WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S.-China relationship is one of disappointment and frustration, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said on Wednesday, highlighting a deepening rift between Washington and Beijing over the deadly coronavirus.
The remarks, delivered during a White House news briefing, come as China and the United States have clashed over the origins of the pandemic, which has killed hundreds of thousands worldwide and upended life across the globe.
“Right now it is a relationship of disappointment and frustration,” McEnany said, accusing China of withholding information about the virus. “The president has said how frustrated he is at some of the decisions of China that put American lives at risk,” she added.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Writing and additional reporting by Alexandra Alper; Editing by Chris Reese and Alistair Bell)
