Wang Yi: China and the US on the brink of a new cold war, the political virus is spreading

Tensions between Beijing and Washington have already been high for the past two years due to the trade war initiated by Trump, in which the two countries mutually impose additional tariffs on imported goods, severely affecting international trade.
1433 views 0 comment(s)
Wang Yi, Photo: AP
Wang Yi, Photo: AP
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.

China and the United States of America (USA) are on the brink of a "new cold war", warned Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi today, and expressed regret for the renewal of tensions with Washington over the coronavirus epidemic.

The first patients with the new coronavirus were reported at the end of last year in the Chinese city of Wuhan, and since then the virus has spread to the entire planet and about 340.000 people have died from it.

In recent weeks, US President Donald Trump has regularly accused the Chinese authorities of being late in transmitting crucial data on the severity of the virus, the spread of which he believes could have been stopped.

"In addition to the devastation caused by the new coronavirus, a political virus is spreading in the US. This political virus uses every opportunity to attack and slander China," the head of Chinese diplomacy told reporters without naming the American president.

Tensions between Beijing and Washington have been high for the past two years due to the trade war initiated by Trump, in which the two countries impose additional tariffs on each other's imported goods, which severely affects international trade.

The pandemic has raised tensions between the two world powers to new heights.

"Some American political forces are taking China-US relations hostage and pushing the two countries to the brink of a new cold war," Wang Yi said with the coronavirus crisis.

Trump has mentioned the possibility of asking Beijing to pay billions of dollars in damages for the damage caused by the pandemic, and the US is calling for an international investigation into the origin of the virus.

Wang said that China is "ready" for international cooperation to identify the source of the new corona virus, adding that such cooperation should be devoid of any political interference.

On Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said he supported a "comprehensive assessment" of the world's response to the novel coronavirus once the epidemic is eradicated.

In a video message to the annual assembly of the World Health Organization, Xi Jinping rejected any failure of his country in managing the epidemic, assuring that China has always been transparent and responsible on the issue.

See more: