China on Thursday said the World Health Organization (WHO) Secretariat unilaterally proposed a second-phase origins study of the coronavirus and its work plan is only for discussions among WHO member states and is subject to amendment.

"The responsibility of the Secretariat is to facilitate full consultation and agreement among member states, and it has no right to make decisions on its own," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said in response to questions from CMG reporter regarding reports of China rejecting the WHO's next-phase work plan.

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According to Zhao, the plan was put forward unilaterally by the WHO Secretariat without getting the approval of all member states. "Member states lead the WHO. The Secretariat put forward the draft plan for discussion by member states, who have the right to make adjustments. The mandate of the Secretariat is to provide convenience for member states to have a full consultation and reach a consensus. It is not entitled to decision-making on its own," he stressed.

Zhao reiterated the work plan is inconsistent with the requirements of the resolution of the 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA), which stipulates that the next-phase work plan needs to be led by WHO member states.

Since the virus broke out, China has highly valued the origin-tracing work and actively and openly participated in global cooperation in origin study, said Zhao, adding that China has twice invited WHO experts to conduct joint research and authoritative conclusions have been reached. 

In a report released by the WHO in late March after a field study in China's Wuhan, it was concluded that a lab-leak explanation of the origin of the coronavirus was "extremely unlikely." 

Many countries including China have voiced concerns and objections to the second-phase origin study plan, Zhao added. 

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said that as an independent and sovereign country, China will not and cannot accept any work plan that is not a real plan to find the virus, but a plan to discredit China. 

Zhao revealed that China had provided the WHO a four-point work plan of further study on coronavirus origins before the Secretariat's proposal, adding that the proposal is scientific, professional and practice-tested.

First, the second phase should be guided by the WHA resolution, rely mainly on scientists, and conduct evidence-based scientific research. The joint WHO-China study report's conclusions and recommendations have been widely recognized by the international community and the science community. This should serve as the basis for the second phase of studies, Zhao noted.

Second, the conclusions from the first-phase study on the issue should be respected, the spokesperson said, adding there is no need to conduct a repeated study. "The key focus of the second phase should be on possible pathways identified as 'very likely' and 'likely' by the joint report including introduction through an intermediate host or cold chain products. Efforts should be made to advance traceability research in various countries and regions across the world."

He recommended further studies to be conducted in an orderly and smooth manner with assessment and analysis of existing research outcomes and new evidence. "The regions to be covered by the second phase and the work plan should be determined after comprehensive assessment based on open research evidence. Research in epidemiology, animal products, environmental and molecular epidemiology should be continued to reinforce rather than repeat existing work or tasks that have already been covered," as Zhao pointed out.

Zhao also stressed the need to respect the experts' professional level, international reputation and practical experience, and said if there is a real need to supplement experts in other fields, they can be added appropriately on the basis of the original composition of experts, so as to "maintain continuity of the research but also ensure the authority and impartiality of the next phase of studies."

In the meantime, China will continue to act on relevant work recommendations in the joint WHO-China study report and actively conduct further follow-up research concerning China recommended in the report, Zhao stated.

Reiterating that the study of origins is a serious matter of science, the spokesperson urged to let scientists "get to the bottom of this virus" so as to get better prepared for future risks.

"We firmly reject origin-tracing based on politics. As to truly science-based studies of origins, we have taken an active part in them and will continue to do so," he said.

Full text:

CCTV: According to reports, a few countries including the US have been claiming recently that China refuses the WHO plan for the second phase of studies into the origins of COVID-19. Does China have any comment?

Zhao Lijian: First, I want to stress that this plan was put forward unilaterally by the WHO Secretariat without getting the approval of all member states. The WHO is led by member states. The Secretariat put forward the draft plan for discussion by member states, who have the right to make adjustments. The mandate of the Secretariat is to provide convenience for member states to have a full consultation and reach a consensus. It is not entitled to decision-making on its own.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, China has all along attached high importance to studies into the origins of the virus. We've actively participated in global cooperation in this area with an open and science-based attitude. Twice we've invited WHO experts to China for joint research in origin-tracing. We've invested tremendous efforts, achieved important outcomes and reached authoritative conclusions.
Lately, many countries, China included, have raised concerns over and voiced objections to the next steps to study the origins proposed by the WHO Secretariat. It is a shared belief that the plan is inconsistent with the resolution of the 73rd WHA and the conclusions and recommendations of the joint WHO-China study report. It failed to reflect the latest outcomes of global research in origin-tracing and cannot serve as the basis for the second phase of joint origin studies. At the same time, 60 countries have written to the WHO Director-General saying that they welcome the joint WHO-China study report and reject politicizing origin studies. This is the legitimate appeal and voice of justice from the international community.
To my knowledge, before the WHO Secretariat circulated its plan, Chinese experts, with a view to support and coordinate with WHO efforts to conduct the next phase of origin studies, had submitted to WHO a Chinese proposal based on the previous phase of studies jointly conducted by Chinese and WHO experts and the joint report. The Chinese plan is a science-based and professional solution that has been tested in practice. The main points are as follows:
First, the second phase should be guided by the WHA resolution, rely mainly on scientists, and conduct evidence-based scientific research. The joint WHO-China study report's conclusions and recommendations have been widely recognized by the international community and the science community. This should serve as the basis for the second phase of studies.
Second, the second phase should not repeat what has already been conducted during the first phase, especially where conclusive findings were already reached. In particular, the joint WHO-China study report already stated clearly that "a laboratory origin of the pandemic was considered to be extremely unlikely." The key focus of the second phase should be on possible pathways identified as "very likely" and "likely" by the joint report, including introduction through an intermediate host or cold chain products. Efforts should be made to advance traceability research in various countries and regions across the world.
Third, the practice, mechanisms and approaches used in the first phase should be drawn on to conduct further studies in an orderly and smooth manner. There should be an assessment and analysis of existing research outcomes and new evidence. The regions to be covered by the second phase and the work plan should be determined after a comprehensive assessment based on open research evidence. Research in epidemiology, animal products, environmental and molecular epidemiology should be continued to reinforce rather than repeat existing work or tasks that have already been covered.
Fourth, the team of experts should be put together on the basis of the makeup of the first phase team with full respect for their expertise, international reputation and practical experience. Additional experts from other areas can be added to the original team in an appropriate manner if there is indeed such a need. This will not only help maintain continuity of the research but also ensure the authority and impartiality of the next phase of studies.
In the meantime, China will continue to act on relevant work recommendations in the joint WHO-China study report and actively conduct further follow-up research concerning China recommended in the report.
I'd like to stress once again that the study of origins is a serious matter of science. We should let scientists get to the bottom of this virus so as to get better prepared for future risks. We firmly reject origin-tracing based on politics. As to truly science-based studies of origins, we have taken an active part in them and will continue to do so.