The Trump administration's move to ban the popular app over cyber security concerns has since raised the same question for their neighbours north of the border.

The decision from U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth is a victory for Bolton in a court case that involved core First Amendment and national security concerns

Pompeo and his deputy Stephen Biegun held closed-door talks with the Chinese Communist Party's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, at Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu.

The accusations are part of a book that the U.S. government on Tuesday sued to block Bolton from publishing, arguing it contained classified information and would compromise national security.

The statement was a response to a question about a letter sent by U.S. President Donald Trump to the WHO's chief threatening an end — for good — to funding from the United States, the agency's biggest donor, unless it reforms.

The Trump administration's accusations look to tarnish China’s global reputation and give the U.S. leverage on trade and other aspects of U.S.-China competition

In an interview with Reuters in the Oval Office, Trump said he was looking at different options in terms of consequences for China over the virus. "I can do a lot," he said.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed into law congressional legislation which supported the protesters despite angry objections from Beijing, with which he is seeking a deal to end a damaging trade war.

The rules cover all meetings Chinese diplomats have with representatives of state, local and municipal governments and all visits to public and private educational and research institutions, including national laboratories in the U.S. and its territories.

China on Wednesday announced it will exempt American industrial grease and some other imports from tariff hikes in a trade war with Washington but kept in place penalties on soybeans and other major U.S. exports ahead of negotiations next month.