‘Sinister Motive’: China Pushes Back On Pompeo Calling COVID-19 ‘Wuhan Virus’

UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 28: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo testifies during the House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing titled “Evaluating the Trump Administration’s Policies on Iran, Iraq and the Use of Force,” in Rayburn Building on Friday, February 28, 2020. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
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BEIJING — China is strongly pushing back on U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s insistence on referring to the deadly novel coronavirus that has sparked a global pandemic as the “Wuhan virus” after the city in China where it was first detected.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Thursday that it was an effort to “stigmatize China and discredit China’s efforts in an attempt to divert attention and shift responsibilities.”

“He has a very sinister motive,” Geng told reporters at a daily briefing.

Geng also defended China’s efforts at tackling the virus and denied it was seeking to place responsibility for the outbreak elsewhere. China has been accused of trying to squelch information about the outbreak during its early stages, and some of its diplomats have openly suggested that the virus may have been brought to China from the United States.

Pompeo’s call for the virus to be identified by name as the “Wuhan virus” at a virtual meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of 7 leading industrialized countries resulted in their opting against releasing a group statement.

The World Health Organization and others have cautioned against giving the virus a geographic name because of its global nature, and even President Donald Trump has steered away from those terms as critics have said they foster discriminatory sentiments and behavior against Asians and Asian Americans.

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  1. Trump was happy to call it “coronavirus” a few weeks ago, it was just until the crap hit the high-bypass turbofan that he needed to shift the blame around. As for servile liar Pompeo, if that phony graduated top of his class in West Point, wonder about the bottom.

  2. “He has a very sinister motive,”

    He’s a very sinister Shitpigeon.

  3. We read everyday about individuals and groups that have stepped up and really showed character and positive imagination during this difficult time. It is to bad our president and his usual minions are not included in that positive action.

  4. Pompeo’s call for the virus to be identified by name as the “Wuhan virus” at a virtual meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of 7 leading industrialized countries resulted in their opting against releasing a group statement.

    Ah, mission accomplished: Mikey’s race baiting prevents an international body from acting in concert.
    Donnie was surely smiling as, doubtless, was Vlad.

  5. The World Health Organization and others have cautioned against giving the virus a geographic name because of its global nature, and even President Donald Trump has steered away from those terms

    The day is still young.

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