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GUEST: Martin Jacques, global affairs commentator, academic, and author of the book When China Rules the World.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread in the United States, the administration of Donald J. Trump is on the attack against China.

In recent weeks, Trump and his allies have repeated unproven claims that the virus originated from a lab in Wuhan. Claims that the scientific community – and even the U.S. intelligence – have rejected.

Also, after spending most of February and March downplaying the virus – Trump now claims China waited too long to warn the rest of the world of its seriousness. This despite repeated warnings at the time from scientists in China, around the world – and even within his own government.

As the Trump administration faces harsh criticism for its lack of preparation and handling of the COVID-19 crisis – how far will it go in its attempts to shift the blame? What effect will these attacks have on global efforts to mitigate the pandemic – and how will they impact the U.S.-China relationship moving forward?

We were joined by Martin Jacques – global affairs commentator, academic, and author of the book When China Rules the World.