The Chinese government said on Tuesday December 31 that it had shared information on Covid-19 “without any restrictions”, after the World Health Organization (WHO) called on China to provide more data and access to understand the origins of the pandemic.
“Five years ago […] China immediately shared information about the outbreak and the gene sequence of the virus with the WHO and the international community,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning. “Without any restrictions, we shared our experience in prevention, control and treatment, thus making a huge contribution to the international community’s anti-pandemic work,” she continued during a press briefing.
The WHO issued a statement on Monday saying it was a “moral and scientific imperative” for China to share more information. The UN health agency recalled how, on December 31, 2019, its office in China became aware of a statement from Wuhan health authorities regarding cases of “viral pneumonia” in the city.
Covid-19, which emerged in the city of Wuhan in central China, has killed millions of people, undermined the economies of many countries and paralyzed entire health systems. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the WHO has repeatedly criticized Chinese authorities for their lack of transparency and cooperation.
A team of experts led by the WHO and accompanied by Chinese colleagues carried out an investigation into the origins of the pandemic at the beginning of 2021. In a report published jointly, they favored the hypothesis of transmission of the virus by an intermediary animal, from a bat to a human, perhaps in a market. Investigators have since been unable to return to China and WHO officials have repeatedly requested additional data.