China slams US over claims of 'help', blames Washington for 'creating panic'

Beijing has aggressively dismissed the United States’ claims of helping China to fight the deadly coronavirus and blamed Washington for creating panic. After US President Donald Trump and White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien, in separate statements, said that they had offered help to Beijing, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) took to Twitter to rubbish the claims.

Read: Group Evacuated From China To France Test Negative For Coronavirus

Earlier on January 31, Ministry of External Affairs S Jaishankar had a telephonic conversation with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, when the latter indirectly slammed the United States for imposing ‘sweeping’ travel restrictions. Calling it an overreaction, Wang said that it was not the right way to deal with such a situation which only made things worse.

Read: Centre Sets Up Task Force To Monitor Coronavirus Issue: MoS Home Reddy

'No travel to China'

The United States raised travel alert for China to level 4 advising its citizens to not travel to China at all after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the coronavirus outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The US State Department, in its travel advisory issued to February 2, urged travellers to be prepared for the possibility of travel restrictions with little or no advance notice. 

“Most commercial air carriers have reduced or suspended routes to and from China. Those currently in China should attempt to depart by commercial means,” the advisory read.

“We strongly urge U.S. citizens remaining in China to stay home as much as possible and limit contact with others, including large gatherings,” it added.

Read: China Coronavirus Hospital Ready To Receive Patients After A Record 8-day Completion

Read: 'No Case Of Coronavirus Found In Tamil Nadu Yet', Says Health Secretary Beela Rajesh