President Trump asked a reporter from a foreign news agency whether she works for the Chinese government after she asked if he is "cooperating" with China on curbing the spread of the coronavirus.

“Who are you working for, China?” Trump asked during Monday's White House coronavirus task force briefing. “Do you work for China? Or are you with a newspaper? Who are you with?”

The reporter responded that she works for Phoenix TV, a Chinese media company based in Hong Kong sympathetic to Beijing.

“Who owns that, China? Is it owned by China? Is it owned by the state?” Trump asked.

“It’s a private-owned company,” she said.

"OK. Good," Trump said, before moving on. "Look, I'll let you know. I'll give you a good answer to that in a few months."

According to a report from a pro-democracy think tank, Phoenix TV is owned by a former Chinese military officer with close ties to Beijing officials, and its coverage is "typically favorable" to the Chinese Communist Party. Another American public policy think tank labeled it a "semiofficial" Chinese media outlet.

The Trump administration has been critical of the Chinese government for not doing more to alert nations of the world to the potential danger of the COVID-19 virus. More than 360,000 Americans have contracted the virus, and 10,000 have died.

