Hours after the U.S. surpassed China as the global leader in coronavirus cases, President Donald Trump said he had a “very good conversation” with Chinese President Xi.
In a tweet after 1 a.m. ET, Trump said he and Xi had “discussed in great detail” the virus that is “ravaging large parts of our Planet.” “China has been through much & has developed a strong understanding of the Virus,” Trump said. “We are working closely together. Much respect!”
While China has a population four times the size, the U.S. on Thursday surpassed it for the most confirmed cases of the virus.
The U.S. counted nearly 86,000 cases as of early Friday, with 1,296 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University data dashboard. More confirmations are expected as the U.S. ramps up testing. More 537,000 people are known to have been infected globally, and more than 24,000 have died.
There were hints of a silver lining: The House is set to vote Friday on a $2 trillion emergency aid bill that would provide $1,200 to most Americans, along with funds for small businesses and unemployment insurance. Trump is expected to sign it.
