Trump's Senate ally seeks China sanctions over Covid-19 probe

WASHINGTON • A prominent United States Republican senator proposed legislation that would authorise the US president to impose far-reaching sanctions on China if it fails to give a full account of events leading to the outbreak of the coronavirus.

Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of President Donald Trump, said he was convinced that had it not been for "deception" by China's ruling Communist Party, the virus would not be in the US, where it has killed more than 80,000 Americans.

Mr Graham said China had refused to allow investigators to study how the outbreak started. He said in a statement: "I'm convinced China will never cooperate with a serious investigation unless they are made to do so."

Trump critics, including some former officials, academics and columnists, have said that while China has much to answer for, the US administration appears to be seeking to deflect attention from what they see as a slow US response to the crisis.

Mr Graham said his "Covid-19 Accountability Act" would require the president to make a certification to Congress within 60 days that China had "provided a full and complete accounting to any Covid-19 investigation led by the United States, its allies or UN affiliate such as the World Health Organisation".

It would also require certification that China had closed all "wet markets" that can expose humans to health risks, and released all Hong Kong pro-democracy advocates arrested in post-pandemic crackdowns.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said yesterday that Beijing was resolutely opposed to this "immoral" Bill and had been open and transparent since the beginning of the epidemic.

The Bill would authorise the president to impose a range of sanctions, including asset freezes, travel bans and visa revocations, as well as restrictions on loans to Chinese businesses by US institutions and a ban on Chinese firms from listing on US exchanges.

REUTERS