China releases animated video to mock statements made by US over COVID-19 response

Further intensifying US-China row over the handling of the coronavirus outbreak, China has posted an animated video with the title ‘Once upon a virus’ mocking all the statements that the United States made to place the blame on China for spreading disinformation. While US President Donald Trump has repeatedly targetted the Chinese government for not doing enough to control the outbreak of COVID-19 back in December 2019, China has denied all allegations. The new video with Lego-like figures representing China and the US on the other talks about statements made by both countries broken down month-by-month. Check the video here: 

The clip that starts with a red curtain opening to reveal US’ Statue of Liberty and a doctor depicting China. Both Washington and Beijing can be seen in war of words since the pandemic was originated. The video implied that China was not downplaying the severity of the disease caused by COVID-19, but it was the US that did “not do anything for three months”. Recently, the US along with some European and Western countries have criticised the government in the mainland for mishandling the situation. China has retaliated several times and has even said that it is not the “instigator” of disinformation about coronavirus, but was a “victim” of the same. 

In the video, the warrior (China) says “We discovered a new virus,” to which Statue of Liberty replies, “So what? It’s only flu”. At one instance the Beijing depicting figures ask the US “are you even listening to yourselves” and called out America for making contradicting statements. When the US replies, “We are always correct, even though we contradict ourselves”, the warrior-like figure says, "That’s what I love about you Americans, your consistency."

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US says China 'mishandled the situation'

Mounting another attack on China, the United States has restated that the Asian giant “mishandled the situation” of the coronavirus outbreak and cited Shanghai professor's lab being shut for revealing the pathogen's genetic code. The US along with some European and Western countries have been publically criticising China over spreading misinformation and delaying the global response to the pandemic along with the World Health Organisation. While US President Donald Trump indicated that the country would show retaliation to the Chinese government by imposing tariffs, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany reportedly said in his first press conference on May 1 that she “won’t get ahead of any announcements” from Trump. 

Further elaborating on her statement of China’s “mishandling” of the global health crisis, McEnany mentioned how the mainland refrained from sharing the genetic sequence of the novel coronavirus until a professor in Shanghai took the decision on his own hands and revealed the gene code. However, according to the White House Press Secretary, the Chinese government shut the professor’s laboratory “for quote rectification”. McEnany also mentioned the “slow-walked” information about the human-to-human transmission of the deadly disease with WHO. Therefore, she concluded by saying that the US takes “displeasure with China’s actions”.

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