appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Charley Lanyon

Tensions continued to rise between Washington and Beijing with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pressing China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi on Wednesday for full transparency in China’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
The move comes just a day after President Donald Trump announced his decision to pull US funding from the World Health Organisation (WHO), accusing the UN body of being biased in favour of China.
Pompeo has been one of the more vocal critics of the WHO and of China, accusing Beijing of trying to cover up the coronavirus outbreak in its earliest days and continuing to share inaccurate data about the disease with the world.
“The Secretary stressed the need for full transparency and information sharing to combat the Covid-19 pandemic and prevent future outbreaks,” US State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement about the call between Pompeo and Yang.
“[Pompeo] also noted the aid the American people delivered to the people of China in January – and continue to offer – and the high importance we attach to China’s facilitation of medical supply exports to meet critical demand in the United States.”


Even as the two countries’ relationship becomes strained, the United States remains dependent on imports of medical supplies from China.
According to the Congressional Research Service, about 9 per cent of the United States’ pharmaceutical and medical equipment imports in 2019 were from China.
With that in mind, Pompeo made clear to his counterpart the “high importance” Washington attached to China’s facilitation of medical exports during this pandemic.
White House trade adviser vows to cut reliance on foreign medical supplies
In China, state broadcaster CCTV reported that Yang called on his counterpart to focus on cooperation between the two superpowers, and hoped that their two countries could reach a compromise and improve their relationship.
The coronavirus, which originated in China in late 2019, has now infected more than 2 million people worldwide.
The United States has become the epicentre of the virus, with more than 25,000 people having died so far.


China has been the target of criticism over its earlier handling of the disease.
A report by Associated Press on Wednesday said that Beijing waited six full days before alerting the public that a likely epidemic was under way, allowing Lunar New Year’s celebrations – including millions of people travelling and tens of thousands hosted at a mass banquet – to continue unimpeded.
Pelosi vows to challenge Trump’s ‘illegal’ suspension of WHO funding
Trump also has been accused of botching his response to the virus, moving slowly to lock down the country and politicising the disease in his attempts to blame China. His move to halt WHO funding has been met with widespread condemnation both at home and abroad.
“Withholding funds for WHO in the midst of the worst pandemic in a century makes as much sense as cutting off ammunition to an ally as the enemy closes in,” said Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy, a Democrat.
 



Hong Kong’s Peninsula Hotels sees ‘bleisure’ boom after pandemic curbs, CEO says

US could require US$15,000 bonds for some tourist, business visas

China’s Shenzhen, Guangzhou airports hit record highs, surpass pre-Covid passenger levels

Landmark US Chinatown survived Covid, anti-Asian violence – but tariffs pose new threat

Coronavirus pandemic

Coronavirus: Mike Pompeo urges China for ‘full transparency’ in call with top diplomat Yang Jiechi

Yang Jiechi and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shake hands following a press conference at the US State Department in Washington in November 2018. Photo: AFP

Coronavirus: Donald Trump faces global condemnation over WHO funding freeze

US President Donald Trump. Photo: AP

epa08363670 (FILE) - WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaks during a presser on the novel coronavirus disease COVID-19 at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, 09 March 2020 (reissued 15 April 2020). On 14 April, US President Trump announced that he has instructed his administration to halt funding to the WHO. EPA-EFE/SALVATORE DI NOLFI *** Local Caption *** 55940058

China warns US cut to WHO funding weakens global coronavirus response

US President Donald Trump’s decision to halt funding to the World Health Organisation has been denounced by China. Photo: EPA-EFE

New coronavirus outbreak hotspots emerging across US

Hashim, an essential worker in the healthcare industry, greets his daughter through the closed door as he maintains social distance from his family as he works amid the coronavirus outbreak in New Rochelle, New Jersey. Photo: Reuters

Chicago Fire Department and Chicago Police Department personnel salute during the procession to the cemetery from firefighter Mario Araujo's funeral at Theis-Gorski Funeral Home in Chicago, Monday, April 13, 2020. Araujo, 49, died April 7 after a battle with the coronavirus, representing the first member of the fire department to die of the virus. (Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

FILE PHOTO: Staff of Odyssey House Louisiana (OHL), which runs a drive-through testing site for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), work at the site in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. March 27, 2020. REUTERS/Kathleen Flynn/File Photo

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly speaks at a news conference to give updates on the COVID-19 outbreak Thursday, April 9, 2020 at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. (Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal via AP]

‘Welcome to Wuhan’ is spray-painted on a bridge in Highland Park, Michigan. Photo: AP

News

China

Diplomacy

Coronavirus

US & Canada

Greater China


Discussion comes after Trump announced his decision to pull US funding from the World Health Organisation
Pompeo has been one of the more vocal critics of the WHO and of China



The call comes after President Donald Trump announced his decision to pull US funding from the World Health Organisation, accusing the UN body of being biased in favour of China.


Coronavirus: Mike Pompeo urges China for ‘full transparency’ in call with top diplomat Yang Jiechi

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;} Discussion comes after Trump announced his decision to pull US funding from the World Health Organisation Pompeo has been one of the more vocal critics of the WHO and of China

Discussion comes after Trump announced his decision to pull US funding from the World Health Organisation

Pompeo has been one of the more vocal critics of the WHO and of China