Published 23:03 IST, July 10th 2020
Trump reluctant to negotiate US-China trade deal phase two, blames it on COVID-19
When asked about the possibility of US-China trade deal Phase II, Trump is reported to have said that he wasn't thinking about it given "severely damaged" ties
United States President Donald Trump is not mulling over phase two negotiations of US' trade deal with China. Trump was speaking to reports onboard Air Force One on Friday, July 10 when he acknowledged that US relations with China have been "severely damaged".
When asked about the possibility of US-China trade deal phase two, Trump is reported to have said that he wasn't thinking about it. The first phase of the important trade deal was closed after successful negotiations earlier this year.
US-China relations have gone sour over the COVID-19 pandemic with Donald Trump accusing the Chinese leadership of alleged mishandling of the pandemic. The US President has time and again blamed China for the spread of COVID-19 infection which has caused over half a million deaths around the world. However, the pandemic is just one of the multiple issues that have marked a downturn in the US-China diplomatic ties.
'Plague from China'
Earlier, during the Spirit of America Showcase at the White House, Trump renewed his war of words against Beijing over the COVID-19 outbreak. In a heated speech, Trump called the pandemic a 'Plague from China' and yet again blamed the Asian country for sharply rising cases of COVID-19 infection in the US.
The US President claimed that coronavirus entered the United States just after his administration had just signed a “brand new trade deal” with China and the ink on the agreement "wasn’t even dry"
Prior to the White House event, Trump had called the virus “Kung Flu” at his election rally in Tulsa. He had said, "I can name 19 different versions of names. Many call it a virus, which it is. Many call it a flu. What difference. I think we have 19 or 20 versions of the name," while playing around the term “Kung Fu” which is a Chinese martial arts practice.
Updated 23:03 IST, July 10th 2020