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China’s Xi discusses coronavirus with Trump: state media
BEIJING, Feb 7, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke on
Friday with US President Donald Trump on the novel coronavirus outbreak,
emphasising that Beijing has “spared no effort in fighting the epidemic”,
state media reported.
Xi told Trump on the phone that China was “fully confident and capable of
defeating the epidemic”, and that “the long-term trend of China’s economic
development for the better will not change”, according to state broadcaster
CCTV.
The viral outbreak, which is believed to have originated in central China
late last year, has now infected at least 31,000 people and caused 636
deaths, mostly within China.
Local governments across China have locked down cities of tens of millions
of people in response to the crisis, while global panic has risen over the
more than 240 cases that have emerged in two dozen countries.
Xi called the fight to contain the virus a “people’s war” and told Trump
that China has implemented “nationwide mobilisation, comprehensive deployment
and rapid response” along with “the strictest prevention and control
measures” against the virus.
Xi’s comments come hours after the death of a whistleblower doctor who was
punished for sharing information about the virus prompted an immense
outpouring of public grief and anger over how Chinese authorities have
handled the crisis.
BSS/AFP/MSY/1012 hrs