China supports WHO-led review of pandemic after it is over, says foreign ministry
09/05/2020
China, MAY 8: China supports a World Health Organisation (WHO)-led review into the coronavirus pandemic after it is declared over, the foreign ministry said on Thursday.
The review should be conducted in an “open, transparent and inclusive manner” under the leadership of WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, foreign ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying said at the regular ministry briefing on Friday.Hua’s comments come in the backdrop of increasing global pressure to allow an international probe into the origins of the pandemic and the novel coronavirus, which first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year.China has dismissed US allegations that the virus came from a laboratory.
More than 3.8 million have been sickened in the Covid-19 pandemic and over 268000 have died.
The epidemic situation in China has improved dramatically with the government having lowered risk levels for the country on Thursday; daily cases are in low single digits.Hua said the enquiry should be carried out an “appropriate time after the pandemic is over”.It should also be based on the protocols of the International Health Regulations, and be authorised by the World Health Assembly or Executive Committee - the WHO’s dual governing bodies
Countries including the US and Australia have called for an international probe into the origins of the pathogen and others like the UK and Germany have urged greater transparency from China.Until now, China has rejected similar calls for an investigation, accusing the US of “politicising the issue”.US secretary of state Mike Pompeo has claimed that the US has evidence that the virus originated from a high-security lab in Wuhan.
“We have asked him several times: where is the evidence? Take it out if you have it,” spokesperson Hua said at Friday’s briefing.
“We have stated the facts many times, but Pompeo still repeatedly smears and attacks China on the issue. We are forced to expose the US according to public information and media reports,” Hua said.
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