Claims that China has not supplied original COVID-19 data not valid: expert

Liang Wannian, team leader from the Chinese side of the WHO-China team studying the origins of COVID-19, answers questions after a press briefing by the Chinese expert members of the joint study in Beijing, capital of China, March 31, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei)

BEIJING, March 31 (Xinhua) -- The assumption that China did not provide original data for the study of the origins of the novel coronavirus does not hold water, said a senior expert on Wednesday.

Chinese and foreign experts have been carrying out continuous research and analysis together in Wuhan, and there is no difference between the information possessed by Chinese experts and foreign experts, said Liang Wannian, the team leader from the Chinese side of the WHO-China joint team studying the origins of COVID-19.

Liang said that Chinese and foreign experts have been working quite closely during their research, he stressed.

"According to Chinese law, some data cannot be taken away or photographed," Liang added.

Concerning the so-called delay in publication, Liang said that the report can only be published when jointly recognized by both sides of the joint expert team.

He added that people are still updating their knowledge of the virus, therefore they can only make judgment and deduction based on the information already at hand.

Liang made the remarks at a press briefing from the Chinese members of the WHO-convened global study of the origins of the virus on Wednesday in Beijing.