U.S.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sharpened on Thursday his criticism of China's handling of a coronavirus pandemic, saying its ruling Communist Party was still denying the world information needed to prevent further cases.
The remarks, in an interview with the
Washington Watch radio program, provoked a riposte from
China that Pompeo should cease "politicizing" the epidemic and defaming the country.
Pompeo had repeated previous charges that Beijing's delay in sharing information about the virus had created risks to people worldwide that had "truly put thousands of lives at risk."