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Beijing, China — In response to ongoing calls from the World Health Organization (WHO) for greater transparency regarding the origins of Covid-19, China has strongly defended its actions, asserting that it has shared critical data “without holding anything back.”
The WHO’s renewed plea for more information comes as the world marks the fifth anniversary of the first reported outbreak of the virus in Wuhan. On Monday, the WHO emphasized that gaining a clearer understanding of Covid-19’s origins was both a “moral and scientific imperative,” urging China to provide additional data and access.
At a regular press briefing on Tuesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning addressed these concerns, stating that China had been fully cooperative in sharing information since the early days of the pandemic. “Five years ago, China immediately shared epidemic information and viral gene sequences with the WHO and the international community,” Mao said. “Without holding anything back, we shared our prevention, control, and treatment experience, making a huge contribution to the international community’s pandemic-fighting work.”
This marks the fifth year since the virus was first detected in Wuhan, a city that has since become the focal point of investigations into how the pandemic began. The virus eventually spread worldwide, causing millions of deaths, overwhelming healthcare systems, and decimating global economies.
While China has repeatedly stated that it was transparent in its early reporting, the WHO has criticized Beijing for its lack of cooperation over the years. The organization, which has called for more detailed information to help trace the virus’s origins, sent an investigative team to Wuhan in early 2021. Their joint report suggested that the virus may have been transmitted from bats to humans via an intermediary animal, likely at a market in Wuhan.
Since that investigation, WHO officials have struggled to secure permission for further research inside China. Despite several requests, the organization has been unable to return to the country for follow-up studies.
The renewed tension over Covid-19’s origins highlights ongoing global concerns over the transparency of China’s data-sharing practices and the broader efforts to understand the pandemic’s beginnings. As the world continues to recover from the pandemic, the WHO insists that full access to all relevant information is essential for ensuring future preparedness and response.
For now, China maintains that it has fulfilled its obligations in the fight against the pandemic, emphasizing its early efforts to share data and cooperate with global health authorities.
