UNITED NATIONS: US President Donald Trump angrily cast blame on China over the coronavirus pandemic in an address on Tuesday before the United Nations, whose chief warned against a new “Cold War” between the two powers.

At a General Assembly held almost entirely virtually due to Covid-19, Trump delivered a speech in election campaign mode, even using his loaded term “China virus” as the US death toll crossed the grim milestone of 200,000.

“We must hold accountable the nation which unleashed this plague onto the world — China,” Trump said in a recorded address to the General Assembly, where each nation was represented by a single, masked delegate.

Trump, who pulled the United States out of the Paris climate accord, attacked China for its carbon emission as well as dumping of plastic.

“Those who attack America’s exceptional environmental record while ignoring China’s rampant pollution are not interested in the environment. They only want to punish America. And I will not stand for it,” he said.

Trump renewed his criticism of China’s role in the respiratory disease, news of which was suppressed when cases first emerged late last year in Wuhan.

“The Chinese government, and the World Health Organisation — which is virtually controlled by China — falsely declared that there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission,” Trump said, referring to initial statements by the UN health body that it later revised.

Trump has given notice that the United States is pulling out of the World Health Organisation.

Washington has been the greatest contributor to the health body, which has tackled polio, malaria and other illnesses around the world Critics say Trump is trying to shift blame for his handling of Covid-19 that has taken a higher toll in the United States than any other country.

His Democratic rival in November 3 elections, Joe Biden, has vowed to keep the United States in the WHO if he wins.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2020