China warns against ‘manipulation’ of virus probe

Published October 15, 2021
A worker in protective coverings directs members of the World Health Organisation team on their arrival at the airport in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province on Jan 14. — AP/File
A worker in protective coverings directs members of the World Health Organisation team on their arrival at the airport in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province on Jan 14. — AP/File

BEIJING: China’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday warned against what it called possible political manipulation of a renewed probe by the World Health Organisation into the origins of the coronavirus, while saying it would support the international body’s efforts.

The WHO on Wednesday released a proposed list of 25 experts to advise it on next steps in the search for the virus’ origins after its earlier efforts were attacked for going too easy on China, where the first human cases were detected in late 2019.

Beijing was accused of withholding raw data on early cases during a visit by a WHO team in February and has since resisted calls for further investigation, saying the US and others were politicising the matter.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said China would continue to support and participate in global scientific tracing and firmly oppose any forms of political manipulation.

“We hope that all parties concerned, including the WHO secretariat and the advisory group, will effectively uphold an objective and responsible scientific attitude,” Zhao told reporters at a daily briefing.

The experts proposed by the UN health agency include some who were on the original team that went to the central Chinese city of Wuhan to investigate the origins of Covid-19.

The findings of the original WHO-led team were inconclusive, and the experts released a report concluding it was extremely unlikely that the coronavirus leaked from a Wuhan lab, prompting criticism from outside scientists that the theory had not been properly vetted. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebre­yesus later acknowledged it had been premature to dismiss the lab theory.

Beijing has repeatedly questioned whether the virus did indeed originate in China, and has called for investigations into US military laboratories without providing any solid evidence.

China has largely stamped out cases of local transmission of Covid-19 infections through mask wearing, quarantining and electronic case tracing, along with sometimes draconian measures including lockdowns and mandatory mass testing.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2021

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.