Wuhan scientist welcomes 'any kind of visit' to probe COVID-19 origin: Report

As a team of at least ten international scientists is set to travel to the Chinese city of Wuhan in January to investigate the origins of COVID-19, a Wuhan scientist has reportedly said that she ‘welcomes’ any kind of visit to rule out the baseless claims of coronavirus being leaked from her laboratory. In an exclusive statement given to BBC, Professor Shi Zhengli noted the major scientific controversy budded from the three deaths back in 2012 due to mystery illness, about the origins of the novel coronavirus or if it came from nature or from a laboratory.

As per the media outlet, the reporters had to face several attempts of Chinese authorities to stop them from reaching the site in the remote district of Tongguan, in China’s south-western province of Yunnan. According to the report, the obstacles ‘are a sign of how hard China is working to control the narrative’. The scientific field study in the jungle-covered hills in Yunnan is led by Zhengli from the Wuhan Insitute of Virology (WIV). 

Dismissing the controversies, she told the media outlet that “I would personally welcome any form of visit, based on an open, transparent, trusting, reliable and reasonable dialogue. But the specific plan is not decided by me.”

Read - Japan Approves Record Military Budget Of Nearly $52 Bn To Counter China's Military Power

Prof Shi Zhengli has reportedly won international acclaim for the discovery about SARS disease being caused by a virus that killed over 700 people back in 2003. She determined that the illness was caused by a virus that probably came from a species of bat in a Yunnan cave. 

Since then, Zhengli is reportedly often referred to as “China’s Batwoman” and has been in the vanguard of a project aimed at preventing any such future outbreaks. However, Wuhan being the home to the world’s leading coronavirus research facility has further fuelled the suspicion regarding the origins of the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Read - China Criticizes US Corporate Auditing Penalties

China condemns allegations on COVID-19

From US President Donald Trump calling coronavirus ‘China VIrus’ to other world leaders calling for an independent investigation into the origin of coronavirus outbreak this year, China was on the receiving end of the backlash of the international community and has been accused of hiding crucial data related to the pandemic. Trump took his criticism for China as far as saying that the World Health Organisation (WHO) is supporting China and halted funding the UN health agency.

Despite the heat, Chinese authorities, the WIV and now Zhengli has angrily rejected all allegations of virus leak from the Wuhan lab. But now the scientists appointed by WHO are all set to arrive in Wuhan and inquire the origin of the pandemic that has caused more than a million deaths. In an email to the media outlet, Wuhan lab scientist has assured that she had communicated with the UN health agency experts twice and added that, “I have personally and clearly expressed that I would welcome them to visit the WIV.”

Read - AP Interview: China Signals Shift But No Let-up In Xinjiang

Read - China Signals No Let-up In Xinjiang Crackdown