President Donald Trump on Thursday spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping about the global coronavirus pandemic.
“Just finished a very good conversation with President Xi of China,” Trump wrote on Twitter after the call. “Discussed in great detail the CoronaVirus that is ravaging large parts of our Planet.”
The president expressed some solidarity with China while fighting the coronavirus, despite questions about their transparency about the virus.
“China has been through much and has developed a strong understanding of the Virus,” he wrote. “We are working closely together. Much respect!”
Earlier Thursday, the president questioned whether China’s number of coronavirus case was accurate, as the United States surpassed their number.
“You don’t know what the numbers are in China,” Trump said to reporters during a White House press briefing, and added, “I’m sure you’re not able to tell what China is testing or not testing. I think that’s a little hard.”
The president also defended his use of the phrase “Chinese virus” but acknowledged that he did not need to use the phrase as often if it offended China.
“I talk about the Chinese virus, and I mean it, that’s where it came from … this was a Chinese virus,” he said. “But I don’t have to say it if they feel so strongly about it. We’ll see.”
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