BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday firmly rejected the groundless accusations of the United States regarding COVID-19, and reaffirmed its steadfast support for the World Health Organization (WHO) and multilateralism, following a U.S. statement of withdrawal from the WHO.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. released a joint statement on the termination of the United States' WHO membership on Jan. 23. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also made unsubstantiated claims about China's early handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In response to a relevant query at a daily press briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stressed that China has been open, transparent and responsible in its anti-pandemic efforts.
"From the outbreak of COVID-19, China put the people and their lives front and center, collaborated with other countries in trying times, and made significant contributions to international cooperation in the fight against the pandemic," he said.
He noted that there is a clear timeline of China's response to the pandemic, which is backed by solid data that has been widely recognized by the international community and brooks no distortion or slander.
He reiterated China's firm opposition to the politicization of the pandemic, saying that using COVID-19 as a tool for political manipulation and shifting blame onto China will gain no support and will fail.
Guo also noted that the WHO is a professional international institution and the authority in the field of global public health, and that it has expressed regret over the U.S. withdrawal notification.
"Multilateralism is the cornerstone of the current international order, and it represents the trend of the times and the will of the international community," Guo said.
He emphasized that China will continue to support the WHO in playing its leading role, deepen international cooperation on public health, strengthen global health governance, and promote the development of a global community of health for all. ■