‘Cold War’ warning

China raises concerns Washington infected by ‘political virus’

CHINA says its relations with the United States are “on the brink of a new Cold War”, fuelled partly by tensions over the coronavirus pandemic that has killed nearly 350,000 people worldwide and pitched the global economy into a massive downturn.

Fresh tensions between Beijing and Washington emerged as virus restrictions continued to shape and remake lives around the world, and in very different ways.

The restrictions muted celebrations by Muslims at the end of Islam’s holy fasting month of Ramadan, and they produced a mixed picture on newly reopened US beaches, with masks common on some and drawing jeers on others.

More European nations meanwhile moved to ease their lockdowns, with virus trends improving and summer nearing. They loosened restrictions that have kept restaurants, bars and hotels shuttered, devastating tourism, and they moved toward reopening more schools.

Globally, more than 5.3 million people have been infected by the virus, which most scientists believe jumped from animals to humans – possibly late last year at a market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

US President Donald Trump has accused Beijing of a lack of transparency over the outbreak, suggesting the virus may have leaked from a topsecurity Chinese laboratory.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Sunday that Washington seemed infected by a “political virus” but that Beijing would nevertheless be open to an international effort to find the coronavirus source.

“Some political forces in the US are taking China-US relations hostage and pushing our two countries to the brink of a new Cold War,” Wang said.

While once hard-hit European nations relax lockdowns as they work to salvage battered economies, other countries such as Brazil are emerging as new centres of the pandemic.