By Kola Olapite
U.S President Donald Trump has declared his intention to cut trade relationship with China, the second biggest economy in the world amid rising tensions about the coronavirus pandemic.
In an interview with Fox Business Network broadcast , Trump said he was very disappointed with China’s failure to contain the disease and that the pandemic had cast a pall over his January trade deal with Beijing, which he has previously hailed as a major achievement. “ So I made a great trade deal and now I say this doesn’t feel the same to me. The ink was barely dry and the plague came over. And it doesn’t feel the same to me.” Trump said.
Trump said he has a very good relationship with Chinese President, Xi Jinping, but right now, he doesn’t want to speak to him because he ought to have stopped the pandemic at the source before its deadly spread across the globe.” I am very disappointed in Beijing for its failure to stop the virus at the source.“ , he reiterated.
He also accused the Chinese Government of continuing to silence scientists, journalists, and citizens, while spreading disinformation, which has exacerbated his frustration.
Trump was asked about a Republican senator’s suggestion that US visas be denied to Chinese students applying to study in fields related to national security, such as quantum computing and artificial intelligence.
“There are many things we could do. Trump told Fox business host. Maria Bartiromo. We could cut off the whole relationship,” he replied. He further said that cutting ties with China would make the US to save $500b
In the same vein, the US and other countries have become increasingly critical of China for the ongoing novel covid19 pandemic which first started in Chinese city of Wuhan. China has been accused by Australia and other nations for covering up the extent of the monster, coronavirus and failing to be transparent about the seriousness of the virus which has infected over 5 million people worldwide and killed over 300,000. China has attempted to dismiss these criticisms by threatening to cut trade ties with Australia for calling for an investigation into the origin of coronavirus. The Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison became the first global leader who called for a thorough investigation into the genesis of coronavirus pandemic.
Prior to the outbreak, President Trump has repeatedly raised a concern about the trade deficit between the US and China, as America has imported significantly more goods and services from the Asian nation that it has exported to his country.
| “So I made a great trade deal and now I say this doesn’t feel the same to me. The ink was barely dry and the plague came over. And it doesn’t feel the same to me.”- Donald Trump |
