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Wang Yi, China’s Foreign Minister and State Councillor, discussed the response to the coronavirus pandemic with Dinesh Gunawardena, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister.
Reports have noted that Wang Yi emphasised that certain countries were mobilising to take advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to suit their own political agenda and to shift blame onto the World Health Organisation (WHO).
This follows US President Donald Trump’s statement that he would defund the WHO as he blamed the organisation for trusting Chinese authorities and not providing sufficient warning to other countries. President Trump has been widely panned for his statement after he had initially described the virus as a hoax.
Read more here: US President orders to stop funding for the World Health Organisation
Wang further stated on the matter:
“It’s a very inhumane act, which puts them on the side of the virus and makes them the enemies of human beings,”
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, Gunawardena praised China for the support they are offering for developing countries such as Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka has been widely criticised for the government’s response to the coronavirus and in particularly the military-led response. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International has issued statements expressing a clear concern for human rights activists on the island.
Read more from the Colombo Gazette.
