President Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said in a statement on Saturday that the government was concerned about the World Health Organization’s (WHO) investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Why it matters: Sullivan said the government fears the Chinese government may have intervened or changed the findings of the investigation.
Context: On the first day of his reign, Biden acted to return the US to the WHO. The Trump administration began a withdrawal from the organization in July 2020.
- WHO teams conducted the investigation last month in Wuhan, China, where the virus first originated.
- The investigation was agreed until May last year, but it was delayed after Chinese officials withheld authorization to allow the international team’s scheduled visit.
- The delay resulted in a rare reprimand from WHO Director – General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The WHO team concluded that it was ‘extremely unlikely’ that the virus originated from a laboratory accident, and that it probably jumped to humans through an intermediate species.
- “Our initial findings suggest that introduction through an intermediate host species is the most likely pathway and that more studies and more specific, targeted research are needed,” said WHO scientist Peter Ben Embarek.
What they say: “The mission of the World Health Organization (WHO) has never been so important, and we have deep respect for its experts and the work they do every day to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and to promote global health and safety. , “Sullivan said. said in a statement.
- “But reintegration into the WHO also means meeting the highest standards. And at this critical moment, protecting the WHO’s credibility is a top priority.”
- “We are deeply concerned about the manner in which the early findings of the COVID-19 investigation were communicated and questions about the process to achieve this.”
- “It is imperative that this report is independent, with expert findings without intervention or change by the Chinese government. To better understand this pandemic and prepare for the next report, China must make its data available from the earliest days of the outbreak. “
The whole picture: Sullivan said all countries, including China, need to be more transparent to prevent emergencies such as the coronavirus pandemic and to make other countries respond more quickly.
The other side: The Chinese embassy in Washington, DC, said in a statement that the US had severely undermined multilateral institutions, including the WHO, in recent years, and severely damaged international cooperation on COVID-19.
- The US should therefore not ‘point fingers at other countries’ that have supported the WHO, the statement added.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated with comments from the Chinese Embassy.