Australia recently called for an "independent worldwide" research into China's control of the coronavirus outbreak and the start of the pandemic. The country joined the United States in coronavirus probe.
NSW Police personnel gear up in personal protective equipment for the Strike Force Bast raid of the Ruby Princess cruise ship at Port Kembla, New South Wales, Australia, April 8, 2020, in this still image from video. Video taken April 8, 2020.
Australia's Foreign Minister Marise Payne has doubled down on similar calls by U.S. President Donald Trump in evaluating China's integrity. Payne, according to Fox News, pronounced that Australia "will absolutely insist" on international research.
Payne, over the weekend, said that her concern about China's transparency was "at a totally excessive point."
The Australian Foreign Minister told ABC the problems around the coronavirus are for independent review, and she believes doing so is essential.
Payne said her trust in China is predicated in the long-term. "My concern is around transparency and ensuring that we [can] engage openly."
Australia's investigation comes as the United States officials take full-scale research into whether COVID-19 escaped from a lab in Wuhan, China --- in contrary to claims that the virus originated in a nearby "wet market."
WHO should play no part with the investigation, Payne said
The Australian Foreign Minister said the World Health Organization (WHO) should play no part in the country's investigation.
"[Fundamentally,] we determine an independent review mechanism... in which the international community can have faith," she told ABC Insiders.
Payne said WHO should be involved in the investigation, given the health agency's proximity to the crisis up until this point.
"I'm not sure you can have the health organization responsible for disseminating much of the international communications material and doing much of the early investigative work' conducting the inquiry," she told DailyMail.
Nations must conduct a review, too
Payne said nations throughout the world ought to come together to decide the high-quality manner to conduct a review.
'There will be a path through, but it will need countries to come to the table with a willingness to be transparent and engage in that process,' she said.
According to Payne, the key going ahead of the investigation is transparency from China most certainly. However, she said all countries should additionally be part of any review.
Payne struggled to admit whether she relied on China going forward, but stated she was hoping to keep relations between the two countries.
She said relationships all around the world will change in some form. What is really important now, according to Payne, is how the world comes together now to rebuild.
.@David_Speers: Do you trust China?@MarisePayne: I trust China in terms of the work that we need to do together. The issues around the coronavirus are issues for independent review.#Auspol #Insiders pic.twitter.com/6qzyiqoUr5 — Insiders ABC (@InsidersABC) April 18, 2020
In particular, Payne said the review has to study the origin of the virus, international approaches to managing and addressing COVID-19. The openness with which information was shared and about interactions with the WHO should be included as well, she added.
She additionally admitted her political counterpart in China told her the sickness was both 'preventable and curable' at some point in verbal exchange in late January.
Globally, more than 2 million people were infected with the disease, and at least 160,000 human beings have died from the virus.
However, China rejected Australia's call for a probe examining the worldwide response to the coronavirus pandemic - inclusive of Beijing's early handling of the outbreak.
Washington and numerous allies have accused China of failing to adequately respond to the viral disorder threat in the weeks after it was first detected in Wuhan last year.
Chinese overseas ministry spokesman Geng Shuang stated the accusations disrespected "the Chinese people's remarkable efforts and sacrifices" in combating the contagion.
"Any question about China's transparency in the prevention and control of [the pandemic] situation is not in line with facts," Geng told reporters in a press briefing.
