US President Donald Trump says he has evidence that the coronavirus pandemic may have started in a Chinese research laboratory. When asked by a journalist if he had seen information that would give him a „high level of confidence“ in this regard, Trump said at the White House last night (local time): „Yes, I have.“
The US president referred to the Virology Institute in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the first cases were known at the end of last year. The head of the laboratory, Yuan Zhiming, categorically rejected the allegations several days ago. Trump again criticized the leadership in China, accusing him of not having contained the virus in the country.
„They were either unable to do so, or they chose not to, and the world has suffered severely,“ said the President of the United States. Trump also drew attention with the statement that the trade agreement concluded with China in January after a month-long customs dispute is now „secondary“. The task now is to find out what China has done with the virus. He again accused the Chinese leadership of wanting to prevent his re-election. China wants to see „sleepy Joe Biden“ in the White House because they could take advantage of it. „You would go sledding with this country like never before,“ Trump warned.
Criticism of WHO
Trump also criticized the World Health Organization (WHO), which he compared to a „PR agency for China“. „You shouldn’t make excuses for people making terrible mistakes,“ Trump said. „You should be ashamed.“ Trump has put US financial contributions to WHO in the coronavirus crisis on hold and has received strong international criticism.
