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The proposed legislation would empower President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on China. (Proceedings)
Washington:
US Republican senators on Tuesday proposed legislation that would empower President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on China if Beijing does not give a “full explanation” of the coronavirus outbreak.
“The Chinese Communist Party must be held accountable for the damaging role they played in this pandemic,” said Senator Jim Inhofe, one of the sponsors of the “Accountability Act COVID-19.”
“His utter delusion about the origin and spread of the virus cost the world valuable time and lives as it began to spread,” it said in a statement.
The legislation will give Trump 60 days to certify to Congress that China has provided a full report on the COVID-19 outbreak to an investigation that could be led by the United States and its allies, or a United Nations agency such as World Health Organization.
Trump must also certify that China closed its highest risk wet markets and released Hong Kong activists arrested in post-COVID-19 crackdowns.
Without certification, Trump would be authorized under the law to impose sanctions such as asset freezes, travel bans, and visa revocation, as well as restrict Chinese companies’ access to bank financing and the US capital markets. USA
“China refuses to allow the international community to enter the Wuhan laboratory to investigate,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, another sponsor of the bill.
“They refuse to allow investigators to study how this outbreak began. I am convinced that China will never cooperate with a serious investigation unless asked to do so.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is posted from a syndicated channel)
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