China says no to WHO

Special Desk 

World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) next stage plan to investigate the origins of the coronavirus pandemic has been dumped by China.

WHO wanted to audit laboratories in the area the virus was first identified including Wuhan labs from where the virus is said to have been ‘leaked.’ But China felt offensive upon the offer and Zeng Yixin, the deputy health minister, said, ‘this (WHO plan) showed disrespect for common sense and arrogance toward science.’

WHO experts said it was very unlikely the virus escaped from a Chinese lab, but the theory has endured. Investigators were able to visit Wuhan – the city where the virus was first detected in December 2019 – in January this year.

But earlier this month WHO head Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus outlined the terms of the inquiry’s next phase. This included looking at certain science research institutions. He has now called on China to be more co-operative about the early stages of the outbreak.

He urged Beijing to be transparent, to be open and co-operate with investigators and provide raw patient data that had not been shared during the first probe. 

Speaking at a press conference Zeng said he was extremely surprised by the WHO proposal because it focused on alleged violations of China’s laboratory protocols. He said it was “impossible” for China to accept the terms, adding that the country had submitted its own origins-tracing recommendations. 

“We hope the WHO would seriously review the considerations and suggestions made by Chinese experts and truly treat the origin tracing of the Covid-19 virus as a scientific matter, and get rid of political interference,” Zeng said.

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China has got blamed by countries particularly former US president Donald Trump as responsible for the spread of the virus. Trump had also blamed WHO for ignoring the first warning signals. More than four million people have died worldwide since the start of the pandemic.

The present US President Joe Biden ordered American intelligence officials to redouble their own investigative efforts into the pandemic.