WHO chief Tedros and Fauci in Trump’s firing line amid deepening US-China mistrust

WASHINGTON: The United States and China entered into another war of words on Monday over the coronavirus pandemic after Beijing imposed restrictions on the publication of academic research on the origins of Covid-19 and Washington accused it of using the WHO to downplay the crisis.

Mistrust between the two sides deepened even as U.S President Donald Trump, under attack for poor handling of the pandemic during its initial foray into the US, indicated that he is also losing faith in Dr Anthony Fauci, the American infectious disease expert who has led the US battle against the pandemic. On Sunday, Trump retweeted a rightwing call for Fauci to be fired, the latest sign of apparent tension between the two men amid signs that his days as the medical lead in the battle may be numbered.

At the same time, Republicans lawmakers in the US also expressed loss of confidence in the WHO and its head, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, accusing them of being China’s tools.

“Given the actions and statements of WHO officials during the past few months, we are concerned that the WHO is no longer serving the needs of the world and is instead taking its cues from China. Throughout the crisis, the WHO has shied away from placing any bla