CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A senior Chinese diplomat on Wednesday likened Australia’s call for an inquiry into the coronavirus pandemic to the betrayal of Roman dictator Julius Caesar in a Shakespearean tragedy for the benefit of the United States.
Wang Xining, the Chinese Embassy in Australia’s deputy head of mission and its second-in-charge, spoke at the National Press Club about Australia’s call for an independent inquiry into the origins of and international responses to the pandemic.
The call has been blamed for a major deterioration in bilateral relations that has resulted in the Chinese government refusing to take phone calls from Australian ministers and disruptions to Australian exports including beef.
The Australian call came “when the United States government was trying all out to blame China for their failure to control the spread of the disease and … shirk responsibility,” Wang said.