This archive report was first published on 24 May 2020.
On May 24, 2020, China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, emphasized the country's willingness to collaborate with the international scientific community to investigate the origins of the novel coronavirus.
Wang Yi made these comments at a press conference during China's annual parliament session, where he also expressed concerns about efforts by US politicians to fabricate rumors about the virus's origins and stigmatize China.
The United States and Australia have recently called for an investigation into the origins of the pandemic, with US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accusing China of a lack of transparency on the issue.
Most scientists believe that the virus jumped from animals to humans, possibly from a market selling exotic animals for meat in Wuhan, China.
Wang Yi stated that China is open to working with the international scientific community to look into the source of the virus, but emphasized that any investigation must be professional, fair, and constructive.
He added that fairness requires the process to be free of political interference, respect the sovereignty of all countries, and oppose any presumption of guilt.
