China Is Asking US To Stop Blaming Them For Coronavirus

• A Chinese official told the United States to stop blaming China about the coronavirus pandemic.
• Foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Huang said China is also a “victim” not the “culprit.”
• Others, however, still believe the country has to be made accountable for many valid reasons.

With 2.5 million confirmed cases and over 177,000 deaths so far, the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc across the world since it was first detected in Wuhan, China in late 2019. The disease has since reached numerous countries and the United States now appears to be the worst-hit, with 819,164 infections and 45,349 fatalities as of April 22.

It is, however, wrong to blame China for the virus, a Chinese official recently said. Over the past several weeks, President Donald Trump himself repeatedly bashed and accused the country for mishandling the crisis and for covering up the real figures. He has also pulled funding for the World Health Organization, describing the health institution as “very China centric.”

Geng Shuang, foreign ministry spokesperson of China, said that now is the time for countries to work together instead of blaming each other.

In a media briefing, Geng explained:

“The international community can overcome the virus only if it can stay united and cooperate to make concerted efforts. Attacking and discrediting other countries simply wastes time and cannot save lost lives.”

Geng likewise pointed out that China, like other countries, is also “a victim” of COVID-19. “We are not the culprit, nor the accomplice of the virus,” he added.

It is worth-noting that Trump isn’t alone in the opinion that China must be held accountable for the virus.

Missouri’s Republican attorney general Eric Schmitt has filed a case against the country, pointing out:

“The Chinese government lied to the world about the danger and contagious nature of Covid-19, silenced whistleblowers, and did little to stop the spread of the disease.”

Meanwhile, Australia’s foreign minister Marise Payne vowed they will “absolutely insist” on China’s transparency about the issues surrounding coronavirus.

Back in March, another Foreign Ministry official Zhao Lijian tweeted “It might be U.S. army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan.”