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 The first human cases of COVID-19 were reported in the central
Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019. China has repeatedly
dismissed theories that the virus leaked from one of its
laboratories.
The WHO this month proposed a follow-up to earlier investigations in
China. But Zeng Yixin, vice minister of China's National Health
Commission, said on Thursday Beijing would not accept the proposal
as it stood.
When asked about China's rejection, WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic
told a U.N. briefing in Geneva: "This is not about politics, it's
not about a blame game.
"It is about basically a requirement we all have to try to
understand how the pathogen came into the human population. In this
sense, countries really have the responsibility to work together and
to work with WHO in a spirit of partnership."
A WHO-led team spent four weeks in and around Wuhan with Chinese
scientists and said in a joint report in March that the virus had
probably been transmitted from bats to humans through another animal
but that further research was needed.
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said that the
investigation was hampered by the lack of raw data on the first days
of spread there.
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 Countries including the United
States and some scientists have demanded further
investigation, particularly into the Wuhan
Institute of Virology, which was conducting
research into bats.
Diplomats said that China immediately signalled
opposition to the plan presented by Tedros at
closed-door talks with member states a week ago.
"The Chinese see it as a repudiation of the
joint report," said one.
Tedros also said last week he was establishing a
permanent International Scientific Advisory
Group for Origins of Novel Pathogens to help
advance the next phase of studies into the
origins of SARS-CoV-2.
The panel, to be composed of independent
experts, is aimed at helping to ease some
political pressure on the WHO, diplomats said.
(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by
Kevin Liffey and Andrew Heavens)
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