US President Donald Trump sharpens attack on China over COVID-19

WASHINGTON: Launching another scathing attack on China, US President Donald Trump on Monday blamed China for causing "great damage" to the United States and across the globe due to the coronavirus crisis.

"China has caused great damage to the United States and the rest of the world!" Trump tweeted, in an oblique reference to the COVID-19 pandemic. Addressing the second 'Salute to America' on America's 244th Independence Day, Trump had also said that the country was doing great until it got hit by a virus that came from China. "The power of tariffs being imposed on foreign lands that took advantage of the United States for decades enabled us to make great trade deals where there were none. Tens of billions of dollars are now paid to the US treasury by the same countries but then we got hit by the virus that came from China," Trump had said while addressing the event.

He further said, "We're producing gowns, masks, and surgical equipment...It was almost exclusively made in foreign lands, in particular, China where ironically this virus and others came from." Earlier, the US President also lashed out at China for the COVID-19 crisis, accusing Beijing of trying to deflect the pain and carnage that the country spread throughout the world.

In May, Trump had said that he was very disappointed with China over its failure to contain the virus, saying the worldwide pandemic cast a pall over his US-China trade deal. Trump has been targeting China for spreading the virus. Earlier, the US President was asked at a press conference if he had seen evidence that gave him a "high degree of confidence" that the virus came from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, and replied that he had, although he declined to give specifics. (IANS)

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