Republican Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw said Monday that American policy makers need to keep a watchful eye on China because “they are all about lying to the world” about their role in unleashing the coronavirus.
“Let’s also not forget that they stopped domestic travel within China to curb the spread of the virus but they wouldn’t stop international travel,” Crenshaw told “Fox & Friends.” “They are all about lying to the world.”
China attempted to cover up the initial outbreak of the coronavirus and sought assistance from the World Health Organization to do so. (RELATED: Coronavirus ‘Could Have Been Prevented’ If Not For China’s Coronavirus Cover-Up, House GOP Report Finds)
“One of my favorite lies from the Chinese is that a bunch of U.S. Army soldiers were spreading the virus in a Wuhan wet market as if it’s our guys that like to go eat that soup in Wuhan,” Crenshaw continued, referencing an erroneous story that members of the U.S. military introduced COVID-19 to China.
Crenshaw noted that President Donald Trump banned travel from China to the U.S. early in the coronavirus pandemic.
“You know, January 31 he did severely limit all travel from China. Joe Biden called that xenophobic and has said in the past China is not going to eat our lunch, man.”
When running for the Democratic presidential nomination, Biden downplayed China’s ability to compete with the United States but seemed to reverse that position days later when he said, “I don’t suggest China is not a problem.”
Critics accused Trump of racism for banning travel from China.
Crenshaw said too many people are ignoring China’s actions. “They don’t take this seriously. That’s actually my biggest worry. Those of us who are actually paying attention know very well what the Chinese’ intentions are: the foreign policy consensus from a couple decades ago where China will rise as a partner with the United States is totally over.”
“And we have to go into this with eyes wide open. So what can we do about it?” (RELATED: REPORT: Coronavirus Came From Wuhan Laboratory, Part Of China Trying To ‘Compete’ With America)
Chinese president Xi Jinping, applauds the results of a vote on a new draft security bill for Hong Kong during the closing session of the National People’s Congress at the Great Hall of the People on May 28, 2020 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
Crenshaw suggested the answer was to legislate against China. “For instance I have a bill that allows us to change the Foreign Sovereignties Immunity Act and allow private actors here in the United States [to] sue China for damages from coronavirus,” he said.
The congressman says he also supports another bill that would protect American business from cyber security attacks and “allows us to sue actors like Russia or China. These are the kind of tools that we have to put in our tool kit here and hold China accountable.”