China Spokesman Defends Virus Tweets Criticized by Trump
- Zhao Lijian says he was responding to U.S. stigmatization
- Controversy exposed diplomatic split over approach to U.S.
Photographer: Roman Balandin/Getty Images
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An official in China’s foreign ministry defended his tweets questioning whether American soldiers introduced the coronavirus to Wuhan, in his first comments on the controversy over responsibility for the pandemic.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a briefing Tuesday in Beijing that his social media posts were “a reaction to some U.S. politicians stigmatizing China a while ago.” In response to a question about whether the tweets represented the government’s official stance, Zhao said, “This also reflects the anger of many Chinese people about this stigma.”