Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning Photo:the official website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry

China has always shared its information and data in a responsible manner with the international community, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Wednesday, adding that the US bears inescapable responsibility for the current epidemic situation and called on all parties to avoid any words or deeds that politicize the epidemic.

Since COVID began, China has always put the people and their lives above all else. We have made the best effort to protect people’s life and health and effectively coordinated COVID response with economic and social development, Mao said during a press conference on Wednesday.

EU health officials will hold talks on Wednesday after a similar meeting was held urging the EU countries to test passengers arriving from China on December 29, 2022, as China is poised to ease travel restrictions on January 8, 2023.

Some countries have imposed restrictions on travelers from China. For example, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said recently that from January 5, travelers boarding flights to the US from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao would need a negative COVID-19 test or proof they had recovered from a previous infection. 

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Tuesday that this approach lacks scientific basis and some practices are unacceptable targeting only Chinese travelers, adding that the country will take corresponding measures in response to varying situations based on the principle of reciprocity.

Over the past three years, China has conducted more than 60 technical exchanges with the WHO, including two since the release of the new epidemic management policy, Mao said, noting that China continues to share the genome data of the virus via the Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data (GISAID). 

The Chinese government has taken responsible policies and measures, done its best and made important contributions to protecting Chinese people’s lives and health and promoting global solidarity against the pandemic and world economic recovery and growth, Mao added.

Mao also reiterated China stands ready to step up communication with the rest of the international community and work together to prevail over COVID. The Chinese side truly hopes the focus will be on tackling the virus rather than politicizing the COVID issue, and countries can step up solidarity and make joint efforts to defeat the pandemic at an early date, she noted.

Global Times