Trump warns China of consequences as Republicans, Dems fight over who is cozier with Beijing

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has said there should be “consequences” if China is “knowingly responsible” for the coronavirus pandemic, even as American lawyers have initiated lawsuits to the tune of trillions of dollars against Beijing. Republicans and Democrats meanwhile are fighting over who is responsible for US cozying up to the Asian giant.

Trump interrupted his coronavirus response coordinator Deborah Birx during the daily White House briefing on Saturday when she was showing a comparison chart of deaths per 100,000 people in a range of countries, to indicate he didn’t buy China and Iran’s stated fatalities, asking “Does anybody really believe these figures?”

Acknowledging that “our relationship with China was good until they did this,” Trump said the pandemic “could have been stopped in China before it started and it wasn’t, and the whole world is suffering because of it.”

“If it was a mistake, a mistake is a mistake. But if they were knowingly responsible, yeah, I mean, then sure there should be consequences,” he added.

Trump did not specify the consequences he had in mind but the remarks came even as U.S lawyers have initiated class action lawsuits seeking billions of dollars in compensatory damages for those who have suffered personal injuries, wrongful deaths, property damage and other damages as a result of China’s failure to contain the coronavirus.

“Chinese officials