Trump wants China to be transparent about origin of coronavirus

Washington, May 5 () US President Donald Trump on Tuesday asked China to be "transparent" about the origin of the coronavirus that emerged from Wuhan so that such a situation never emerges again, as he faced pressure from lawmakers to act against the Communist giant.

Trump, who has come under fierce criticism for his handling of the coronavirus crisis in the US, has alleged that the Chinese government was either incompetent in preventing the deadly virus from spreading globally or did it for a reason.

The coronavirus has killed more than 250,000 people globally, including nearly 69,000 in the US.

"We want them to be transparent. We want to find out what happened so it never happens again," Trump told reporters on the South Lawns of the White House as he prepared to board the Marine One on his first domestic trip during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic crisis.

The president has been critical of the Chinese handling of the coronavirus crisis.

Trump, when asked what he wants China to do now, said "What happened should have never ever had happened," he said.

Trump told reporters last week that he is waiting for a US investigation to be over.

Meanwhile, the pressure is building on the Trump administration to take action against China.

"While evidence mounts that COVID 19 was accidentally leaked from China's Wuhan lab, we must understand the CCP (Communist Party of China) is aggressively developing biowarfare capabilities," Congressman Michael Waltz said.

Senator Ted Cruz asked for re-evaluation of US ties with China.

"Once we recover from the Coronavirus pandemic, we must reevaluate our relationship with China. The Chinese government hid the coronavirus outbreak from the world, which has cost hundreds of thousands of lives and millions of jobs. China must be held accountable," Cruz said.

On Monday, Senators Martha McSally Marsha Blackburn, and Steve Daines introduced the Stop China-Originated Viral Infectious Diseases (COVID) Act to ensure the Chinese Communist Party faces consequences for its role in spreading the coronavirus.

The Stop COVID Act will empower Americans to sue China in US courts and seek compensation for the devastating harm the deadly virus has caused to the economy and human life.

Senators Pat Toomey, Tom Cotton and Josh Hawley have introduced the Li Wenliang Global Public Health Accountability Act which aims to hold foreign officials accountable for distorting or suppressing information about international public health crises.

The Li Wenliang Global Public Health Accountability Act is named for the whistleblower Chinese doctor, who was targeted and punished by China's ruling Communist Party officials for warning his medical colleagues about the potentially devastating impact of COVID-19.

Dr Li eventually succumbed to the virus himself.

The legislation authorises sanctions on foreign officials involved in the "deliberate" concealment or distortion of information about a "public health emergency of international concern," including COVID-19.