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World

War on COVID

19 and the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros

Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a recent press briefing on COVID-19.
“lies”

he World Health Organization has that “such inaccurate reports distract Wenliang, a 34-year-old doctor who
Tdismissed as “false allegations” and detract from WHO’s and the world’s had tried to raise the alarm over the
a media report that it with held efforts to end the COVID-19 pandemic.” outbreak of the new virus in Wuhan. His
information about the new coronavirus death from COVID-19, the respiratory
following pressure from China. It said that China confirmed human- disease caused by the virus, prompted
to-human transmission of the new an outpouring of rage and grief across
The U.N. agency said in a statement coronavirus on Jan. 20. China.
late Saturday that a German magazine’s
report about a telephone conversation Meanwhile, Chine, in a statement to It ministry article said Li was not a
between WHO chief Tedros Adhanom the media provided a timeline of how “whistle-blower” and he was never
Ghebreyesus and Chinese President Xi it had provided information to the arrested, contrary to many Western
Jinping on Jan. 21 was “unfounded and international community in a “timely”, reports.
untrue.” “open and transparent” manner to
rebuke U.S. suggestions that it had been However, the article did not mention
Weekly Der Spiegel reported that Xi slow to sound the alarm. that Li was reprimanded by the police
asked Tedros during the call to hold back for “spreading rumours”. Though Li was
information about human-to-human Despite China’s repeated assurances, later named among “martyrs” mourned
transmission of the virus and delay concerns about the timeliness of its by China, an investigation into his case
declaring a pandemic. The magazine information have persisted in some also drew criticism online after it merely
quoted Germany’s foreign intelligence quarters. suggested the reprimand against him be
agency, BND, which declined to A report by Der Spiegel magazine last withdrawn.
comment Sunday. recently cited Germany’s BND spy Rejecting suggestions by U.S. President

Der Spiegel also claimed that the BND agency as saying that China’s initial Donald Trump and Pompeo that the
concluded up to six weeks of time to attempt to hold back information had new coronavirus should be called the
fight the outbreak had been lost due to cost the world four to six weeks that “Chinese virus” or “Wuhan virus”, the
China’s information policy. could have been used to fight the virus. article cited documents from the World
The U.N. agency said Tedros and Xi The article rejected Western criticism Health Organization to say the name of
a virus should not be country-specific.
“have never spoken by phone” and added of Beijing’s handling of the case of Li

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