Africa-Press – Uganda. Since the onset of Covid-19, China has been actively engaging in origin-tracing cooperation with the World Health Organisation (WHO), shared the genome sequencing of the virus at the earliest time possible, and invited WHO experts to China twice for origin-tracing research.
In March this year, WHO officially released the Joint Report by the WHO-China joint study team, which provides the most authoritative, professional and science-based conclusions on origin-tracing and sets out detailed recommendations for future work in origin-tracing.
First, origin-tracing is a matter of science. It should be and can only be left to scientists to identify, through scientific research, the virus’s zoonotic source and animal-human transmission routes. No country has the right to put its own political interests above people’s lives, nor should a matter of science be politicised for the purpose of slandering and attacking other countries. As WHO pointed out, “the search for the Covid-19 virus origin isn’t and shouldn’t be exercised in attributing blame, finger-pointing or political point-scoring.
Second, the findings and recommendations of the WHO-China joint study report are widely recognised by the international community and scientists, and must be respected and implemented by all parties, including WHO. Future work of global origin-tracing should and must proceed from that basis, instead of starting all over again and ignoring all serious and productive efforts therefrom.
Third, China has all along supported and will continue to take part in science-based origin-tracing efforts. What China opposes is politicising origin-tracing, or origin-tracing that goes against the World Health Assembly (WHA) resolution and disregards the joint study report. A certain country accused China of refusing cooperation on origin-tracing, but by doing so, it is ignoring the most obvious facts and tries to call white black, and name right wrong.
Fourth, the WHO Secretariat should act on the WHA resolution, conduct thorough consultation with member states on any global origin-tracing work plan including the follow-up mechanism, and fully respect the views of member states.
Very importantly, the plan for origin-tracing involving a particular country must be decided through consultation with the country concerned, as it provides the basis for effective cooperation to be conducted.
More than 70 countries have expressed support for the WHO-China joint study report and opposition to politicisation in their letters to WHO director-general, and by issuing statements or diplomatic notes, etc. More than 30 countries object to or reserve their opinions on the work plan of the WHO Secretariat.
What’s more, political parties, groups, experts, scholars and media from many countries have also expressed their opposition to politicisation and support for a scientific approach, in different ways. Over 300 political parties, social organisations and think tanks from more than 100 countries and regions in the world submitted a joint statement to the WHO Secretariat, calling on the WHO to carry out the origin-tracing research in an objective and impartial manner and expressing firm opposition to politicisation.
These voices of justice should and must be heeded and taken seriously.
Given the ongoing spread and rebound of the pandemic, the priority remains stepping up equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccines and enhancing solidarity and cooperation. China is making her major contributions to the global fight against Covid-19.
Origin-tracing cooperation must be based on science, and politicisation must be firmly rejected. China will work with other parties to carry out science-based global origin-tracing, and continue to contribute to humanity’s final victory over the Covid-19 pandemic.
H.E. Zhang Lizhong is the Chinese Ambassador to Uganda
