President Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement on Saturday that the administration is concerned about the World Health Organization (WHO) investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Why it’s important: Sullivan said the administration fears the Chinese government may have intervened or altered the findings of the investigation.
Context: On the first day of his administration, Biden acted to return the U.S. to the WHO. The Trump administration had begun withdrawing from the organization in July 2020.
- WHO teams conducted the research last month in Wuhan, China, where the virus first emerged.
- The investigation had been agreed last May, but was delayed after Chinese officials withheld permission to allow the international team’s scheduled visit.
- The delay provoked a rare rebuke from WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The WHO team he concluded that it is “extremely unlikely” that the virus came from a laboratory accident and that it probably jumped on humans through an intermediate species.
- “Our initial findings suggest that introduction through an intermediate host species is the most likely route and will require more specific and specific studies and research,” 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 a deep respect for its experts and the work they do every day to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and advance health and safety. global health care, ”Sullivan said. he said in a statement.
- “But re-hiring the WHO also means keeping it at the highest standards. And at this critical time, protecting the credibility of the WHO is a top priority.”
- “We have deep concerns about how the first findings of the COVID-19 research were communicated and questions about the process used to get there.”
- “It is imperative that this report be independent, with conclusions from experts free from intervention or alteration by the Chinese government. To better understand this pandemic and prepare for the next one, China must make available the your data from the first days of the outbreak “.
The big picture: In the future, Sullivan said all countries, including China, should be more transparent to prevent health emergencies such as the coronavirus pandemic and allow other countries to respond more quickly.
The other side: The Chinese embassy in Washington, DC, said in a statement that in recent years the U.S. “has severely undermined multilateral institutions, including the WHO, and severely damaged international cooperation on COVID-19.”
- Therefore, the United States should not “point the finger 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.