BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message to US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania on Saturday, wishing them a speedy recovery from the coronavirus, Chinese state television reported.

Trump, who announced early on Friday he had contracted COVID-19, was taken to a hospital near Washington later in the day in what the White House called a precautionary measure.

He has sparred with Beijing over its handling of the virus, heightening tensions between the two countries.