“Must have consequences”: how Trump hints at China's involvement in the spread of coronavirus

U.S. President Donald Trump said China needs to be held accountable if it is proven that it intentionally contributed to the spread of COVID-19. This opinion was voiced by the American leader, speaking at a press briefing in the White House.

“She (the coronavirus pandemic. - RT ) could have been stopped in China before it started. But they didn’t do this, and now the whole world is suffering because of it ... If there was a mistake, the error is an error. But if they (Chinese. - RT ) acted consciously, then this should have consequences, ”Trump said.

As the head of the White House explained, the US authorities are conducting an investigation to find out the circumstances of the origin of a new type of coronavirus infection, the epidemic of which began in China, and then swept the whole world.

According to Johns Hopkins University, as of April 19, over 735 thousand cases of coronavirus were registered in the country, the number of deaths exceeded 39 thousand. At the same time, Trump had previously stated that up to 60-65 thousand people could die from the virus in the United States.

At the same time, despite Washington’s attacks on Beijing, the United States is in a difficult situation - at the height of the fight against the coronavirus, the United States is highly dependent on the supply of personal protective equipment from China, Reuters notes. American doctors are still experiencing an acute shortage of masks, respirators and protective suits.

Without scientific justification

This is not the first time that the US leadership has been trying to hold China responsible for the outbreak and spread of coronavirus worldwide. In an interview with NBC, US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said the PRC leadership deliberately misled the Americans, stressing that it does not believe in Beijing’s honesty today.

Meanwhile, Trump also ordered the suspension of funding for the World Health Organization. The head of the White House believes that because of its "orientation to China", WHO did not timely warn about the dangers of coronavirus. In particular, the American leader recalled that the organization did not support the decision of the US authorities to suspend communication with China in early February, considering such a step unnecessary. 

• Pentagon Head Mark Esper
• Reuters
• © Yuri Gripas

In turn, the American media repeatedly sounded the version of the laboratory origin of coronavirus. On April 16, Fox News published material stating that a null patient with COVID-19 allegedly worked in a Wuhan laboratory. Referring to anonymous sources, journalists write that work was carried out in the institution to show that China is superior to the United States in the ability to detect and fight viral infections.

Beijing denies allegations by US authorities and the media. On April 17, speaking at a press briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijiang said that China did not hide from the world community the real situation with coronavirus.

A day earlier, in an interview with CGTN, the diplomat, referring to the conclusion of the WHO, emphasized that the version of the laboratory origin of coronavirus has no scientific justification.

In turn, the head of the Wuhan Institute of Virology Yuan Zhiming also denied the allegation of the artificial creation of COVID-19, including within the walls of the city laboratory. In his opinion, the information disseminated by the American media is based on speculation, and not on scientific research. Moreover, Chzhimin is convinced that human civilization at the current stage of development, in principle, is not able to remove such a virus.

A similar point of view is shared by many Russian and foreign scientists, including in the United States. For example, the director of the American National Institute of Allergic and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauchi rejects the hypothesis of artificial origin COVID-19.

In turn, in an interview with RT, the chief researcher at the Research Institute of Virology, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Dmitry Lvov said that the scientific community has no doubt about the natural origin of coronavirus. He called the version of the creation of COVID-19 in the laboratory for the implementation of any secret plans "verbiage."

As the head of the HSE School of Oriental Studies, Alexei Maslov, noted in an interview with RT, today there is “no real evidence that this coronavirus was created in a man-made way”.

“All that is now on this subject is high-profile statements by politicians, links to some secret reports and anonymous sources. We do not see any specific and reliable information. So far, the accusations of artificially creating the virus have more ideological warfare and political confrontation than real facts, ”Maslov stated.

"Long-term confrontation"

Despite the lack of evidence of the artificial origin of coronavirus and the fact that China concealed reliable information about the infection, the political elite of the United States is already discussing options for holding China accountable. It is mainly about financial punishment. 

Thus, a number of senators introduced a bill to Congress to create a mechanism for paying compensation to China for the spread of coronavirus. Lindsay Graham, chairman of the U.S. Parliament’s Upper House Legal Committee, called on the world's coronavirus victims to bill Beijing for pandemic damage. And Marsha Blackburn, a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, insists that Washington refuse to pay Beijing part of the federal government debt. 

• American doctors
• Reuters
• © Brendan Mcdermid

Alexei Maslov does not rule out that the United States authorities may even initiate an international lawsuit in The Hague in order to prove Beijing’s “guilt” and subsequently recover compensation from it. The expert explains the logic of the American establishment with a desire to restrain the recovery of the Chinese economy after the victory over COVID-19 and prevent the strengthening of China's geopolitical position. 

“The issue of holding China accountable for the outbreak of coronavirus may result in a long-term confrontation. At least today, it is in Washington’s interests to prevent China from rising on the world stage, especially against the backdrop of the difficult economic situation in the United States. Actually, this is where the accusations of the Americans from creating an infection in the Wuhan laboratory follow, ”says Maslov.

The expert predicts a further deterioration in US-Chinese relations, but doubts Washington’s readiness to impose economic sanctions against Beijing.

Similarly, the situation was assessed by Pavel Feldman, deputy director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Forecasts at RUDN University.

“The Americans will not dare to introduce any restrictions, because any sanctions against Beijing will almost instantly turn into a blow to the US economy. Instead, Washington will try to discredit China’s image in the international arena. Also, Americans will try to put pressure on Beijing to get bonuses in the trade war that has been going on between the two countries in recent years, ”Feldman concluded.