China claims U.S. Sec. of State Pompeo has 'extreme evil intention' for using 'Wuhan virus' term

China says that United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has "extreme evil intention" for using the term "Wuhan virus" when talking about the coronavirus pandemic.

In a Thursday media briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said that the use of the phrase was "slandering China's efforts to combat the disease" and jeopardizing international efforts to fight the virus, NBC News reported.

"This American politician insists on defaming China against the international consensus," Shuang said, according to NBC.

"This is an attempt with extreme evil intention to divert domestic attention and putting the blame on others."

Pompeo is not the only American politician to use the terms "Wuhan virus" or "Chinese virus" when describing the coronavirus.

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President Donald Trump has repeatedly used the phrasing to put blame on China for trying to conceal information about COVID-19.

However, the president has also been accused of fueling xenophobia as a result of coronavirus fears.

Last week, Trump maintained that there was nothing racist about the label, Politico reported.

"It's not racist at all. No, not at all," he told reporters at the White House.

"It comes from China, that's why. It comes from China. I want to be accurate."

On Monday, Trump backtracked and tweeted that he will no longer be using the term to "protect our Asian American community."

"It is very important that we protect our Asian American community in the United States, and all around the world," he wrote.

"They are amazing people, and the spreading of the Virus is NOT their fault in any way, shape, or form. They are working closely with us to get rid of it."

....is NOT their fault in any way, shape, or form. They are working closely with us to get rid of it. WE WILL PREVAIL TOGETHER!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 23, 2020

"WE WILL PREVAIL TOGETHER!" he added.

In a Twitter post Thursday, Shuang praised Trump's decision and said that "The US is back on track."

"We hope that the US will work together with China and the world when facing the challenges of the epidemic and maintain global public health security," he tweeted.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.