US - China Relations: Trump Warns Beijing Of Consequences If It Was 'Knowingly Responsible' For Coronavirus Outbreak

President Trump on Saturday warned China of consequences if Beijing was “knowingly responsible” for the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

“A mistake is a mistake,” Trump said. "But if China was knowingly responsible, there will be consequences."

Trump may be referring to an unsubstantiated theory that a China lab created the virus as part of a covert biological weapons program.

The virus originated at an animal and seafood market in Wuhan, China, with scientists claiming the disease likely came from a bat. The virus could have been transmitted from bats to other animals in China, such as Pangolins.

Trump doubted this claim during a Friday press conference.

"They talk about a certain kind of bat but that bat is not in that area. If you can believe it, that is what they are down to, bats," Trump said.

Trump has frequently blamed China for the coronavirus, sometimes dubbing it the “China virus,” with the term drawing criticism from Asian-American advocacy groups. During the early stages of the outbreak, however, Trump was complimentary of China.

“I’m confident that they’re trying very hard,” Trump told an Arizona radio station on Feb. 19, referring to the Chinese government. “I know President Xi. I get along with him very well. We just made a great trade deal, which is going to be a lot of business for Arizona and every other place. But they are trying very, very hard, and I think the numbers are going to get progressively better as we go along.”

In January, Trump signed a “Phase One” trade deal with Beijing. The agreement would oblige China to buy $200 billion in agricultural and other goods over two years, in exchange for the White House calling off planned tariffs increases on Chinese products. During the early stages of the outbreak, Trump may have been reluctant to criticize China, as it could have jeopardized the “Phase One” deal.

The coronavirus has spread around the world, with global economies shutting down non-essential businesses as a strategy to curb the outbreak. As of 10:05 p.m. ET, there are 2,355,337 cases of the virus globally, with the death toll standing at 162,013.