US President Donald Trump told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday that China must be held accountable by the world for its actions over the Covid – 19 pandemic .
In a recorded message played to the annual meeting of the UN, Trump accused Beijing of allowing the coronavirus to “leave China and infect the world . ”
“The United Nations must hold China accountable for their actions ,” he said .
Trump , who faces a difficult reelection fight on November 3 , has sought to deflect overwhelming voter criticism of his handling of the pandemic by blaming China .
Broadcast over a large screen in the UN General Assembly hall, the US president effectively transferred his hawkish campaign stump speech to the global stage .
“We must hold accountable the nation that released this plague upon the world ,” he said .
Trump accused China of only looking after its own interests when the potentially lethal virus first appeared in the city of Wuhan late last year .
And he said “the Chinese government , and the World Health Organization — which is virtually controlled by China — falsely declared that there was no evidence of human – to-human transmission .”
“Later , they falsely said people without symptoms would not spread the disease ,” he added .
World leaders are speaking virtually to the UN session in New York, due to Covid – 19 restrictions .
Trump , who has frequently downplayed the risks posed by the virus, had previously said he would visit anyway, before apparently changing his mind .
( AFP )
