China denies delay in sharing virus information

The Chinese health minister denied delays in sharing coronavirus information in response to an Associated Press investigation that found the World Health Organization (WHO) was frustrated by a lack of transparency by Beijing during the early days of the virus outbreak.

At a news conference on Sunday, where China issued an official report on the fight against COVID-19, Ma Xiaowei, director of China's National Health Commission, denied China stalled or attempted a cover-up during the virus outbreak, saying the AP report "seriously violated the facts".

"It took time to accumulate evidence, deepen understanding, and grasp the characteristics of the novel coronavirus," Ma said.

The internal recordings of WHO meetings, documents and interviews AP obtained showed China sat on releasing the genome of the virus for more than a week after the data had been fully decoded.

Chinese officials and experts stressed in different situations the government has been transparent enough about the virus and supported others in coping with the pandemic.

"It's fair to say that (Chinese government) has adhered to an attitude of openness, transparency and responsibility," Ma said.