U.S. President Donald Trump continues to blame China for its handling of the coronavirus outbreak. However, analysts predict that tensions between China and the U.S. will likely worsen as the November election approaches.
In his latest tweet, Donald Trump claimed that it was the “incompetence of China” that should be blamed for the outbreak. The U.S. President added that it was China’s handling of the health crisis “that did this mass worldwide killing.”
“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,” Donald Trump tweeted on Wednesday. “Please explain to this dope that it was the ‘incompetence of China,’ and nothing else, that did this mass worldwide killing!”
Following Donald Trump’s tweet, China defended the way it handled the coronavirus pandemic. “We have persisted in speaking the truth, presenting the truth and speaking with reason, doing our utmost to protect the lives and health of the people,” Chinese foreign ministry Zhao Lijian said in a press briefing, according to SBS News.
In addition, Zhao also stressed that China has “always had an open, transparent and responsible attitude” in its efforts against the coronavirus pandemic.
Donald Trump has been blaming China for lacking transparency on the true extent of the coronavirus outbreak in the country which started in the city of Wuhan, according to CNBC. Meanwhile, China retaliated by suggesting that the U.S. might be the real source of the virus.
Tensions between the two countries will likely remain high until the November election. According to SBS, Trump has “made attacking Beijing a centerpiece of his November re-election bid.”
A political expert said that this is a politically-motivated conflict and won’t likely be resolved until the election is done. “This is not about improving economic security for Americans, American companies, no matter what they say,” Yale University senior fellow Stephen Roach said. “This is a politically motivated trade conflict.”
Roach added that “the end game for the Trump administration is crystal clear — and that is winning the election.” To win support, the Trump administration will likely do anything such as imposing new tariffs on Chinese projects or defaulting on debt to China.