WASHINGTON: The US wants to send a team of experts to China to investigate coronavirus, President Donald Trump has said, a day after he warned Beijing of “consequences” if it was knowingly responsible for the spread of COVID-19 which has killed more than 165,000 people globally, including over 41,000 in America.
Describing the coronavirus as a plague, Trump, during his White House news conference on Sunday, said that he is not happy with China where the pandemic emerged in December last year in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.
“We spoke to them (Chinese) a long time ago about going in. We want to go in. We want to see what’s going on. And we weren’t exactly invited, I can tell you that,” the President told reporters.
“I was very happy with the (trade) deal (with China), very happy with everything and then we found out about the plague and since we found out about that I’m not happy,” he said.
The US has launched an investigation into whether the deadly virus “escaped” from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
He has repeatedly expressed disappointment over China’s handling of the coronavirus disease, alleged non-transparency and initial non-cooperation from Beijing with Washington on dealing with the crisis.
“Based on an investigation, we are going to find out,” Trump told reporters.
—PTI

Press Trust of India