China warns against using words that 'stigmatize' country after Trump's ‘Kung flu’ remark

Chinese authorities warned against use of words or actions to stigmatise a country after US President Donald Trump called vel coronavirus “Kung Flu”. Addressing an election rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Trump said that COVID-19 has more names than any or disease in history and he can name different versions of it.

"I can name - Kung flu. I can name 19 different versions of names. Many calls it a virus, which it is. Many calls it a flu. What difference. I think we have 19 or 20 versions of name," said Trump, playing around term “Kung Fu” which is a Chinese martial arts practice.

United States is worst affected country with over 2.3 million cases and more than 1,21,000 deaths which has raised several questions on COVID-19 measures of US authorities. Trump has been trying to outsource blame to China for his administration’s failure in containing virus as he faces a tough re-election campaign.

Responding to Trump’s remark, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian reportedly said that Beijing firmly opposes any words or actions that try to use origins of coronavirus to stigmatise any country. He also emphasised that World Health Organisation (WHO) and international community are against linking virus to any country.

Read: Trump's Plan To Order H1-B And Or Visa Curbs May Affect Over 240,000 Applicants: Report

WHO on COVID-19 stigma

WHO has often cautioned against stigma around contagious disease saying level of stigma associated with COVID-19 is based on several factors which include fear of unkwn and associating fear with ‘ors’. It has also tried to address issue of social stigma associated with COVID-19 because people are labelled, stereotyped, discriminated against, and treated separately due to perceived link to disease. 

According to latest report, nearly nine million coronavirus cases have been confirmed worldwide with more than 468,000 deaths, overwhelming health care facilities across globe. United States, Brazil, and Russia are worst-hit countries while India reporting a sharp daily rise in coronavirus cases.

Read: COVID-19: Trump Brags About US' Testing Capability As Cases Continue To Skyrocket