China Warns the US of Another Cold War

From trade wars to the Huawei controversy, to the Hong Kong protests, recent China-US relations have essentially been a bitter competition for economic and political power. The emergence of Covid-19 from China has increased pre-existing tensions.

Major American politicians, led by President Trump, have been eager to blame China for both the health and financial crisis facing America. The view that China deliberately released the Covid-19 virus has become a common talking point among many Trump supporters.

China has responded by describing these American allegations as attempts to put blame away from the nation’s own weak response to the crisis.

US allegations against China regarding Covid-19, as well as the President’s decision to remove funding from the World Health Organization, outraged China’s leadership. On Sunday May 24th, China’s foreign minister Wang Yi warned that the US and China might be heading for a Cold War. “It has come to our attention that some political forces in the US are taking China-US relations hostage and pushing our two countries to the brink of a new Cold War,” Wang told reporters.

Wang was also critical of America’s response to the virus saying “I call on the US to stop wasting time and stop wasting precious lives.” 

“Aside from the devastation caused by the novel coronavirus, there is also a political virus spreading through the US,” Wang continued. “This political virus is the use of every opportunity to attack and smear China. Some politicians completely disregard basic facts and have fabricated too many lies targeting China, and plotted too many conspiracies.”