|

President Trump's adviser compares China's handling of coronavirus to Chernobyl

The US national security adviser Robert O’Brien on Sunday drew parallels between China's handling of the coronavirus outbreak and the Soviet Union’s cover-up of the meltdown at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986. 

Key quotes (Source: NCB, Reuters)

They unleashed a virus on the world that’s destroyed trillions of dollars in American economic wealth that we’re having to spend to keep our economy alive, to keep Americans afloat during this virus. 

The cover-up that they did of the virus is going to go down in history, along with Chernobyl. We’ll see an HBO special about it ten or 15 years from now.

This is a real problem and it cost many, many thousands of lives in America and around the world because the real information was not allowed to get out.

The Trump administration has recently stepped up its rhetoric against China, accusing the dragon nation of purposely allowing the virus to spread across the globe. President Trump suggested a few days ago that he was considering abandoning the trade deal with China signed earlier this year. 

Wahington's tough talk has not gone down well with Beijing. China's foreign minister, on Sunday, criticized the US for pushing the two nations toward a cold war.

Author

Omkar Godbole

Omkar Godbole

FXStreet Contributor

Omkar Godbole, editor and analyst, joined FXStreet after four years as a research analyst at several Indian brokerage companies.

More from Omkar Godbole
Share:

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD struggles to regain momentum in the low1.1600s

EUR/USD is giving some signs of life in the aftermath of two severe days of losses on Wednesday, reclaiming the 1.1600 hurdle and above on the back of the resurgence of a mild selling bias around the US Dollar. Moving forward, the usual US weekly Claims will take centre stage on Thursday ahead of Friday’s crucial NFP data.
 

GBP/USD appears bid around 1.3370

GBP/USD reverses part of its recent multi-day decline, gathering some balance and managing to reach the 1.3400 region, where some initial resistance seems to have turned up. Cable’s uptick comes in response to some loss of momentum in the Greenback despite the geopolitical scenario remaining fragile.

Gold recovers modestly despite intensifying Middle East crisis

Gold keeps its daily gains well in place, although a break above the $5,200 mark per troy ounce still remains elusive on Wednesday. The yellow metal’s rebound comes in response to the persistent flight-to-safety amid intense geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the bearish performance of the US Dollar.

XRP rises alongside peers as ETFs attract inflows

Ripple (XRP) is gaining upside momentum, trading above $1.40 at the time of writing on Wednesday. The remittance token is rising in tandem with major crypto assets, including Bitcoin (BTC), which has crossed above the pivotal $70,000 level, and Ethereum (ETH), which is holding above $2,000.

First Venezuela, now Iran: The US-China energy war escalates

At first glance, the latest escalation involving the United States with both Iran and Venezuela looks like another chapter in a long-running geopolitical story. But viewed through a broader strategic lens, something else may be unfolding: Energy.

Bittensor extends recovery despite retail demand slump

Bittensor, a leading Artificial Intelligence token, is aging up above $190 at the time of writing on Wednesday. Steady price increases characterise the broader crypto market, with Bitcoin holding above $71,000 and Ethereum above $2,000.