US President Donald Trump has said that he does not want to speak to Chinese President Xi Jinping even as he signaled at cutting off ties with China. Speaking to Fox Business Network, Trump expressed his disappointment over China's failure to check the spread of COVID-19. He also gave a vibe that the business deal with China signed in January, which has been touted as an achievement, will not be considered so.
Trump blamed China for the spread of coronavirus across the world and said that China should have never let this happen. Speaking about the trade deal, he said it does not feel the same to him now.
'Right Now I Don't Want to Speak to Him'
Previously, Trump had said that he shared a good relationship with China's President Xi Jinping. "But right now I don't want to speak to him," Trump said in the interview. When asked about a suggestion from the Republican senator to deny any opportunity for Chinese students to apply in American universities, especially in the field of quantum computing and artificial intelligence, Trump answered curtly, saying: "There are many things we could do. We could do things. We could cut off the whole relationship."
This reaction from Tump about China and Xi Jinping has left Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of China's influential Global Times tabloid angry. He spoke about Trump's claim of injecting COVID-19 patients with disinfectants.
Withdrawal of US Pension Worth Billions of Dollars
The US has introduced legislation in the Senate seeking sanctions against China. Trump has spoken in this regard and said that the US administration has sought withdrawal of billions of dollars in American pension fund investments in China.
Meanwhile, China is mulling actions against US lawmakers who have introduced legislation in the Senate proposing sanctions against China for its handling of the coronavirus outbreak, according to news reports. "Billions of dollars, billions... Yeah, I pulled it back," Trump said during the interview.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has accused China of stealing US intellectual property and data related to COVID-19 research. "The US condemns attempts by cyber actors and non-traditional collectors affiliated with People's Republic of China (PRC) to steal US intellectual property and data related to COVID-19 research," Pompeo said in a statement.
