Chinese President Xi Jinping announced Monday that China will provide $2 billion over the next two years to help fight the novel coronavirus around the world.
Xi added that China now supports a World Health Organization-led review of the global response to COVID-19 after it is brought under control.
Xi’s comments came the same day a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry said it was too early to undergo an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.
“China will provide 2 billion U.S dollars over two years to help with COVID-19 response, and with economic and social development in affected countries, especially developing countries,” Xi said Monday at the opening ceremony of the 73rd World Health Assembly, the governing body of the World Health Organization.
Xi said China will also collaborate with the United Nations to establish green corridors to transport essential goods around the world, Reuters reported.
“China supports the idea of a comprehensive review of the global response to COVID-19 after it is brought under control, to sum up our experience and address deficiencies,” Xi added. “This work should be led by science and professionalism, led by the WHO and conducted in an objective and impartial manner.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping: “China will provide $2bn USD over two years to help with COVID-19 responses and with economic and social development in affected countries especially developing countries.” https://t.co/PgW926ApgB pic.twitter.com/2YFK4tQN8R
— The Hill (@thehill) May 18, 2020
China’s $2 billion commitment comes as the WHO is facing increasing scrutiny from multiple intelligence agencies worldwide who believe it was pressured by China against declaring the coronavirus pandemic a global emergency in January.
A senior U.S. intelligence official previously told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the CIA believes China pressured the WHO against declaring a pandemic in January as Beijing was stockpiling medical equipment. (RELATED: Confirmed: China Pressured WHO Against Declaring Coronavirus Global Health Emergency)
The German Federal Intelligence Service reached a similar conclusion on China’s pressure campaign against the WHO, the German magazine Der Spiegel reported.
China previously donated $20 million to the WHO in March and another $30 million in April to fight the virus.
President Donald Trump cut off U.S. funding to the WHO in August over concerns that it contributed to China’s misinformation on the pandemic.
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