Daijiworld Media Network- Washington (AJD)

Washington, Mar 17: Even as coronavirus is spreading worldwide quickly, US and China have demanded that the blame game stop as it is hurting each other’s reputation. US President Donald Trump had recently called the pandemic as the "Chinese Virus."

Trump on Monday March 16 night tweeted, "The United States will be powerfully supporting those industries, like Airlines and others, that are particularly affected by the Chinese Virus." Previously Trump's allies had called the pandemic as "Chinese coronavirus," but for first time Trump said so himself.

The tweet was slammed by critics who called it racist and potentially inciting a backlash against the Asian-American community.

New York City mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted, "Our Asian-American communities -- people YOU serve -- are already suffering. They don't need you fueling more bigotry." New York City is one of the hardest-hit by the virus in the US.

The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, voiced anger that Beijing has used official channels "to shift blame for COVID-19 to the United States".

Chinese ambassador, Cui Tiankai on Friday was summoned by the State Department to denounce Beijing's promotion of a conspiracy theory.

Last week Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, tweeted that "patient zero" in the global pandemic may have come from the United States and not from Wuhan.

Scientists have said that the virus first came to humans at a meat market in Wuhan that slaughtered exotic animals.