China asked WHO director to delay global warning on Coronavirus in January: Reports German media house quoting German intelligence

Xi Jinping with WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom (Photo Credits: Foreign Policy)

Chinese Premier Xi Jinping had ‘personally’ told the World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom to “delay global warning” against the Wuhan Coronavirus outbreak, reported German news outlet Der Spiegel on Saturday. The report claimed that Chinese premier had asked WHO chief to ‘delay a global warning’ about the threat of COVID-19 during a conversation in January. 

The report stated, ‘On January 21, China’s leader Xi Jinping asked WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to hold back information about a human-to-human transmission and to delay a pandemic warning.

The report was based on intelligence from the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), the Intelligence Service of Germany, which alleged that China urged WHO Chief to withhold crucial information about the human transmission of the Chinese virus. BND has estimated that the world lost 4-6 weeks to fight the virus due to the delay in the Coronavirus warning that has affected 40 lakh people worldwide and claimed 2.8 lakh lives.

WHO denies charges

On Sunday, the World Health organisation denied the serious allegations of a pandemic coverup, levelled against the organisation by the German news outlet. Labelling the grave charges as “unfounded” and “untrue”, WHO claimed that Xi and Tedros never spoke over a phone call. It claimed that such “inaccurate reports” will hinder the global fight against the Chinese virus. WHO further added that China confirmed the “human-to-human transmission” aspect of the Coronavirus to the organisation on January 20.

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1259234244301381632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

China agrees to a Coronavirus review

After resisting any study into the origin of Wuhan Coronavirus, China now seems to have relented as they have reportedly agreed for a review of the pandemic. On Friday, China agreed to a review by an “open, transparent and inclusive” WHO panel, constituted only under the leadership of the controversial WHO Chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, at an appropriate time, following the end of the Coronavirus pandemic.

US alleges unholy alliance between WHO and China

On May 1, President Trump said that the government is examining all scientific evidence to determine the origins of Novel Coronavirus, however, when probed further by a journalist and asked whether he has seen information and has ‘high degree of confidence’ that the Coronavirus originated in a Wuhan lab, President Trump said, “Yes, I have”.

President Trump also called out the WHO and said that they should be “ashamed of themselves” because they are like the “public relations agency” for China. President Trump said that WHO should not be making excuses when people (China) make horrible mistakes.

OpIndia Staff: Staff reporter at OpIndia