A Chinese official in Israel on Friday blasted US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over his recent remarks about the coronavirus and China — by likening them to the historical scapegoating of Jews.
Wang Yongjun, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy to Israel, said Pompeo’s “ill-intentioned accusations” were “absurd” and insisted that China had been “open and transparent” regarding the COVID-19 outbreak.
“Historical experience also shows that pandemic is accompanied by conspiracies and the dark mentality of seeking scapegoats. Jewish friends know it well,” Wang wrote in an op-ed published by the Jerusalem Post.
Wang’s attack marked the latest broadside against Pompeo by China’s communist government, which has labeled him a “common enemy of mankind” over his assertions that China tried to “conceal” the origin of the coronavirus.
Pompeo has also said there’s “enormous evidence” the virus may have originated out of a lab in Wuhan, China.
Earlier this week, Pompeo visited Israel and took a thinly veiled swipe at China before a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“You’re a great partner, you share information – unlike some other countries that try and obfuscate and hide that information – and we’ll talk about that country, too,” America’s chief diplomat told the Israeli leader.
The US has previously warned Israel that Chinese investment in the Holy Land posed security risks, leading Netanyahu to establish a review committee in October.
