mislead the public, defame China's efforts, and shift blame for US incompetence" in handling the Covid-19 crisis.
"The spokesman speaks stupidly on behalf of China, desperately trying to deflect the pain and carnage his country has spread around the world. His disinformation and propaganda attack on the United States and Europe is a disgrace..." Trump said.
"...This all comes from the top. They could easily have stopped the plague, but they didn't!" - he emphasized.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry's comment came after the White House sent a letter to the World Health Organization (WHO), threatening to permanently suspend American funding if the organization did not make substantial improvements. Zhao urged the international community to continue supporting the organization.
"By picking on China while avoiding and bargaining away from their own international obligations at the WHO, the US obviously miscalculated the situation and made a misguided move," the Chinese spokesperson reflected.
The White House letter to the WHO repeated a series of arguments that President Trump has made in recent weeks, accusing the organization of having a pro-China bias and of helping Beijing cover up the severity of the coronavirus outbreak.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, participating via video conference in the World Health Assembly, May 18, 2020.
Washington initially froze funding to the WHO in April under the same allegations, promising to review its response to the coronavirus crisis, while urging Beijing to increase its contributions to the organization.
China rejects Trump's accusations and has pledged an additional $2 billion (R$ 11,3 billion) in funding to the organization over the next two years.