New Delhi: China said on Thursday that it had shared all data and analyzes with World Health Organization (WHO) experts who traced the origin of Covid-19, and is ready to continue to study and analyze the data together with global experts.
The joint study group of the WHO and China on the origins of Covid-19 two days ago released a report in which it noted that more information would be made available to the investigators by Beijing.
A day after the report was released, India demanded a comprehensive and expert mechanism to trace the origins of coronavirus. The US, UK and several other countries have also expressed concern about the findings.
In response to India’s demand, China said it had twice invited WTO experts to study the origins of Covid-19 and provided the necessary facilitation for the team’s work, which fully demonstrated openness, transparency and responsible attitude.
China further said that the joint study group that traces the origins of Covid-19 unanimously agreed that the allegation of a ‘laboratory leak’ is highly unlikely.
The experts of the joint mission made excursions to various institutions, including the Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control, the Wuhan Center for Disease Control and the Wuhan Institute of Virology, in addition to visiting the biosafety laboratories, and they had in-depth and candid discussions. there.
“The members of the mission unanimously agreed that the allegation that laboratory leaks are highly unlikely, and this is an important scientific conclusion that is clear from the joint study report released this time,” the Chinese embassy spokesman said.
The spokesperson also said that the experts of the WTO mission on the demand for further research said that there has always been speculation about laboratory leaks, and that laboratories around the world can be worked on if there is further evidence that the hypothesis is re-evaluated word.
The experts also said that the virus could have spread to places other than China early on, and that a global perspective is needed to trace the origin.
“The report also suggests that various tasks should be performed worldwide. We hope that relevant countries can cooperate with the WTO expert mission in an open, transparent and responsible manner, such as China, ‘the spokesman said.
Regarding the issue of access to raw data, China, after China and the WHO agreed on the mandate in July last year, conducted data collection, compilation and analysis in line with the proposals of foreign experts.
The Chinese authorities gathered relevant institutions and several hundred scientists to collect data, collect and perform initial analyzes, and they provided the WTO experts with details for piece of raw data.
The international experts have also said on many occasions that they have had full and frank discussions with the Chinese side regarding data issues.
As the medical files contain a large amount of information relating to personal privacy, the legislation in question cannot be copied or taken abroad, which is commonly used in many countries. The international experts said they fully understand the situation, the spokesman said.
In the future, China is ready to continue working with international experts to study and analyze the data.
The spokesperson further pointed out that the study of origin is a matter of science.
Politicizing this issue will only seriously hamper global cooperation in the search for the origin, jeopardize cooperation against pandemics and cost more lives.
This would be contrary to the international community’s pursuit of solidarity against the virus.
‘Study of origin is also a global mission to be carried out in various countries and localities. We believe that the joint WTO-China study will effectively stimulate global cooperation in tracing origin, ‘the spokesman said.
Source: Telangana Today