China on Thursday lashed out at the US at a high-level UN meeting over its criticism on the COVID-19 pandemic, with its envoy declaring, “Enough is enough.”
Two days after US President Donald Trump used his annual address to the General Assembly to attack China’s record, US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft, also took an outraged tone — after which her Chinese counterpart showed palpable anger.
“I must say, enough is enough. You have created enough troubles for the world already,” Chinese Ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun (張軍) told a Security Council meeting on global governance attended through videoconference by several heads of state.
Photo: AP
“The US has nearly 7 million confirmed cases and over 200,000 deaths by now. With the most advanced medical technologies and system in the world, why has the US turned out to have the most confirmed cases and fatalities?” he asked in English.
“If someone should be held accountable, it should be a few US politicians themselves,” he said.
Using a phrase often told by US leaders to China, Zhang said: “The US should understand that a major power should behave like a major power.”
The US “is completely isolated,” he said in remarks enthusiastically backed by his Russian counterpart.
His remarks came after Craft opened with angry words that took diplomats off-guard.
“You know, shame on each of you. I am astonished and I am disgusted by the content of today’s discussion,” Craft said.
“I am actually really quite ashamed of this council — members of the council who took this opportunity to focus on political grudges rather than the critical issue at hand. My goodness,” she said.
Diplomats said they were puzzled at the tone of Craft, who had left by the time the Chinese ambassador spoke.
Craft was “very aggressive” after a session that had been “more or less full of consensus,” one diplomat said on condition of anonymity.
With world leaders asked to send speeches in advance for a virtual General Assembly, Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) could not reply on Tuesday to Trump and delivered a mild-mannered speech in which he unveiled more ambitious targets on climate change.
However, UN General Assembly spokesman Brenden Varma said China had requested to speak next Tuesday, the day set up for any nation to reply to statements.
Trump in his speech had demanded action against China for spreading the “plague” of COVID-19 to the world.
China suppressed news of the respiratory disease when it first emerged last year in Wuhan and initial advice played down the risks of transmission.
Chinese leaders have more recently tried to transform the narrative into one of the country’s success in stopping the virus.
Trump’s response to the pandemic — which he has provocatively called the “China virus” — has emerged as a major political issue as he seeks a new term in the Nov. 3 election.
Several African leaders used their virtual addresses to the General Assembly to plead for more international assistance, fearing that the pandemic would impede development.
“Our nations are asking for financial support that rises to the level of the economic crisis they’re witnessing,” Nigerien President Mahamadou Issoufou said.
“Just a debt moratorium will not be enough faced with the challenges that have arisen. We simply have to cancel the debt completely,” he said.
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