China calls for avoiding politicization of COVID-19 pandemic: spokesperson

BEIJING, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Wednesday said China hopes that the focus will be on tackling the virus rather than politicizing the COVID-19 issue, and countries can step up solidarity and make joint efforts to defeat the pandemic at an early date.

Mao made the remarks at a regular press briefing in response to U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price's remarks on China over COVID-19 information sharing.

Mao said China has always put the people and their lives above all else since the COVID-19 epidemic began, made the best effort to protect people's life and health, and effectively coordinated COVID-19 response with economic and social development.

Noting that China has been sharing information and data with the international community in a responsible manner, Mao said according to incomplete statistics, China has carried out over 60 technical exchanges with the World Health Organization over the past three years.

China continues to share the genome data of the virus via the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID). Health experts from many countries have said that entry restrictions targeting China are unnecessary, Mao added.

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 promoting world economic recovery and growth, said Mao.

"We have noted that recently some people in the United States have made comments on China's COVID-19 policy adjustment. We also noted that quite many people have said if the United States had not politicized the pandemic, and had treated it responsibly and put people's life first like the Chinese government, perhaps the COVID-19 situation in the United States and the whole world would not have become what it is today," Mao said.

"We truly hope the focus will be on tackling the virus rather than politicizing the COVID-19 issue, and countries can step up solidarity and make joint efforts to defeat the pandemic at an early date," Mao said.