Versión Español
Spanish – It appears that Beijing will have to give in to the efforts of 116 countries calling for an independent investigation into the origin and initial handling of the pandemic. The impetus came from Australia, which was the first country in the world to call for an independent investigation into the origin of the virus. The European Union supported this request and drafted the resolution for the Assembly.
The EU’s language in the resolution on China is mellow compared to that of Australia. The latter bluntly asked for an independent investigation into the origin of the coronavirus and explanations given by the Chinese regime regarding its initial handling of the pandemic. U.S. President Donald Trump supported Australia’s rhetoric and has consistently held China responsible for the spread of the virus along with the World Health Organization.
We are with them! https://t.co/H7DRHXPJYb
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 18, 2020
It is possible that so many nations decided to form this coalition to hold China responsible given that the wording of the resolution is not aggressive. Now, China finds itself between a rock and a hard place. Even Russia, a natural ally of China, has decided to sign the resolution. That is not an insignificant detail.
Beijing has been inconsistent regarding its position on an investigation and has changed its stance depending on the circumstances. First, China tried to prevent the WHO, which is accused of having links with the Chinese Communist Party, from looking into the origin of the virus. Now, it is trying to be “proactive and cooperative” in ensuring that the World Health Organization leads an independent investigation: “We are open, we are transparent, and we have nothing to hide and nothing to fear. We welcome international independent review, but it has to be organized by the WHO,” said Chinese Ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming.
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, “Australian Government sources said the language was strong enough to ensure that a proper and thorough investigation took place, although they are still calling this a ‘first step’ towards ensuring transparency.”
Support by other countries
Japan, Canada, New Zealand, Russia, Indonesia, India, and the 27 countries of the European Union support this resolution. As of Sunday, 62 countries supported the initiative, but a group of 54 African nations also joined the coalition, bringing the number to 116. Brazil, South Korea, Mexico, and Turkey are other prominent names that will support this effort.
Questions for the WHO and China
One of the major criticisms leveled at the World Health Organisation is the treatment of Taiwan, a problem that must be understood in the context of China’s interference in the WHO and the ongoing conflict between Taiwan and the Chinese regime. The U.S. questioned the decision to exclude Taiwan from the World Health Organization’s annual assembly, especially because Taiwan has not only managed to control the virus but has also acted contrary to the recommendations of the World Organization, which in theory, specializes in issues of this nature.
China has been denounced and criticized, there are many scandals, and this situation led much of the world to believe that the regime was negligent when it came to warning about the dangers of the virus. All this happened under the complacent gaze of the WHO.
There are leaked and widespread reports that the Chinese Communist Party has been mishandling the pandemic. A recent German intelligence report in Der Spiegel magazine indicates that Chinese President Xi Jinping asked WHO Director Tedros Adhanom in January to delay his warning about the threat and danger posed by COVID-19. There are also statements by President Donald Trump to the press, acknowledging that intelligence reports indicate the virus may have originated in a laboratory and that the Chinese regime had the ability to control or warn of the real danger of the virus.
Furthermore, The Washington Post and the New York Times have published information suggesting that the European Union watered down a report revealing that China and Russia were conducting a global disinformation campaign about the coronavirus.
Moreover, the WHO has been constantly linked to China, especially because of the organization’s “relations” with Taiwan. It is worth remembering that Taipei leaked an email sent in December to the WHO warning of a respiratory disease coming from Wuhan, China (COVID-19).
In short, the Chinese regime will be held accountable. It is not just the pro-western countries that are asking for explanations. China’s direct strong allies, such as Russia, are also in favor of an independent investigation. Or, at least, they have indicated support for the proposal. If this gets through, it will only be a matter of time before many questions are answered.
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