China Opposes Wuhan Lab Leak Theory As COVID-19 Origin, But WHO Still Uncertain

China appealed to the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday to maintain its scientific and professional position in detecting where COVID-19 originated. As it gears up for the second phase of study, it appears to go sternly against the politicization of the subject.

According to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Monday, China also hopes that the WHO coordinates with the international community to maintain the serious and scientific nature of the COVID-19 origin tracing. He stated that the country is concerned regarding the action of political nations to politicize origin tracing. The severity of the issue necessitates it to be tackled with the aid of the global scientists' coordination.

The Need of the Lab-Leak Theory To Be Taken More Seriously

A team of scientists in May overturned the debate regarding the coronavirus origins. In the journal "Science," they published a letter indicating that the lab-leak theory necessitates to be addressed more seriously by their community.

The scientists denoted that the outbreak possibly has originated from a lab, particularly the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The laboratory examines coronaviruses as infections from an animal that has contracted the virus.

WHO Asked China To Be More Cooperative With the Investigation

Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus asked China to coordinate more with the Phase 2 of WHO's probing into the root cause of COVID-19. According to Ghebreyesus, the United Nations agency is appealing to China to be open and transparent, especially in relaying information and raw data they asked for.

According to Beijing, the proposal of the UN agency for further research into the root cause of COVID-19 is not consistent with its position. It added the focal point of the next phase of query must veer away from China. The WHO plan was delcared on Friday, which was one day following the director general's persuasion of Beijing to coordinate with the second phase of the study. He said that scientists remained to lack sufficient raw data on COVID-19 cases in the outbreak's initial days, reported South China Morning Post.

Zhao stated that as deliberated on 73rd World Health Assembly resolution, the plan for the global origins study's next transition must be spearheaded by member states. He noted that they hope the WHO and member states will openly listen to the proposals and opinions of all parties, fully coordinate with each other, and affirm that the work plan's drafting process is transparent and open, reported CGTN.

The resolve at the convention clearly appealed to the WHO director general to continue to coordinate well with countries in order to identify the coronavirus' zoonotic source and the transmission to humans. Also, according to the spokesperson, following a China-WHO joint research for 28 days in China, the WHO issued a joint report on March 30 with clear science-based recommendations and conclusions for the global origins study's next transition, reported Xinhuanet.

Zhao re-underscored the predilection of China for more recognition of the role of frozen foods and cold chains in the transmission of the virus and for the probing's next steps to focus on more research on early worldwide cases.