China responds to US allegations on withholding pandemic information

Published by BBN Staff at February 14, 2021

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Posted: Sunday, February 14, 2021. 12:56 pm CST.

By BBN Staff: China is saying that the United States is “pointing fingers” following accusations from the US that the Chinese government withheld information about the COVID-19 pandemic from a World Health Organization (WHO) investigative team, reports the Associated Press (AP).

The accusation came on Saturday via a statement from White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, who said, “It is imperative that this report be independent, with expert findings free from intervention or alteration by the Chinese government.” Sullivan also said, “To better understand this pandemic and prepare for the next one, China must make available its data from the earliest days of the outbreak.”

In response, China released a statement from its Washington Embassy today, saying that the U.S. had already “gravely damaged international cooperation on COVID-19” and was now “pointing fingers at other countries who have been faithfully supporting the WHO and at the WHO itself.” China also said that it hopes the US will “hold itself to the highest standards, take a serious, earnest, transparent and responsible attitude, shoulder its rightful responsibility, support the WHO’s work with real actions and make due contribution to the international cooperation on COVID-19.”

The exchange comes after a 10-nation team from the WHO spent over a month in China conducting an investigation into the pandemic, which originated in the city of Wuhan. The team said that many questions about the early stages of the pandemic had been answered; however, there are many more questions left unanswered following the investigation.

The AP said that the Chinese government put limits on research into the outbreak and ordered scientists not to speak to reporters.

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