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Published 08:11 IST, April 19th 2020

Donald Trump takes a cue; says China will own US if 'sleepy Joe Biden' becomes President

Making a massive claim on Saturday, US president Donald Trump alleged that Democratic nominee for 2020 presidential polls Joe Biden has been 'pitched' by China.

Reported by: Navashree Nandini
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Making a massive claim in his press briefing on Saturday, the United States President Donald Trump alleged that former Vice President & Democratic nominee for the 2020 presidential elections Joe Biden has been 'pitched' by China. While blaming China for their lack of transparency in handling the Coronavirus crisis, Trump said that 'US will be owned by China if sleepy Biden wins'. 

"China was pitching for former vice president Joe Biden for the presidential election. If sleepy Joe Biden wins, China will own the United States," Trump said. He added that his administration had gained billions of dollars from China due to his assertive trade policies.

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READ | Cutting WHO funding isn't only dangerous—Trump doesn’t have the authority: Hillary Clinton

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During his White House press briefing, Trump said that the death toll due to Covid in China is higher than the United States, but is not being reported. However, he also added that his country's relationship with China was good before the outbreak of the virus.  "We had the greatest economy in the world by far. China isn't even close. Go back two months. And we're going to keep it that way," he said.

Meanwhile, on April 19, India amended the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy to ensure no hostile takeover of firms facing stress due to ongoing COVID-19 lockdown. According to the amendment, neighbouring countries - including China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan will require government approval for investing in Indian companies. 

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READ | Donald Trump unveils three-phase plan to reopen US from Covid lockdown; here's what it is

Trump blames Biden for 'standing up for China'

Trump's 2020 campaign’s official Twitter account, Trump War Room, has claimed that Biden spent 44 years in Washington 'standing up for China' and 'protecting China's feelings'. It is clear that Trump is using coronavirus to attack his opponent Biden ahead of the US presidential election. One-minute two-second campaign video on the page declares 'Biden dangerous for America.' The campaign also blamed him for the failure to stockpile enough protective masks to prepare for the coronavirus pandemic. 

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The United States till Sunday reported a total number of 738,792 cases 39,014 deaths. New York City remains the most affected by the coronavirus. The novel Coronavirus, which has brought the entire world to a halt, first originated in China in December last year, has till now killed over 160,755 people worldwide.

READ | Trump says new guidelines aim to lift some restrictions

Democrats endorse Biden

In a massive turn of events, US Senator Bernie Sanders suspended his 2020 Presidential campaign paving way for Biden to be the presidential nominee for the upcoming election in the US. The Democrats, who looked bitterly divided a few weeks ago, seems to have come together as Sanders Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren announced their endorsement of Biden. Former US President Barack Obama also endorsed his 'friend' Biden, who was also his VP during his presidency.

READ | Coronavirus LIVE Updates

07:40 IST, April 19th 2020