S. officials believe China covered up the extent of the coronavirus outbreak — and how contagious the disease is — to stock up on medical supplies needed to respond to it,…
Chinese leaders “intentionally concealed the severity” of the pandemic from the world in early January, according to a four-page Department of Homeland Security report dated May 1 and obtained by The Associated Press. The revelation comes as the Trump administration has intensified its criticism of China, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying Sunday that China was responsible for the spread of disease and must be held accountable.
The sharper rhetoric against China coincides with administration critics saying the government’s response to the virus was inadequate and slow. President Donald Trump’s political opponents have accused the president and his administration of lashing out at China, a geopolitical foe but critical U.S. trade partner, in an attempt to deflect criticism at home.
This is big. A leaked intelligence report says China lied about coronavirus’s origin — and Canada knew about it while government officials were defending China, and in Health Minister Patty Hajdu’s words, offering “praise” to China’s handling of the virus. https://t.co/tD0WofHQuP
— Andrew Lawton (@AndrewLawton) May 2, 2020
China deliberately destroyed evidence about start of coronavirus, report says https://t.co/XdCAgmVK6C
— The Independent (@Independent) May 3, 2020