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

Chinese authorities warned against the use of words or actions to stigmatise a country after US President Donald Trump called the novel coronavirus “Kung Flu”. Addressing an election rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Trump said that COVID-19 has more names than any other 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 the name," said Trump, playing around the term “Kung Fu” which is a Chinese martial arts practice.

The United States is the 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 the blame to China for his administration’s failure in containing the 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 the origins of the coronavirus to stigmatise any country. He also emphasised that the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the international community are against linking the virus to any country.

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WHO on COVID-19 stigma

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

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

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