Trump says he's pulling back from calling novel coronavirus the 'China virus'

[beijingwalker]

Trump says he's pulling back from calling novel coronavirus the 'China virus'
By Maegan Vazquez, CNN

Updated 2230 GMT (0630 HKT) March 24, 2020

Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he has decided to pull back from associating the novel coronavirus with China, which he had previously done by calling it the "China virus" or the "Chinese virus."

After consulting with medical experts, and receiving guidance from the World Health Organization, CNN has determined that that name is both inaccurate and is considered stigmatizing.

"Look, everyone knows it came out of China, but I decided we shouldn't make any more of a big deal out of it," Trump told Fox News. "I think I've made a big deal. I think people understand it."

The President said he didn't regret using the terms to describe the virus and defended his past adoption of the terms by referencing other infectious diseases that are named after where they originate.

"It came from China," he said.

he President also reiterated that he began using the term after Chinese media accused American soldiers of spreading the virus. He called the media organization which spread the information "a paper that's an organ for pretty much the top people" in the Chinese government.

CNN previously reported that a prominent Chinese official has promoted a conspiracy theory that the US military could have brought the novel coronavirus to China -- and it did not originate in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

Parts of Chinese social media, and even the country's government, appear to have launched a concerted campaign to question the origin of the novel coronavirus.

Trump's change comes a day after he tweeted that the spread of the novel coronavirus in the US is not the fault of Asian-Americans, a group that has been the target of a growing number of racist and xenophobic attacks related to the virus.

He also denied last week that "Chinese virus" or "China virus" was a racist term to use.
"It's not racist at all, no, not at all. It comes from China, that's why. I want to be accurate," Trump said at the time.

A photograph taken last week of Trump's notes during a press briefing showed someone crossed out the word "Corona" in coronavirus and replaced it with the word "Chinese."

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/24/...ull-back-coronavirus-chinese-virus/index.html

 

[beijingwalker]

Trump says he’ll stop using ‘Chinese virus,’ easing blame game

• By Karen Leigh Bloomberg News (TNS)
  
• 1 hr ago

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he would stop using the term “Chinese virus,” the latest indication that the U.S. and China are seeking to deescalate their blame game over the deadly pandemic.

“I don’t regret it, but they accused us of having done it through our soldiers, they said our soldiers did it on purpose, what kind of a thing is that?” Trump said in an interview Tuesday with Fox News. “Look, everyone knows it came out of China, but I decided we shouldn’t make any more of a big deal out of it. I think I made a big deal. I think people understand it. But that all began when they said our soldiers started it. Our soldiers had nothing to do with it.”

Trump cited the Ebola virus and Lyme disease as other illnesses named for their location of discovery. “They do name it after places, it came from China,” he said. He also said that he maintained a “very good” relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping and that China had been though “a lot.”


“They lost thousands of people. They’ve been through hell,” he said.

Trump’s comments came after an unusual public spat between two top Chinese diplomats, which pointed to differences in Beijing over how to handle tensions with Trump. Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Cui Tiankai reiterated to “Axios on HBO” earlier this week that he was opposed to promoting theories that the coronavirus had originated in a U.S. military lab. He said last month that spreading such theories would be “crazy,” even though a foreign ministry spokesman had repeatedly floated the idea on Twitter.

The virus was first found in humans in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year and has spread rapidly across the world, with more than 420,000 cases and almost 19,000 dead. Trump, who’s facing an election this year, has sought to blame China as the outbreak slams global stock markets and threatens to push the world into recession.

On Tuesday, Trump also tweeted his support for Asian Americans, who have increasingly faced racism in recent weeks as the illness spreads across the U.S. and Republican politicians highlight its “Chinese” origins. The World Health Organization named the disease COVID-19 — short for “coronavirus disease 2019” — in part to avoid stigmatizing any one place or group for a virus that poses risks to everyone.

“It is very important that we totally protect our Asian American community in the United States, and all around the world. They are amazing people, and the spreading of the Virus … . is NOT their fault in any way, shape, or form,” he wrote.


Former Vice President Joe Biden, who holds a commanding lead over U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Democratic presidential primary, told MSNBC that he was glad Trump “finally got there” on the issue.

“It was long overdue of him to say that he’s not going to put up with this xenophobia,” Biden said. “It’s strange coming from him, but him happy he did it — happy he did it.”

https://www.news-gazette.com/news/n...cle_672dcc5e-225c-5667-8525-c9f2e0001b60.html

 

[Clutch]

Trump says he’ll stop using ‘Chinese virus,’ easing blame game

• By Karen Leigh Bloomberg News (TNS)
  
• 1 hr ago

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he would stop using the term “Chinese virus,” the latest indication that the U.S. and China are seeking to deescalate their blame game over the deadly pandemic.

“I don’t regret it, but they accused us of having done it through our soldiers, they said our soldiers did it on purpose, what kind of a thing is that?” Trump said in an interview Tuesday with Fox News. “Look, everyone knows it came out of China, but I decided we shouldn’t make any more of a big deal out of it. I think I made a big deal. I think people understand it. But that all began when they said our soldiers started it. Our soldiers had nothing to do with it.”

Trump cited the Ebola virus and Lyme disease as other illnesses named for their location of discovery. “They do name it after places, it came from China,” he said. He also said that he maintained a “very good” relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping and that China had been though “a lot.”


“They lost thousands of people. They’ve been through hell,” he said.

Trump’s comments came after an unusual public spat between two top Chinese diplomats, which pointed to differences in Beijing over how to handle tensions with Trump. Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Cui Tiankai reiterated to “Axios on HBO” earlier this week that he was opposed to promoting theories that the coronavirus had originated in a U.S. military lab. He said last month that spreading such theories would be “crazy,” even though a foreign ministry spokesman had repeatedly floated the idea on Twitter.

The virus was first found in humans in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year and has spread rapidly across the world, with more than 420,000 cases and almost 19,000 dead. Trump, who’s facing an election this year, has sought to blame China as the outbreak slams global stock markets and threatens to push the world into recession.

On Tuesday, Trump also tweeted his support for Asian Americans, who have increasingly faced racism in recent weeks as the illness spreads across the U.S. and Republican politicians highlight its “Chinese” origins. The World Health Organization named the disease COVID-19 — short for “coronavirus disease 2019” — in part to avoid stigmatizing any one place or group for a virus that poses risks to everyone.

“It is very important that we totally protect our Asian American community in the United States, and all around the world. They are amazing people, and the spreading of the Virus … . is NOT their fault in any way, shape, or form,” he wrote.


Former Vice President Joe Biden, who holds a commanding lead over U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Democratic presidential primary, told MSNBC that he was glad Trump “finally got there” on the issue.

“It was long overdue of him to say that he’s not going to put up with this xenophobia,” Biden said. “It’s strange coming from him, but him happy he did it — happy he did it.”

https://www.news-gazette.com/news/n...cle_672dcc5e-225c-5667-8525-c9f2e0001b60.html

You must be happy and clapping for joy?

 

[Rollno21]

But I won't. It's still china virus for me.

 

[beijingwalker]

But I won't. It's still china virus for me.

Ok, do you think people care what you think? lol..

You must be happy and clapping for joy?

Not a surprise at all, he always retract his words, I always knew he would retract this one as usual, but he did it sooner than I expected.

 

[zhxy]

Calm down, this is just Trump's cheap political tactics. If China cares about it, anti-Chinese will continue to use it to attack China. Ignore it is okay.

 

[riscol]

He did it because he knew he needed China's help.