The Donald Trump administration is reportedly drawing up several plans to punish China over what they see as the Asian country’s role in the spread of Coronavirus that has killed over 60,000 Americans and infected millions worldwide.
According to a report by CNN, the White House is drawing up long and short term plans to target China, a move that if successful will create more rancor into an already tense relationship between the two world powers.
According to CNN, various tools, including sanctions, canceling US debt obligations and new trade policies are going to be used against China to let the world know that ”responsibility for the death of hundreds of thousands worldwide lies with the Chinese government.”
“We have to get the economy going again, we have to be careful about how we do this,” said one administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity to CNN
“But we will find ways to show the Chinese that their actions are completely reprehensible.”
The report comes after the Trump administration suggested it was looking into reports that the virus originated from a laboratory in Wuhan, China while China has refuted claims that the virus was man made.
Earlier in April, Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the weight of evidence suggests the virus was of natural origin. Trump has now ordered the intelligence agencies to investigate China.
The US intelligence community has issued a statement confirming it was investigating China’s role in the pandemic.
“The IC will continue to rigorously examine emerging information and intelligence to determine whether the outbreak began through contact with infected animals or if it was the result of an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan,” the statement said.
Trump on Thursday, also revealed the strained relationship between his Administration and China when he told reporters that China does not want to see him get reelected because the US is “getting billions” from the country thanks to the trade deal he signed with China after engaging in a trade war with the Asian giant.
Trump said that “China would like to see sleepy Joe Biden — they would take this country for a ride like you’ve never seen before.”, linking China’s alleged withholding of information about the Coronavirus spread in the country to his reelection campaign.
