President Donald Trump said on Friday that he made a telephone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping describing it as “very good”. The call comes after reports emerged that the two presidents have not spoken since the early stages of the outbreak, Fox News informed.
Trump announced on Twitter that the two countries are jointly working to find a solution to the coronavirus outbreak that killed about 25,000 globally and shattered the global economy.
The call with the Chinese President came just as the numbers of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. surpassed those in China. The situation in China is improved and Beijing announced it will lift some of the quarantine orders in Wuhan.
“Just finished a very good conversation with President Xi of China. Discussed in great detail the CoronaVirus that is ravaging large parts of our Planet. China has been through much & has developed a strong understanding of the Virus. We are working closely together. Much respect,” Trump tweeted.
The conversation might be a step in the right direction after reports of a serious strain in the relationship between Washington and Beijing. Both countries have accused the other for a role in the spreading.
Trump has been criticized for calling COVID-19 the “Chinese virus”.
Trump began calling COVID-19 “Chinese virus” soon after rumors began circulating among Chinese officials that coronavirus found its origin in the U.S. Army. It is widely believed that the virus originated at a wet market in Wuhan, China. Trump has maintained that the name is not racist but said he would stop using the name if the Chinese community found it offensive.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that the last time the two leaders spoke was in early February. Since then, Xi has contacted countries in the European Union with offers of support to fight the virus, including equipment.
One Beijing government adviser told the Journal, “How do you cooperate when you hear the president of the United States referring to the epidemic as the ‘Chinese virus’ all day long.”
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