Trump calls for protection of Asian Americans after his use of 'Chinese virus' blamed for rise in racism

Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Nadine White

Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter The Race Report

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy

Donald Trump has called for the protection of Asian Americans despite being accused of fuelling racism by referring to Covid-19 as the “Chinese virus”.

In comments at the White House that echoed remarks he made minutes earlier on Twitter, the president said the nation’s Asian American community was in no way responsible for the spreading of the virus.

Indeed, he said, they, as with other communities, were helping combat its the spread.

“It’s important Americans stay united in purpose,” he said. “It’s very important we protect our Asian American community, within the US and around the world.”

The president spoke amid reports that members of the community had reported an increase in racist abuse and attacks as part of a backlash at the Asian origins of Covid-19, which was first reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

Yet, the president has also been accused of helping to encourage such attacks by his continued reference to the disease as the “Chinese coronavirus”.

Last week, he was asked why he used the phrase and if his comments were racist.

Mr Trump replied: “Because it comes from China, it’s not racist at all. It comes from China..I want to be accurate.”