torsdag 14. mai 2020

US-China tensions didn't begin with the coronavirus. They've been building for years

Relations between the United States and China have sunk to new lows in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, with both sides hoping to make political gains by blaming the other for the severity of the crisis. US President Donald Trump blamed China for the global pandemic again on Wednesday, claiming Beijing could have stopped the outbreak, which he labeled as "the worst attack we've ever had on our country." Earlier that day, China's Foreign Ministry said that the US should focus on fixing its problems at home and "stop spreading disinformation or misleading the international community."

The divisions between Beijing and Washington go back long before the viral outbreak in Wuhan, and are unlikely to end when the global coronavirus pandemic is brought under control.