A new poll shows Americans blame China for the spread of Coronavirus. Republicans are more negative about China than democrats.
Rice professor of Asian studies Steven Lewis says there's no question China screwed up.
"They definitely did lie about it within their own system; it's not clear that they were lying to the World Health Organization."
Professor Lewis says it's more likely China made a mistake, rather than intentionally tried to poison the world.
"It doesn't sound like there was a campaign to deliberately tell the rest of the world 'no, it's no problem, don't pay attention.'"
Professor Lewis at Rice's Baker Institute says polls show the very old and the very young are more trusting of China.
"With more of kind of the middle band of people between 30 and 70 or so, who have a much more conflicted view on China, and that's true for democrats and republicans; it's not as partisan."
Professor Lewis says the oldest Americans once saw China as an ally in decades past -- before the Communist revolution. A Pew Research poll finds more Americans have an unfavorable view of China than ever before. Professor Lewis says residents of many countries have a dim view of the Chinese Communist Party.