'Comedy': Beijing Slams US Claims of Fake News About COVID-19 From Russia and China

BEIJING (Sputnik) - Washington's claims that China, Russia and Iran have launched a coordinated campaign to spread disinformation about US efforts to contain COVID-19 are careless and laughable, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Monday.

"The United States, on the one hand, denigrates China, and, on the other, accuses China, Russia, and Iran of spreading disinformation ... I cannot help but ask who spreads false information after all? Who is distorting the facts and selling black for white? This US comedy with rumors and attempts to shift the blame onto others seems too clumsy", Geng said at a briefing.

On Friday, US State Secretary Mike Pompeo accused China, Russia and Iran of spreading disinformation about the United States' response to the pandemic, and said he had warned the three nations to stop this campaign.

He added that China had shared information on the epidemic with the World Health Organisation and other countries, including the United States, in a timely manner.

As of Monday, the number of global COVID-19 cases has surpassed 343,000 with nearly 15,000 related deaths.