Chinese President Xi Jinping said he supports calls for an investigation into the handling of the coronavirus pandemic at a key summit Monday, but insisted that any inquiry should wait until the virus is contained.
Xi spoke at the World Health Assembly after more than 100 countries backed a resolution calling for an independent inquiry into the pandemic, which has so far claimed more than 300,000 lives globally.
Xi also expressed condolences for the lives lost due to the pandemic, and went on to agree with the need for an investigation, though he said it should wait until the pandemic subsides. Xi used less combative language during his remarks at the closely watched summit on Monday, however, outlining a number of steps China would take to control the spread of Covid-19 and pledging $2 billion over two years to the WHO.
Any highly critical report could have a damaging effect on China's global standing, which has already taken a major knock as a result of the coronavirus crisis, with the United States in particular pushing a narrative that Beijing is to blame for the pandemic -- claims Beijing strongly denies.
The conference is also significant for the WHO itself, with the organization batting back accusations from US President Donald Trump that it mismanaged the global outbreak.
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