The American administration is potentially capable of introducing additional tariffs on the Chinese goods amid COVID-19 spread, and would not want to use the renunciation of its debt obligations to Beijing in this regard, TASS reported referring to the US President Donald Trump.

He was asked whether the US government is able to refuse to fulfill its debt obligations to China as a punishment for the virus.

According to him, he can achieve the same, but simply by imposing duties.

He recalled that China has a dept of about $ 1 trillion to the US.

As the US leader noted, they must protect the dollar, as, according to him, the US dollar is the most important currency in world history.

Trump argued without going into details that the US has other options.

Retaliation strategy

As a number of American media outlets reported earlier Thursday, the US administration has begun exploring the possibility of using various measures against China amid the pandemic. According to The Washington Post, the US government has begun to draw up a strategy for retaliation against China.

The refusal of part of the debt obligations to China, as well as attempts to limit its sovereign immunity with the aim of filing lawsuits in American courts and the imposition of sanctions are among these measures

Steps regarding China 

US further steps toward China will be largely determined by a review of the circumstances surrounding the spread of the new coronavirus, Donald Trump said.

The coronavirus came from China, and this is unacceptable, he said noting that they are now figuring out how this happened.

According to him, they could restrain the spread of the coronavirus and could stop it, but they did not do it.