After Talk With Xi, No Use of 'Chinese Virus' by Trump

President Trump appears to have retired his controversial use of the term "Chinese Virus," at least temporarily. The president spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping Thursday night and didn't use the term afterward, Bloomberg reports. "Just finished a very good conversation with President Xi of China. Discussed in great detail the CoronaVirus that is ravaging large parts of our Planet," Trump tweeted. "China has been through much & has developed a strong understanding of the Virus. We are working closely together. Much respect!" This was the first conversation between the two leaders since Feb. 7.

According to China's state-run Xinhua news agency, Xi spoke to Trump on anti-pandemic cooperation and "stressed that China has been sharing information on COVID-19 in an open, transparent, and responsible manner." Xi explained bilateral relations are now at an "important juncture" and China "understands the United States' current predicament and stands ready to provide support within its capacity," as Xinhua puts it. (The US has now overtaken China as the country with the most confirmed COVID-19 cases.)