Trump: US-China ties 'severely damaged' over pandemic
President Donald Trump gestures as he walks from Marine One to board Air Force One for a trip to Florida, in Maryland, United States, July 10, 2020. (AP Photo)


President Donald Trump said Friday that U.S.-China relations have been "severely damaged" over Beijing's handling of the coronavirus outbreak, and that he is not thinking about a second phase of the countries' trade deal.

"(The) relationship with China has been severely damaged," Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he flew to Florida, adding that he had "many other things" on his mind.

"They could have stopped the plague, they could have stopped it, they didn't stop it."

The two countries have traded barbs and sanctions on a slew of issues since Trump took office, from trade to more recent spats over the coronavirus pandemic, a security law in Hong Kong and Chinese policies in the far west regions of Tibet and Xinjiang.