China neither created nor intentionally transmitted coronavirus: Beijing spokesperson
New Delhi: China on Wednesday said it has neither created the coronavirus nor intentionally transmitted it and that usage of terms like "Chinese virus" or "Wuhan virus" is wrong.
Ji Rong, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy here, said the international community should focus on China's "swift response" to the pandemic rather than "stereotyping the Chinese people".
Elaborating on the cooperation between India and China in efforts to fight the disease, Ji said both countries have maintained communication and have lent support to each other in coping with the pandemic through difficult times.
He said the Indian side has provided medical supplies to China and supported its fight against the contagion in various ways.
"We express appreciation and thanks for that," Ji said.
Pointing out that the WHO has stressed that linking China and Wuhan with the virus must be corrected, the spokesperson said, "Those people who are trying to stigmatise China's efforts have ignored the huge sacrifices the Chinese people made in safeguarding the health and safety of all mankind".
Ji added that although Wuhan city in China first reported the outbreak, there is no evidence that China is the source of the virus that caused COVID-19.
He stressed that the origin of the novel coronavirus is a matter of science that requires professional and scientific assessment. "China has neither created the virus nor intentionally transmitted it. The so-called 'Chinese virus' is absolutely wrong," Ji said.
Earlier this month, China had condemned US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for branding the COVID-19 as "Wuhan virus", terming his remarks as "despicable behaviour" and an attempt to stigmatise the country.
There is a clear consensus by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that a virus should not be linked to any specific country, region or ethnic group and such stigmatisation should be rejected.
Instances have been reported in some countries including India and the USA where numbers of people, especially of Chinese origin or Chinese-looking, have been harassed and have even faced racially-motivated attacks amid the coronavirus pandemic.
"The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that the seasonal flu starting from September 2019 has so far sickened more than 30 million people and killed more than 20,000, and CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield admitted some were actually COVID-19 (cases)," Ji said.
He said after the outbreak, the Chinese government has timely adopted in an "open, transparent and responsible manner" the "most comprehensive, rigorous and thorough measures" to control the epidemic, provided updates to WHO and the international community and shared experiences in diagnosis and treatment.
"At the early stage of the outbreak, China took decisive decision to lock down Wuhan and cancel outbound tourist groups to prevent the spread of the epidemic," Ji said.
The spokesperson said that China has timely shared its experience in epidemic prevention and control and diagnosis and treatment since the beginning of the outbreak.
Since January 3, China has been regularly notifying WHO and relevant countries and regions about the outbreak, and on January 12, it had already shared with WHO the genetic sequence of the novel coronavirus, he added.
On Tuesday, China's National Health Commission reported 78 new confirmed cases of coronavirus, including 74 imported infections, while the death toll from the novel coronavirus increased to 3,277 after seven more fatalities.
The overall confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland reached 81,171 on Monday. This included 3,277 people who died of the disease, 4,735 patients who were still being treated and 73,159 patients discharged after recovery.
Recently, China held an online video conference to brief 19 Eurasian and South Asian countries including India on China's experience, the spokesperson added.
"The Chinese enterprises have started to make donations to India. We stand ready to provide further support and assistance to the best of our capability in light of the needs of the Indian side. We believe that the Indian people will win the battle at an early date," he said.
"China will continue to fight the epidemic together with India and other countries, enhance cooperation in multilateral platforms such as the G20 and BRICS, contribute our wisdom and strength to better addressing global challenges and promoting the health and well-being of all mankind," Ji added.
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
