US accuses China of 'obstructing' WHO probe, 'peddling' questionable vaccines
What's the story
Urging the international community to demand transparency from China about the spread of the coronavirus, the US has accused Beijing of "obstructing" a World Health Organization (WHO) probe into its origin and "peddling" questionable vaccines one year after the disease broke out in Wuhan. The US, which has authorized the emergency use of the Moderna vaccine, has witnessed more than 313,000 deaths so far.
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US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's statement
"Even today, nearly a year after the world first learned of the outbreak, the Chinese Communist Party is still spreading disinformation regarding the virus and obstructing a World Health Organization (WHO) investigation into its origin and spread," Pompeo said on Friday. Pompeo also urged the nations of the world to demand transparency from Beijing about the origin and spread of the pandemic.
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China is peddling 'questionable vaccines'
"It(China) is also peddling vaccines that lack essential data on safety and efficacy, due to a fundamental disregard for transparency and accountability regarding results from clinical trials. Both actions put Chinese citizens, and the world, at risk," he said," Pompeo said.
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China punished those who tried to alert the world: Pompeo
Adding that the pandemic is 'no accident,' he further alleged that China punished brave Chinese scientists, doctors, and journalists who tried to alert the world about the dangers of the spreading virus, allowing a controllable outbreak to become a global pandemic. However, China has rejected Pompeo's previous statements on the coronavirus outbreak as politically motivated.
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US imposes new restrictions on certain Chinese entities
Meanwhile, the Department of Commerce added 59 Chinese entities to its export-control Entity List. The US added four entities to the Entity List for enabling human rights abuses within China by providing DNA-testing materials or high-technology surveillance equipment to their government. The State Department also urged the Chinese Communist Party to respect the human rights of their people, including the religious minority groups.