China’s President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump held a phone call early on Friday to discuss the coronavirus pandemic.
The contact between the leaders came as the number of coronavirus cases in the US surged past China’s tally, making it the worst-affected country in the world.
TRUMP HAD BEEN REFERRİNG TO THE DISEASE AS CHINESE VIRUS
In a tweet, Trump termed the phone conversation “very good”, while conveying his respect for China’s battle against coronavirus and claiming that the two sides “are working closely together.”
“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!” said the US president.
He said Beijing was also sharing its experience on prevention, containment, and treatment, and was providing support and assistance to all countries in need. Xi said China was committed to working with the international community to overcome the pandemic.
This was the first direct contact between the leaders of the world’s top two economies since an escalation of tensions over the origin of the coronavirus pandemic.
The war of words between American and Chinese officials picked up pace after a top Chinese diplomat suggested the US military may have been responsible for the global outbreak.
