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Coronavirus outbreak
US, China in war of words over virus' origin
Beijing official suggests infection began with US army visit, as Trump highlights China link
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A hospital ward being cleaned in Wuhan on Thursday. With the outbreak in China appearing to be getting under control as the US struggles with its response, Beijing is pushing the narrative that it has claimed victory over the virus.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Elizabeth Law China Correspondent In Beijing, Elizabeth Law
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Amid a global coronavirus pandemic, January's uneasy truce between the world's two largest economies has given way to a war of words across a variety of platforms. China watchers see the escalating diplomatic overtures, including the expulsion of journalists, as attempts to distract from domestic troubles, predicting more to come.
The latest scuffle centres on the origin of the virus, with one Beijing official suggesting it could have originated from US troops visiting China even as members of the Trump administration persist in calling it the "Wuhan virus".
