Australia says all WHO members should back coronavirus inquiry

Sydney

ALL member nations of the World Health Organization (WHO) should support a proposed independent review into the coronavirus pandemic, Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday, further threatening strained ties with China.

Australia has become one of the most forceful critics of Beijing for its handling of the spread of the coronavirus, with Mr Morrison urging several world leaders to support an international inquiry into its origins and spread, as well as the WHO's response.

The Covid-19 outbreak originated in China and has since spread to infect some 2.3 million people globally and killed nearly 160,000, Reuters calculations estimated. Beijing has fiercely rejected calls for an inquiry, describing the efforts as US-led propaganda against China.

Mr Morrison said all members of the WHO should be obliged to participate in a review, adding that Australia would push for the inquiry during the WHO Assembly on May 17.

"We'd like the world to be safer when it comes to viruses... I would hope that any other nation, be it China or anyone else, would share that objective," he told reporters in Canberra.

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China is Australia's largest trading partner, but diplomatic ties have frayed in recent years amid allegations Beijing has committed cyber attacks and has attempted to interfere in Canberra's domestic affairs.

"The so-called independent inquiry proposed by Australia is in reality political manipulation," said China's foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang, speaking at a daily news briefing in Beijing on Thursday.

"We advise Australia to give up its ideological prejudices," he added.

Australia's calls for an inquiry will win favour with the White House - which has been critical of China and the WHO's handling of the pandemic, and has withdrawn US funding from the United Nation agency.

China said on Thursday it will donate an additional US$30 million to the WHO, days after Washington said it would freeze funding.

The United States, which is the WHO's biggest contributor, accused the organisation last week of "mismanaging" the Covid-19 crisis, drawing ire from Beijing as both countries spar over the deadly virus.

Mr Geng said that the new donation would be in addition to a previous US$20 million committed, and would help "strengthen developing countries' health systems".

There also seems to be less enthusiasm for an inquiry in Europe, with both France and Britain saying now is not the time to apportion blame.

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday that the WHO is an "indispensable partner" and the country supports its mandate.

Mr Morrison's comments came just hours after a senior Australian government official called on Group of 20 (G-20) nations to end wildlife wet markets over concerns they pose a threat to human health and agricultural markets.

The outbreak in China was thought to have started in a wet market in the city of Wuhan.

Wet markets are a key facet of China's daily life, though not all sell wildlife.

China imposed a temporary ban on selling wildlife on Jan 23 and is now reviewing its legislation to restrict commercial wild animal trading on a permanent basis.

Australia's Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud said on Thursday he had asked government officials from G-20 economies to back a plan to end wildlife wet markets.

US officials have also called for wildlife wet markets across Asia to be closed. REUTERS, AFP