Trump angers Beijing with ‘Chinese virus’ tweet

Addis Ababa, March 17, 2020 (FBC) -China has reacted angrily after US President Donald Trump referred to the coronavirus as “Chinese”.

A foreign ministry spokesman warned the US should “take care of its own business” before stigmatising China.

The first cases of Covid-19 were recorded in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019.

However, last week a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman shared a conspiracy theory, alleging the US Army had brought it to the region.

The unfounded accusation led US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to demand China stop spreading “disinformation” as it tried “to shift blame” for the outbreak.

So far, more than 170,000 cases have been recorded worldwide, with more than 80,000 in China.

However, on Tuesday, Beijing said it had recorded just one new case caught in China, with all other new cases brought into the country.