Chinese embassy frowns at Covid being called Chinese virus

Hyderabad: The Chinese embassy in India took objection to Telangana BJP MLA Raja Singh for reportedly raising a slogan of "Chinese Virus go back" at a gathering on April 6.

In a communication to the MLA, Lui Bing, Counsellor (Parliament), of Chinese Embassy in India, New Delhi said, "though sensing the anger emitted from within, I must point out that it is an act of stigma which should be stopped."

The Chinese official said that the tragic pandemic broke out in Wuhan and "China is the first country to report the coronavirus to the world. But it does not mean the virus originated from Wuhan."

The official told to the MLA that in a globalised age when people travelled across the world," an extremely infectious and probably most dangerous virus ever in human history, could break out anywhere in the world."

He reminded that the official name Covid-19 has been adopted and widely used by the international community, including India. He also called the MLA's attention to the changing World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines of naming the epidemics to reduce stigma and negative impacts such as fear or anger towards those regions or their people.

He said the Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi exchanged views, and Chinese people are ready to work with and support India people to prevail over the pandemic. He said it is time to end all act of stigma and to fight together to defeat the pandemic.

Responding to it on Saturday, the Goshamahal MLA pointed out that he was not alone but the whole world knows that coronavirus (Covid-19) has originated from Wuhan of China and the US President, Donald Trump calling it "not a coronavirus but a Chinese virus."

Welcoming the official's stand that Chinese people will work with and support Indian to prevail over the pandemic. But, Raja Singh reminded how Covid- 19 caused thousands of deaths and subjected lakhs of people to suffer infected with the virus and asked the Chinese to work on an antidote for the virus.

Later, the Chinese official told to The Hans India, that he had written to the BJP MLA, "to convey our feelings on his statement of calling COVID-19 as Chinese virus."

Adding, that Chinese government is in favour of friendly relations between the two countries with people to people contact and exchanges and also joining with India to fight against the deadly virus.