[Washington Examiner] KUWAIT CITY — World Health Organization investigators ought to return to China for "studies into the" origins of the coronavirus pandemic, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who urged a meeting with the global health body’s chief."He stressed the need for the next phase to be timely, evidence-based, transparent, expert-led, and free from interference," said State Department spokesman Ned Price on Wednesday evening after Blinken’s discussion with WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Chinese officials have opposed a second inquiry because WHO officials have signaled they would explore the hypothesis the contagion spilled out of a virology lab in Wuhan, where the virus was first detected. A previous WHO investigation declared this idea "extremely unlikely," but Tedros acknowledged this finding was "premature" after U.S. and European officials denounced China’s lack of candor with the investigators. One of the outspoken critics of the so-called lab leak theory was also recused from the investigative team over an apparent conflict of interest.
"Secretary Blinken affirmed U.S. support for the WHO’s plans to conduct additional studies into the COVID-19 origins, including in the People’s Republic of China," Price said. "Secretary Blinken emphasized the importance of the international community coming together on this matter of critical concern and reiterated our support for a multilateral approach to global health security more broadly."