The People’s Republic of China denies reports that the government did not cooperate with the World Health Organization study on the origins of COVID-19.
According to a report published in Nature Tuesday, WHO has unceremoniously canceled the “second phase” of its investigation into the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The report cited key officials within the organization as saying China has proven too uncooperative to conduct the planned studies.
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A security person dismisses journalists from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, archive)
“There is no phase two,” WHO epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove told the outlet. “The worldwide politics of this has really hampered progress in understanding origins.”
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Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin dismissed these claims at a news conference in Beijing on Wednesday.
“China’s position on studying the origins of SARS-CoV-2 is consistent,” Wang said, when asked about China’s transparency with the WHO. “We always support and participate in science-based global origin tracing. At the same time, we strongly oppose all forms of political manipulation.”
Members of the World Health Organization team tasked with investigating the origins of the coronavirus disease (REUTERS/Thomas Peter)
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The spokesman cited two previous envoys of WHO scientists admitted to the country, saying it showed China was “open” and “transparent” with the international community.
“China has shared more data and research findings on the study of the origins of SARS-CoV-2 than any other country,” Wang said. “This fully demonstrates China’s open, transparent and accountable attitude and its support for the work of WHO and SAGO. China will continue to support science-based global origin tracing and maintain communication and cooperation with the WHO”.
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The first phase of the investigation began in 2020, when a team of WHO scientists spent four weeks in China searching for evidence on the origins of COVID-19. This journey has led to a report outlining four possible origins, with the most likely listed as a viral jump from bats to humans.
WHO scientists said in an exit briefing that it is “very likely” that the coronavirus was initially transmitted through animal-to-human hopping, possibly starting from a bat associated with the Wuhan seafood market, which was a of the first hypotheses.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin attends a news conference on May 24, 2022 in Beijing. (VCG via Getty Images)
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Since it was released, the WHO report has received intense skepticism.
Wang shifted the focus away from China during the press conference, arguing that “more and more clues from the international scientific community are pointing the origins of SARS-CoV-2 to sources around the world.”
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At one point, Wang specifically proposed a debunked US origin theory, saying, “Many have raised questions and concerns about US bio-military bases at Fort Detrick and around the world. WHO and SAGO should carefully examine these clues, cooperate effectively with these affected countries, and share research findings with all parties in a timely manner.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the World Health Organization for comment, but has not received a response.
