China Defends Transparency on Covid-19 Data Amid WHO Criticism

China has asserted that it shared Covid-19 information “without holding anything back,” following the World Health Organization’s (WHO) appeal for more transparency and access to investigate the origins of the virus.

The WHO, in a statement on Monday, emphasized that understanding the origins of Covid-19 is a “moral and scientific imperative” and called on China to provide more data.

Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning defended China’s actions. “Five years ago… China immediately shared epidemic information and viral gene sequence with the WHO and the international community,” she said. “Without holding anything back, we shared our prevention, control, and treatment experience, making a huge contribution to the international community’s pandemic-fighting work.”

This month marks five years since the initial outbreak of Covid-19 in Wuhan, a central Chinese city, which led to a global pandemic that claimed millions of lives and disrupted economies worldwide.

Throughout the pandemic, the WHO has criticized China’s lack of transparency and cooperation. In early 2021, a WHO-led team, accompanied by Chinese experts, conducted an investigation into the virus’s origins. Their joint report suggested that the virus likely spread from bats to humans via an intermediary animal, possibly at a market.

However, investigators have not been permitted to return to China since that initial visit. The WHO has consistently urged Beijing to provide additional data to clarify the virus’s origins.

The debate over Covid-19’s origins continues to be a point of contention, with scientists and governments worldwide advocating for more comprehensive investigations.