Published 11:17 IST, April 27th 2020
US should ban Chinese students studying science and technology: Senator
Speaking to a US broadcaster, Cotton launched an attack on China saying there was a “little doubt” that China stole the coronavirus vaccine from America.
Blaming China for the coronavirus outbreak on April 26, Republican Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton said on Sunday that the US should ban the Chinese students from studying science and technology in the country. While speaking on television with a leading US broadcaster Cotton launched an attack on China saying there was “little doubt” that China stole the coronavirus vaccine from America. Further accusing the communist nation, he said, it was a “scandal” that US-trained China’s brightest minds.
Among many lawmakers, including President Donald Trump who had earlier criticized China for downplaying the potential severity of the disease, Cotton said China designed a “weapon” against the American people. He further disparaged the Chinese nationals saying they stole US jobs and the country had to reconsider the visas handed out to Chinese students, especially those of whom that came to study at the post-graduate level.
“Chinese intelligence services are actively trying to steal America’s intellectual property as it relates to the virus that they unleashed on the world, because, of course, they want to be the country that claims credit for finding those drugs or finding a vaccine, and then use it as leverage against the rest of the world,” the senator said in a televised interview.
While addressing reporters at his daily White House news conference, President Donald Trump alleged, “We were attacked. This was an attack. This wasn't just the flu by the way. Nobody has ever seen anything like this, 1917 was the last time,” accusing China of biowarfare.
US claims "absurd"
Earlier, in its defence to the US accusations, China slammed lawsuits brought against it by the Americans. A Missouri’s top state prosecutor announced the lawsuit, which alleged that Chinese officials are to blame for the coronavirus pandemic, as per US media reports. However, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson for China, Geng Shuang, said, “This so-called lawsuit is very absurd and has no factual and legal basis at all. Since the outbreak began, China has proceeded in an open, transparent, and responsible manner and the U.S. government should dismiss such vexatious litigation,” he said at a state news conference.
(With Agency Inputs)
Updated 11:18 IST, April 27th 2020