China demanded an explanation from Brazil on Monday after the conservative government’s education minister linked the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic to the Asian country’s “plan for world domination,” in a tweet imitating a Chinese accent.
The United States on Monday warned China not to take advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to exert itself in the South China Sea after Vietnam said Beijing sank a trawler.
Wuhan doctor Ai Fen, who expressed early concerns about the coronavirus to the media, has disappeared and is believed detained by Chinese authorities. Fen, the head of the emergency at Wuhan Central Hospital, was given a warning after she disseminated information about the coronavirus to several other doctors.
President Donald Trump cast doubt on Wednesday on the accuracy of official Chinese figures on its coronavirus outbreak after US lawmakers, citing an intelligence report, accused Beijing of a cover-up.
China has not approved any new Brazilian meat plants for export this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, an official at Brazil’s Agriculture Ministry said, adding that all approvals were on hold until the crisis eases.
Spain overtook China in the number of those infected with coronavirus on Monday as the government tightened restrictions on a population entering its third week under one of the strictest lockdowns in Europe.
Factory activity in China unexpectedly expanded in March after contracting sharply to a record low, but the rapid global spread of the coronavirus is expected to keep businesses and the overall economy under heavy pressure as foreign demand slumps.
Brazil's JBS, the world’s largest meat processor, believes that the coronavirus pandemic may cause container shortages, port disruptions, and other logistical problems, but that exports should remain strong thanks to Chinese demand.
Brazil’s Agriculture and Livestock Confederation (CNA) held a live debate via Instagram on March 27 to assess the impact the coronavirus has had on exports.
Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro laid to rest a diplomatic spat with China in a call with President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, with the two agreeing to work together to fight coronavirus as Brazil’s largest city went into lockdown.