By Scott McDonald
Deputy Night Editor
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A premier from one Canadian province lashed out at China over its handling of coronavirus, and China swung back. The statements revolve around the COVID-19 pandemic that apparently originated in China.
Jason Kenney, premier of the southwestern province of Alberta, said this week that his country could not accept China's initial handling of the virus before it became a worldwide plague.
Kenney made his remarks during a virtual roundtable last week with the Canadian American Business Council.
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"I do not think we should just forget this and walk past it," Kenney said. "There must be some kind of a reckoning. There must be some accountability."
The Chinese consulate did not agree, nor appreciate those remarks, and issued a retaliatory statement.
"What a pity when we read the 'slamming' remarks of Mr. Premier against China," the statement read. "A large body of facts and data suggest that China did not play down, obfuscate or cover up the dangers posed by the novel coronavirus when it emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
"If Mr. Premier did not deliberately turn his head away, these facts and evidence are presenting themselves crystal clearly before his eyes."
The outbreak of COVID-19, also known as coronavirus, is believed to have first been detected in Wuhan, China, during late 2019. Since then, the virus has affected more than 4.7 million people and killed more than 310,000 people sound the globe.
Kenney takes on the side of American President Donald Trump in a theory that China could have stopped the pandemic, or slowed it to a crawl, at least.
The Chinese consulate disagrees with Kenney, as they do with Trump in similar theories.
"If there is a comparison between what he has done during the outbreak with what Wuhan has, he will not look smarter," the consulate wrote. "A final friendly reminder for the Premier: You are based in Edmonton, not [Canadian capital] Ottawa. And your China-blaming comment might not please Mr. Trump since he will not spare a glance."
Trump shut off travel from China to the United States on January 31 to help stifle the virus from entering the States, and he has constantly blamed China for intentionally spreading the virus around the world.
Meanwhile, China and Canada have developed a rocky relationship over the detainment of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, who was held in Vancouver beginning in 2018.
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