Senior Chinese Communist Party officials released a lengthy report Sunday on the nation’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, claiming a rigorous and lengthy investigation shows China provided information to the world in a timely and transparent manner at all times.
China “wasted no time” in sharing information such as the genome sequence for the new virus with the World Health Organization as well as relevant countries and regional organizations, according to the report as seen by the state-run Global Times.
Further, the report outlines China “did not delay or cover up anything” and stands as a moral exemplar for the world to follow in future pandemic responses, given its “decisive victory” over the virus.
National Health Commission Chairman Ma Xiaowei announced the astonishing exoneration.
He claimed there were many unknowns in the early stage of the outbreak and it took time to gather evidence and define the characteristics of the new virus, claims that run countrary to countless allegations China obfuscated from the moment the virus was first discovered in the city of Wuhan last November.
“The Chinese government did not delay or cover up anything,” Ma Xiaowei said. “Instead, we have immediately reported virus data and relevant information about the epidemic to the international community and made an important contribution to the prevention and control of the epidemic around the world.”
The report, which ran 66 pages in the English version, saluted China’s success in reducing the daily increase in new cases to single digits within about two months and the “decisive victory … in the battle to defend Hubei Province and its capital city of Wuhan” in about three months.
China was forced to conduct the investigation after an Associated Press report found the genetic map of the virus was held back for more than a week in January, delaying its identification in a third country and the sharing of information needed to develop tests, drugs and a vaccine.
The World Health Organization (W.H.O.) echoed Beijing by claiming there was “no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission.”
Meanwhile, the highly contagious disease spiraled out of control inside the Communist country.
Evan as coronavirus spread from China to the rest of the world, the W.H.O. maintained Beijing had contained the disease and the world was safe from any threat of a pandemic.
“This [coronavirus] is not influenza. With the right measures, it can be contained. That is one of the key messages from [China],” the W.H.O. Twitter account quoted its Dr. Tedros as telling reporters on February 27.
The number of confirmed cases of Chinese coronavirus worldwide is now above 6.9 million, according to latest figures collated by Johns Hopkins University.
Globally, the true number of cases is thought to be much higher than reported figures, as many of those with milder symptoms have not been tested and counted.
AP contributed to this report