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A government spokesman says China is “seriously concerned” about President Trump suspending funds for the World Health Organization over a failure to accurately report data from China.
“We urge the United States to earnestly fulfill their responsibilities and obligations,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a press conference. “This US decision will weaken WHO’s capacities and undermine the international cooperation against the epidemic.”
Trump on Tuesday said he was suspending US contributions to the United Nations body over what he said was a failure to warn the world about the highly contagious virus. China notified the WHO on Dec. 31 of the coronavirus outbreak, but allegedly hid data.
“The WHO’s reliance on China’s disclosures likely caused a 20-fold increase in cases worldwide, and it may be much more than that,” Trump said Tuesday.
“The WHO failed to investigate credible reports from sources in Wuhan that conflicted directly with the Chinese government’s official accounts,” Trump said. “There was credible information to suspect human-to-human transmission in December 2019, which should have spurred the WHO to investigate, and investigate immediately.”
The US government is the WHO’s largest funder, providing about $400 million last year. China, by contrast, contributes about $40 million or less annually, Trump objected in the Rose Garden.
Zhao, the Chinese spokesman, has a reputation for inflaming tensions between the US and China. After reports that China covered up the true scope of the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, Zhao last month said US troops may have released the virus.
2/2 CDC was caught on the spot. When did patient zero begin in US? How many people are infected? What are the names of the hospitals? It might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Be transparent! Make public your data! US owe us an explanation! pic.twitter.com/vYNZRFPWo3
— Lijian Zhao 赵立坚 (@zlj517) March 12, 2020
“It might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Be transparent! Make public your data! US owe us an explanation!” Zhao tweeted in English on March 12. Trump said he used the term “Chinese virus” to refer to COVID-19 for weeks afterward in retaliation for Zhao’s allegation.
White House coronavirus coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx said at a recent press briefing that Chinese data led experts to believe the virus was less contagious, akin to the related coronavirus SARS, leading to less concern among non-Chinese health officials.
Tensions over WHO funding have brewed for weeks.
Trump administration officials told The Post last month they were appalled that China chipped in just $20 million, or 3 percent, to a WHO drive to raise $675 million in dedicated coronavirus funds.
“China, who started the pandemic, ponied up a paltry $20 million,” a senior Trump administration official told The Post. “They refuse to pay even 3% into the world fund to respond to the virus that their own actions caused to spread rapidly outside of their country. That’s shocking and a disgrace.”
The US has the world’s largest publicly acknowledged COVID-19 outbreak with more than 610,000 cases and at least 26,000 deaths. At least 17 million Americans have lost their jobs as businesses close to prevent spread of the virus.
