The United states have slammed China and Iran for running a disinformation campaign about the deadly Coronavirus after a prominent Chinese official suggested the US military brought the virus to Wuhan, China, when hundreds of military athletes were there for October’s Military World Games..
The Coronavirus epidemic originated from Wuhan in China and has now spread round the world, with thousands now dead all over the world due to the virus. Trump was criticized for calling the virus ‘the Chinese virus’ over the weekend and now US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has now blasted the Chinese leaders for trying to change the narrative about the virus’ origin while revealing a ‘handful’ of US State Department’ officials had tested positive to the virus.
Pompeo also said China could have alerted the world earlier when the virus started before it grew out of hand and spread round the world.
”They lied about the Wuhan virus for weeks, they are trying to avoid responsibility for their gross incompetence,” Pompeo said, speaking to reporters at the State Department on Tuesday.
“The disinformation campaign that they (Chinese leaders) are waging is designed to shift responsibility. Now is not the time for recrimination, now is the time to solve this global pandemic and work to take down risks to Americans and people all across the world.”
“Every nation has a responsibility to share all of their data, all of their information, in as timely and accurate a fashion as they have the ability to do not only because it is the right thing to do but it’s also how you save lives for your own people as well,” Pompeo said.
“The Chinese Communist Party had a responsibility to do this, not only for Americans and Italians and South Koreans and Iranians who are now suffering, but for their own people as well.”
“Secretary Pompeo conveyed strong US objections to PRC efforts to shift blame for COVID-19 to the United States,” the State Department spokesperson said in a statement Monday.
“The Secretary stressed that this is not the time to spread disinformation and outlandish rumors, but rather a time for all nations to come together to fight this common threat.”
On Tuesday President Donald Trump during a White House press briefing defended his use of the term “China virus” to describe COVID-19 saying he uses the term because China tried to blame its spread on the American military.
“I didn’t appreciate the fact that China was saying that our military gave it to them. Our military did not give it to anybody,” Trump said.
