China shamelessly accuses rest of world of ‘shirking responsibility’ on coronavirus after being accused of mass cover-up
CHINA’S communist regime is claiming the rest of the world are “shirking responsibility” for the coronavirus pandemic amid fresh accusations of a mass cover-up.
Chinese officials made the comments after it was accused of blocking international attempts to find the truth about the Covid-19 outbreak in Wuhan.
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But in response to the scathing report in the Wall Street Journal, China’s National Health Commission sought to deflect criticism — by turning the tables on the rest of the world.
It comes as the respiratory disease has killed nearly 300,000 people globally with 4.4million people diagnosed with it.
An official said: "The virus should not be linked to any country, region or people.
"Every country in the world should join forces and work together, rather than blaming each other and shirking responsibility."
According to the report, a collaborative bid to discover where the virus originated stalled after China suddenly snubbed the project.
Officials even allegedly have been withholding findings from international experts.
This included a map detailing the possible spread of the virus in a Hunuan seafood market.
INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATIONS BLOCKED
A US-based group claiming to have experienced China’s uncooperative reaction to the outbreak first-hand is EcoHealth Alliance, a nonprofit organisation studying coronaviruses in bats.
'ASSAULT ON INTERNATIONAL TRANSPARENCY'
The latest report comes after similar leaked spy documents have alleged Beijing attempted to cover up the crisis.
A German intelligence document claimed Chinese President Xi Jinping personally pressured the WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus into downplaying the risk of the virus.
The spy document said: "On January 21, China's leader Xi Jinping asked WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to hold back information about a human-to-human transmission and to delay a pandemic warning.
"The BND estimates that China's information policy lost four to six weeks to fight the virus worldwide."
In response, the WHO branded the claims “unfounded and untrue.”
A third dossier, from the Five Eyes intelligence agencies of the , the , and stated that 's secrecy surrounding the virus led to an "assault on international transparency".
A fourth intelligence report by the Department of Homeland Security, much like the CIA dossier, claims China deliberately downplayed the deadliness of the new virus while slyly increasing imports and decreasing exports of vital medical gear, according to the Associated Press.
But China then tried to cover up its actions by "denying there were export restrictions and obfuscating and delaying provision of its trade data," the analysis adds.
The beleaguered health agency also released a statement via Newsweek responding to the reported CIA document.
It read: "We don't comment on specific discussions with member states but we can say that at all times during the pandemic WHO has acted in accordance with its mandate as an evidence-based technical organization focusing on protecting all people, everywhere.”
"WHO bases its recommendations on science, public health best practices, evidence, data, and the advice of independent experts."