https://www.afr.com/world/asia/us-army-might-have-brought-virus-to-wuhan-20200313-p549sh Michael SmithChina Correspondent Mar 13, 2020 — 1.24pm Shanghai | A Chinese official says the US army "might" have brought the coronavirus to the city of Wuhan, as the two nations trade insults over their handling of the outbreak. Beijing, offended by US criticism of the way it handled the health crisis, has ramped up its official propaganda lavishing praise on China's work to contain the outbreak – while hinting the virus might have originated elsewhere. US President Donald Trump labelled the coronavirus a "foreign virus" that started in China and has been spreading around the world. Other senior officials in Washington also pointed the finger at China for not raising the alarm earlier after doctors became aware of the new respiratory illness in Wuhan in late December. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Twitter on Thursday that it was the US that lacked transparency. "When did patient zero begin in US? How many people are infected? What are the names of the hospitals? It might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Be transparent! Make public your data! US owe us an explanation!" he wrote. He did not provide any information to back up the claim. Most scientists believe the coronavirus originated in a seafood market in Wuhan, a city of 11 million people in central China. There is no scientific evidence of the exact origin of the new virus, but the first known cases were from there. As the number of new cases reported in China each day dwindles to single digits, the outbreak is spreading rapidly in the US and around the world. China reported eight new cases on Friday, of which five were in Wuhan. Beijing reported one new case and Shanghai reported two, which came from people returning from overseas. Under control: a cleaner wears a mask as she works at a private maternity hospital in Wuhan, Hubei. Getty China's Communist Party and state-controlled media have hailed Beijing's "victory" over the pandemic through heavy-handed restrictions, which it wants the rest of the world to view as a model. China's stockmarket fell sharply when trading opened on Friday although it has been relatively insulated from the sell off on global markets. The Shanghai Composite Index was trading almost 3 per cent lower by late morning after opening 4.1 per cent weaker. Some Chinese cities, including Shanghai and Beijing, have introduced strict self-quarantine rules for people returning from the hardest-hit nations of South Korea, Japan, Italy or Iran. Shanghai announced on Thursday night it was extending that to France, Spain, Germany and the United States. Beijing said it would enforce a 14-day quarantine for anyone arriving in the city from any overseas country.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...r-beijings-coronavirus-comments-idUSKBN2102XW March 14, 2020 / 2:09 AM / Updated 7 hours ago U.S. summons Chinese envoy over Beijing's coronavirus comments Humeyra Pamuk, David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department summoned the Chinese ambassador to the United States on Friday to protest against comments by Beijing suggesting the U.S. military might have brought the coronavirus to Wuhan, as tensions between the two global powers over the outbreak intensified. David Stillwell, the top U.S. diplomat for East Asia, delivered a very “stern representation” to China’s ambassador Cui Tiankai, a State Department official said, adding that Beijing’s envoy was “very defensive.” The State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said China was seeking to deflect criticism of its role in “starting a global pandemic and not telling the world.” “Spreading conspiracy theories is dangerous and ridiculous. We wanted to put the government on notice we won’t tolerate it for the good of the Chinese people and the world.” Defense Department Spokeswoman Alyssa Farah wrote on Twitter on Friday that “the Communist Party of China has chosen to promulgate false & absurd conspiracy theories about the origin of COVID-19 blaming U.S. service members. #ChinaPropaganda” The virus, also called COVID-19, has infected 138,000 people worldwide and killed more than 5,000. China’s embassy did not respond to requests for comment. Despite the signs of tension, U.S. President Donald Trump praised Beijing on Friday for its “data sharing”. Asked by a reporter during a White House news conference about “odd narratives” being offered by some Chinese officials, Trump appeared to brush off any concern, saying he had read one article on the subject, but that he did not think it was representative of his discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump, who in a national address this week called the outbreak a “foreign virus” that started in China, added: “They know where it came from, we all know where it came from.” Tensions escalated after Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian took to Twitter on Thursday. “When did patient zero begin in US? How many people are infected? What are the names of the hospitals? It might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Be transparent! Make public your data! US owe us an explanation!” Zhao tweeted in English. The episode is the latest in an increasing war of words between Washington and Beijing, whose already strained ties over issues including trade, intellectual property rights and press freedom have further been tested by the virus outbreak. The coronavirus, which emerged in China in December, has spread around the world, pummeling financial markets, halting industry, bringing some flights to a standstill, closing schools and forcing the postponement of sports events and concerts. Zhao’s comments came days after Robert O’Brien, the U.S. national security adviser, said China had reacted slowly to the coronavirus, probably costing the world two months when it could have been preparing. Wuhan was ground zero for the outbreak, which the World Health Organization this week labeled a pandemic. It has infected more than 127,000 people worldwide, including nearly 81,000 in mainland China, and killed more than 5,000 people. Beijing was criticized for initially attempting to censor some Chinese doctors who sounded an alarm over the virus. Since January, it has imposed draconian containment measures, effectively locking down Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province, home to 60 million people. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has complained that the U.S. response had been hindered by what he called imperfect data from Beijing. He and several other U.S. politicians have angered Beijing by referring to the “Wuhan virus.” In a national address on Wednesday, Trump called the outbreak a “foreign virus” that started in China.