China Outlines COVID-Origin Findings, ahead of WHO Report

China Outlines COVID-Origin Findings, ahead of WHO Report

People wearing face masks to protect against COVID-19 wait in the rain to pick up children from a school in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province, Friday, March 26, 2021. (AP)

Chinese officials briefed diplomats Friday on the ongoing research into the origin of COVID-19, ahead of the expected release of a long-awaited report from the World Health Organization.

The briefing appeared to be an attempt by China to get out its view on the report, which has become enmeshed in a diplomatic spat. The US and others have raised questions about Chinese influence and the independence of the findings, and China has accused critics of politicizing a scientific study.

"Our purpose is to show our openness and transparency,“ said Yang Tao, a Foreign Ministry official. "China fought the epidemic in a transparent manner and has nothing to hide.“

The report, which has been delayed repeatedly, is based on a visit earlier this year by a WHO team of international experts to Wuhan, the city in central China where infections from a new coronavirus were first reported in late 2019.

The experts worked with Chinese counterparts, and both sides have to agree on the final report. It's unclear when it will come out.

Feng Zijian, a