Gold, good old Trump says it exactly how it is.
And China loses more face with Taiwan.
China and US exchange words again
The war of words between the United States and China has escalated again with US President Donald Trump again lashing out via Twitter.
Mr Trump hit out at China for what he described as a "mass worldwide killing" as he went on a tweeting spree during which he also took aim at the US Democratic party.
However he saved most of his criticism for China.
"Some wacko in China just released a statement blaming everybody other than China for the virus which has now killed hundreds of thousands of people," Mr Trump tweeted.
"Please explain to this dope that it was the 'incompetence of China', and nothing else, that did this mass worldwide killing!"
The comments came after China itself hit out at US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his congratulatory comments towards Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen as "an inspiration to the region and the world".
China denounced the United States for sending congratulations to Taiwan's newly-inaugurated leader, saying Taiwan's independence was a "road that leads to death".
China's foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian was responding to comments made by US secretary of state Mike Pompeo.(Supplied)
"Any connivance or support for Taiwanese independence is doomed to failure," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijiang said at a media briefing in Beijing.
"Any damage to China's core interest and any interference in China's internal affairs will be vigorously counter-attacked."
At the briefing, Mr Zhao also urged the US to lift sanctions against a Chinese company that the US said was doing business with Iran.
The US treasury department accused Shanghai Saint Logistics Limited of acting as general agent for Iranian airline Mahan Air, which provided support for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Zhao called the sanctions "illegal" and accused the US of "upholding unilateralism".
