China’s National Health Commission (NHC) has disputed parts of a recent report by a World Health Organization (WHO) panel regarding the origins of COVID-19. In a statement released on Monday, the NHC expressed concerns over the content of the report by the WHO’s Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO), which was published on June 27.
The NHC stated that the SAGO report did not present any new evidence about the origins of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, nor did it contradict the findings of the joint WHO-China study published in March 2021. However, the NHC criticized parts of the report, claiming they contained “false information based on subjective speculation” influenced by “certain countries and individuals.”
“Unfortunately, with manipulation and influence from certain countries and individuals, the report has included false information based on subjective speculation, seriously undermining the scientific soundness and credibility of the report,” the NHC said.
The commission emphasized that China has fully cooperated with global efforts to trace the origins of the virus. “China has shared data and information related to SARS-CoV-2 origins tracing study without reservation,” the NHC stated.
The NHC reaffirmed that it does not approve of the contested sections of the SAGO report, asserting that they are “not acceptable to the global scientific community either.”
The debate over the origins of COVID-19 has been a contentious issue since the pandemic began, with various theories being explored by scientists worldwide. China has consistently advocated for a scientific approach to the investigation, urging the avoidance of politicization in the process.
