Donald Trump lashes out at China for rising coronavirus death toll


US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has quoted former president Richard Nixon while listing deep concerns about the activities of China's Communist Party. Photo: Getty
Donald Trump has posted a vicious attack on China, blaming its “incompetence” for allowing the coronavirus to spread and kill more than 325,000 people worldwide.
Tensions between the two superpowers have boiled over following repeated US accusations that the outbreak was China’s fault.
Mr Trump’s latest assertion that China is responsible for “mass worldwide killing” may be the tip of the iceberg.
In a tweet, he referred to an unidentified “wacko in China” who apparently “just released a statement blaming everybody other than China for the Virus”.
“Please explain to this dope that it was the ‘incompetence of China’, and nothing else, that did this mass Worldwide killing!” Mr Trump continued.
Some wacko in China just released a statement blaming everybody other than China for the Virus which has now killed hundreds of thousands of people. Please explain to this dope that it was the “incompetence of China”, and nothing else, that did this mass Worldwide killing!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 20, 2020
The US is not the only remaining enemy in the ongoing war of words with China.
Australia has been enduring the consequences of Beijing’s profound frustration with the Morrison government’s push for an independent inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus.
In displaying that frustration, China blocked beef imports from four Australian abattoirs and imposed an 80 per cent import tariff on barley, which is worth on average about $1.5 billion.
In an editorial posted by China’s mouthpiece, Global Times, Australia was accused of “following the steps of some US hawks who harshly attack China over coronavirus”.
It cited a comment from a ‘netizen’ – a citizen of the internet – which described Australia as “this giant kangaroo that serves as a dog of the US”.
The netizen went on to say that Australia appears to have “hit a deadlock with China on trade disputes in sectors like coal and beef”.
“Hopefully, the US will compensate it!” the comment said.
Meanwhile, Trade Minister Simon Birmingham is pursuing China on unsourced reports that it is considering stricter checks for some Australian seafood, oats and fruit.
He acknowledged recent comments from “Chinese spokespeople emphasising the mutual benefits that flow from our trading relationship”, but urged them to address whether it was drawing up a hit list of Australian exports.