China has rejected the World Health Organization's proposal for a second phase of investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to "Voice of America." On Thursday, China's National Health Commission Deputy Minister, Zeng Yixin, expressed his surprise upon learning of the WHO suggestion, which includes a new audit of the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Zeng stated that the WHO's proposal to trace the origins of the outbreak lacks "common sense" and shows a lack of respect for science, making it "impossible" for Beijing to accept.
In response, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki declared on Thursday that Beijing’s opposition to the WHO investigation into the source of COVID is "irresponsible" and "dangerous." Psaki told reporters, "Their (the Chinese) position is irresponsible and frankly dangerous... Now is not the time for delay." This statement followed China's strong criticism of the WHO's request to audit laboratories in regions that witnessed the first cases of the outbreak, including Wuhan.
Earlier this year, a team of WHO researchers visited Wuhan to investigate the origins of the coronavirus, concluding that the virus likely came from animals to humans. The report dismissed the notion that the virus leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, as some experts had suggested. However, WHO's Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus criticized China for not fully cooperating with investigators by failing to share initial data, calling for continued investigation into all theories, including the possibility of a lab leak.
Earlier this month, the WHO announced it would correct several "unintended errors" in a joint report with China regarding the origins of the COVID-19 crisis and would examine other potential inconsistencies. The organization will clarify that the first group infected with this virus, which changed its genetic sequence, had no connection to the seafood market in Wuhan, where the novel coronavirus first emerged in late 2019.
Since then, the coronavirus has resulted in infections for hundreds of millions worldwide, along with over 4.1 million COVID-19 related deaths. The "lab leak" hypothesis has garnered significant interest recently, following a report by a U.S. national laboratory suggesting that the theory of a coronavirus leak from a Chinese lab in Wuhan deserves further investigation, given China's opacity regarding efforts to investigate the origin. U.S. President Joe Biden directed the country's intelligence agencies to conduct an American investigation into the origins of the virus.
