China’s fight against COVID-19 stands the test of time: Foreign Ministry

Beijing: China’s responding to COVID-19 stands the test of time and history with a clear timeline and solid facts, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Wednesday.

Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks in response to media report on the transparency of China’s epidemic containment at a news briefing.
He said China started to send timely updates to the World Health Organization (WHO) and relevant countries on Jan. 3 even when China had no idea about the cause of this pneumonia.

On Jan. 7, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention identified the first novel coronavirus strain and notified the WHO and related countries on Jan. 9 after expert review, he said.

“On Jan. 12, we reported the genetic sequencing information of the virus to the WHO and shared the information on the WHO global data platform after scientific and strict comparison,” Zhao said.
He said since the outbreak of the epidemic, China has maintained close and sound communication and cooperation with the WHO and its representative office in China based on the principle of openness, transparency and responsibility.

“We will continue to support the WHO’s leading role in global anti-pandemic cooperation, work with the international community to fight COVID-19, and contribute to safeguarding global public health and security,” Zhao added.