Beijing tells Pompeo it is futile to smear China over virus

Top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi has told U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo by telephone that attempts to smear China's efforts to control the coronavirus "will not succeed", Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported on Monday.

On the call, Yang told Pompeo that China opposed and condemned U.S. politicians' efforts to denigrate China's efforts, and said actions that harmed China's interests would be retaliated against, according to CCTV.