The COVID-19 outbreak seems to have sparked more competition between the U.S. and China.
Some experts call this competition a “technological cold war” that includes biological and medical research as well as weapons, transmission and satellite systems.
Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the Wuhan Virology Institute is at the heart of the epidemic finger-pointing.
The Trump administration claims that the source of the novel coranavirus is a laboratory belonging to this institute.
Previously, a view that the source of the virus was the wet animal market in Wuhan had gained traction.
Beijing, in response to Washington's claims, suggested that the virus may have been transferred to China by U.S. troops taking part in the "Wuhan World Military Games."
The U.S. administration, which was very late in its response to the epidemic, is now pointing the finger at Beijing as the sole culprit.
Trump argues that there are serious findings that the COVID-19 virus was leaked from a military laboratory in Wuhan, but that he cannot divulge them.
Allegations about the source of the epidemic are also an important topic for media consumption in U.S. domestic politics.
Trump, who is pushing for the lifting of lockdown measures and reopening the economy, accuses his political rival, Joe Biden as well as Democrats of being collaborators with China, as well as the World Health Organization (WHO). Trump now even dismisses all opposition media as "Chinese puppets."
Trump started trade wars with China as soon as he came to office. First, he imposed additional tariffs on Chinese goods, and China retaliated by imposing its own tariffs on American goods, all while negotiations between the two countries were ongoing.
According to Trump, who argued that the negotiations put “maximum pressure” on Beijing, China relied on the Democrats to alleviate the pressure. He claimed that "China will do its best so that he loses the elections come November."
Trump is said to prefer playing the "Chinese trump card" to secure his votes in the Midwestern states. We have already mentioned that the term "Biden-Beijing" was used as a nickname for Biden in a video ad prepared for the campaign by a group that supports Trump. China is now officially part of the U.S. elections.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said just a few days ago that Washington was not aware that the virus was the result of either a laboratory or the animal wet market.
The view shared by U.S. Chief of Staff that the virus was not engineered gained traction. Likewise, the announcement made by the National Intelligence Directorate Office stated that the U.S. Intelligence Community agrees with scientific data that Covid-19 is not man-made or genetically-modified.
According to some reports in the U.S. media, the Trump administration is pushing intelligence agencies to look for evidence that will criminalize China. Secretary of State Pompeo, who promptly follows Trump’s cue, argues that there is a great deal of evidence that the virus originated in a laboratory in Wuhan.
However, Pompeo avoided giving a clear answer to the question of whether the virus was deliberately released from the laboratory.
British statesman Winston Churchill's famous statement, “Never let a good crisis go to waste,” seems to have once again inspired politicians.
Trump wants to transform the public health crisis that has killed more than 60,000 Americans into an economic recovery success story.
Currently, the most discussed topic in the U.S. is regarding the lifting of the lockdown measures.
Trump hopes that his "reopening America" policy will win him the elections in 2020.
According to the reports circulating in U.S. media, the White House is hedging all its bets on the economy.
Pro-Trump groups are also protesting in several states to call for the lifting of the "stay at home" measures.
Meanwhile, Democrats warn that relaxing the measures before the epidemic is fully brought under control can create a false sense of security and a second wave of infections can be even more deadly for Americans.
