TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has rebuked the Chinese authorities for spreading disinformation about the coronavirus (COVID-19), which has been declared a pandemic after a surge of cases in Europe and the United States.

“Secretary Pompeo conveyed strong U.S. objections to PRC efforts to shift blame for COVID-19 to the United States,” said State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus. Pompeo had a phone call with Yang Jiechi (楊潔篪), director of the Office of Foreign Affairs of the Chinese Communist Party on Monday, on Monday (March 16).

“The secretary stressed that this is not the time to spread disinformation and outlandish rumors, but rather a time for all nations to come together to fight this common threat,” added Ortagus. In a Tweet on Monday, President Donald Trump specifically called the pandemic a “Chinese virus,” showing that tensions have increased between the two countries over the coronavirus.

The move to speak directly with the senior Chinese Communist Party official is unusual, but it came after Zhao Lijian (趙立堅), a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, claimed on Twitter that the coronavirus could have been planted in China by the U.S. military. Zhao’s accusation earlier led to the Chinese ambassador being summoned by the U.S. Department of State.

David Stillwell, assistant secretary of the State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, made a “stern representation” to Chinese envoy Cui Tiankai (崔天凱) over the issue, according to a Reuters report.