GENEVA, May 18, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – China supports a “comprehensive
evaluation” of the global response to the coronavirus pandemic after
it “has been brought under control”, President Xi Jinping told the
World Health Assembly on Monday.
Xi told the virtual meeting via video that China has “always had an
open, transparent and responsible attitude”, and had shared
information on the virus in a timely manner.
The assembly, held online for the first time in its history, is set
to discuss a resolution tabled by the European Union that calls for an
“impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation” of the
international response to the coronavirus crisis.
In his speech, Xi said that the inquiry into the global response
should “sum up experiences and improve shortcomings”.
Governments including the US and Australia have also called in
recent weeks for an investigation into the origins of the virus, which
has become a flashpoint in deteriorating tensions between Washington
and Beijing.
Both US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
have accused China of a lack of transparency over the issue, and
repeatedly pushed the theory that the virus emerged from a Wuhan
maximum-security laboratory.
Most scientists believe the virus originated in animals before it
was passed on to humans.
China has strenuously denied accusations of a cover up, insisting it
has always shared information with the WHO and other countries in a
timely manner.