WASHINGTON: The United States has ‘deep concerns’ about China’s response to the Covid-19 crisis and wants Beijing to “make available its data from the earliest days of the outbreak,” national security advisor Jake Sullivan said Sunday.
The statement came days after a World Health Organization team of inquiry returned from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the pandemic with no clear finding on the origin of the virus.
Members had to walk a diplomatic tightrope during their stay, with the US urging a “robust” probe and China warning against politicizing the issue.
“We have deep concerns about the way in which the early findings of the COVID-19 investigation were communicated and questions about the process used to reach them,” Sullivan said.
“It is imperative that this report be independent, with expert findings free from intervention or alteration by the Chinese government,” he continued. And he called on China to “make available its data from the earliest days of the outbreak.”
Sullivan expressed “deep respect” for the WHO, which the US is rejoining after the Trump administration quit it to protest what it said was Beijing’s ineffectual virus response.
But, Sullivan added, “re-engaging the WHO also means holding it to the highest standards. And at this critical moment, protecting the WHO’s credibility is a paramount priority.”
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