US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Thursday that Coronavirus, which has killed 170 people in China and sparked global health fears, could help create jobs in America.
Ross said in a Fox Business Network interview that the disease, which Chinese officials say has more than 7,700 confirmed cases, will lead businesses to reconsider their supply chains.
“I don’t want to talk about a victory lap over a very unfortunate, very malignant disease but the fact is, it does give businesses yet another thing to consider,” he told the Fox Business TV channel.
A spokesperson for the Commerce Department said Ross recognized that, “It is also important to consider the ramifications of doing business with a country that has a long history of covering up real risks to its own people and the rest of the world.”
US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross sees positive side of viral outbreak in China: American jobs. @paulwisemanap reports. https://t.co/Ob79gRP1zU
— AP Business News (@APBusiness) January 30, 2020
“So I think it will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America, some to (the) US, probably some to Mexico as well.”
Read More: As world combats coronavirus, Commerce secretary says it could be good for US jobs
His comments triggered immediate criticism on social media and from health experts.
“You have somebody of that stature who makes an irresponsible comment, speaking on matters in which he has no expertise,” Georges Benjamin, of the American Public Health Association, told the Washington Post.
“There’s no scientific or historical evidence to what he’s saying.”
Read more: McDonald’s Shuts down its branches in virus-hit Chinese province
The World Health Organization was due to meet Thursday to decide whether to declare a global emergency over the disease, which is believed to have emerged from an animal market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.
Many governments have urged their citizens not to visit China, while some have banned entry for travellers from Wuhan.
US President Donald Trump waged a bitter trade war for several years with China over jobs and subsidies, though he recently signed a “phase-one” deal to ease tensions.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has said the SARS-like coronavirus poses a risk to the world economy.
Read more: Fears mount in China as Coronavirus persists
Toyota, IKEA, Starbucks, Tesla, McDonald’s and tech giant Foxconn have been among corporate giants to temporarily freeze production or close large numbers of outlets in China.
AFP with additional input from GVS News Desk