‘Nothing but a joke’: China hits out at Australia’s claims of vindication over coronavirus inquiry

China on Tuesday said calls for a review into the global response to Covid-19 at the World Health Assembly differed from Australia’s push for an extensive inquiry, amid rising tensions between Beijing and Canberra.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Chinese embassy in Australia said a draft resolution at the WHA this week on an independent investigation into the pandemic was “totally different from Australia’s proposal of an independent international review”, and that claims it vindicated Canberra’s call for a probe were “nothing but a joke”.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said in an address to the WHA on Monday that Beijing agreed to a “comprehensive review of the global response to Covid-19 after it is brought under control”, but that it should be conducted objectively and led by the World Health Organisation. He also indicated support for “global research by scientists on the source and transmission routes of the virus”.

Australia on Monday lauded support from more than 120 countries for a draft resolution at the WHA – co-sponsored by members of the European Union and African Group, Russia, Britain, Canada and New Zealand – to initiate an “impartial, independent, and comprehensive evaluation” into the WHO’s response to Covid-19. The text also said it would work with the World Organisation for Animal Health and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation to “identify the zoonotic source of the virus” and how it spread to humans.

But Beijing had slammed efforts by Australia and the United States for an independent inquiry into its handling of the coronavirus and its origins as “politically motivated” and “based on the presumption of guilt”. As Beijing and Canberra sparred over the proposed probe, Beijing slapped steep tariffs on Australia’s barley exports and banned beef imports from four Australian abattoirs.

Australian Trade Minister Simon Birmingham told Sky News Australia on Tuesday that the country was “not going to engage in cheap politicking over an issue as important as Covid-19”, and expressed regret over China’s trade actions.

Meanwhile, an adviser to the State Council, China’s cabinet, on Tuesday said the coronavirus inquiry should take place only after the global pandemic had eased. Tong Yigang, from the Beijing University of Chemical Technology, told reporters that the investigation should not impact the agency’s efforts to fight the pandemic and it should be done only after an assessment of the global situation.

“If we begin the review of the World Health Organisation right now, when the global pandemic situation is at its most challenging time, then it will inevitably divert the WHO and various countries’ efforts and attention,” he said. “That will inevitably impact the strategies and mechanisms of the WHO, and will have a negative and even calamitous impact on the world’s pandemic response.”

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Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said China supported a comprehensive review but it would need to “maintain a scientific and professional attitude, be led by the WHO, and be conducted with objective and fair principles”.

Yanzhong Huang, senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations, said Xi’s remarks on Monday showed China was keen for an inquiry to take place after the pandemic was over, for the WHO to be the “dominant actor”, and for the comprehensive evaluation to include not just China but other countries as well.

Huang said earlier that the efficacy of a potential WHO inquiry in China would depend on the composition of the delegation and the level of access they would have, but that “we will very likely never find out exactly what happened”.

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Ker Gibbs, president of American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, said during a webinar held by Beijing-based think tank the Centre for China and Globalisation on Tuesday that both China and the US “have some explaining to do” over their early responses to the virus, and cautioned against political fallout from the pandemic.

“Investigations and analysis should be science-based with the sole objective of spotting and preventing the next virus that comes along,” he said.

Tensions over culpability in the pandemic have also been rising between Beijing and Washington as they engage in a “blame game” over their handling of the crisis. The WHO has also faced criticism for perceived closeness to China during the pandemic, delays in confirming human-to-human transmission of the virus and issuing guidelines to respond, and its exclusion of Taiwan due to pressure from Beijing.

During the WHA meeting, US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar accused the WHO of failing to obtain critical information during the pandemic, and criticised the “apparent attempt to conceal this outbreak” by at least one member state, in a clear reference to China.

Xi’s message at the WHA fell largely in line with the narrative crafted in recent days by Beijing, which said it had actively participated in consultations on the draft resolution for Covid-19 to review the WHO’s outbreak response “at the appropriate moment”.

“The adoption of any resolution is the result of the joint efforts of member states and the text should not be interpreted in an out-of-context and one-sided way,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao said on Monday, adding the resolution was “totally different” from an independent review.

Additional reporting by Wendy Wu and Reuters