Advertisement

Joe Biden calls for further probe into origins of coronavirus pandemic, urges transparency from China

  • The US president requests further analysis on pandemic’s origin, to be completed in 90 days
  • US will work with ‘partners around the world to press China to participate in a full, transparent, evidence-based international investigation’, Biden says

Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
99+
Security personnel keep watch outside Wuhan Institute of Virology during the visit by the World Health Organization team tasked with investigating the origins of the coronavirus disease in Wuhan, China on February 3. Photo: Reuters
US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday the United States is going to look further into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic and urged China to be transparent in the investigation.

Biden, in a statement, said that an investigation by the US intelligence community “has not reached a definitive conclusion on” whether the virus “emerged from human contact with an infected animal or from a laboratory accident”. He has requested further analysis, which will be assisted by US national laboratories and other agencies, to be completed in 90 days.

“The United States will also keep working with like-minded partners around the world to press China to participate in a full, transparent, evidence-based international investigation and to provide access to all relevant data and evidence,” Biden said, stressing that he has asked the investigators about areas of further inquiry, including specific questions for China.

The president’s call adds more pressure to the World Health Organization (WHO) as the UN body has its annual meeting of its member countries this week. The gathering is the first since the group made a verdict in March after its investigation into the virus origins that said it was “extremely unlikely” that the virus leaked from a lab.

02:20

Biden administration will start 90 day probe into pandemic’s origin, press China for transparency

Biden administration will start 90 day probe into pandemic’s origin, press China for transparency
A number of member countries including the US, Britain and Japan had said then the findings were flawed by a lack of transparency and independence from the Chinese government.
Advertisement