The much-awaited international mission led by the World Health Organization is expected to go to China in the first week of January to investigate the origins of the novel coronavirus that triggered the COVID-19pandemic.
Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday did not directly comment on the WHO visit but said that it stands ready to enhance its cooperation with WHO to advance the global tracing efforts and to contribute China’s share in an early victory against the pandemic.
A year into the COVID-19pandemic, now a team of12-15 international experts is expected to go to China to examine evidence, including human and animal samples collected by Chinese researchers, and to build on their initial studies.
The United States, which has accused China of having hidden the outbreak’s extent, has called for a “transparent” WHO-led investigation and criticised its terms, which allowed Chinese scientists to do the first phase of preliminary research.
China and the WHO have been under pressure as some Western countries have voiced concern at the delay in sending international experts.
In May, the World Health Assembly (WHA), the governing body of the 194-member states of the WHO, approved a resolution to set up an independent inquiry to conduct an impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation” of the international response as well as that of WHO.
It also asked the WHO to investigate the “source of the virus and the route of introduction to the human population”.Chinese state media have been trying to change the virus-origin theory and trying to shift the blame outside.
